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      09-28-2012, 03:07 PM   #1
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swirl mark on high gloss b-billar after dealer visit

I took my 1 month old car to dealership to do the Auto Start Stop reprogram and found swirl mark on the high gloss black b-pillar. The service manager said they don't know why but they will try to fix it. Brought my car back and after 2 days, they told me it is normal to see swirl mark on the high gloss black trim and they can't do anything with it. I really don't know what I can do. Is there anyway I can fix it myself?
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      09-28-2012, 03:17 PM   #2
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I've used Meguiars Scratch X before with good results for 'de-swirling' small areas.
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      09-28-2012, 03:54 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z4 View Post
I took my 1 month old car to dealership to do the Auto Start Stop reprogram and found swirl mark on the high gloss black b-pillar. The service manager said they don't know why but they will try to fix it. Brought my car back and after 2 days, they told me it is normal to see swirl mark on the high gloss black trim and they can't do anything with it. I really don't know what I can do. Is there anyway I can fix it myself?
Are you sure it happened at the dealership and not that you just happened to first noticed it after your visit? I noticed mine are heavily swirled after a couple of washes (new top quality microfiber towels, shampoo...etc) so I assumed these high gloss surfaces are VERY fragile and it's just useless to have the swirls buffed out as it wouldn't be long before they returned.
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      09-28-2012, 04:00 PM   #4
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I think the high gloss must be very easy to scratch, I noticed the cars in the showroom had swirls and they have never been driven.
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      09-28-2012, 04:00 PM   #5
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Treat it just like any other painted surface. Polish/wax to eliminate marks. And be cognoscente of the fact that it scratches very easily in the future.
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      09-28-2012, 04:27 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobUK View Post
I've used Meguiars Scratch X before with good results for 'de-swirling' small areas.
Is the high gloss black b-pillar Plastic or painted black? I think Scratch X will work on paint but not plastic(maybe Plast X?) Not sure which one to try.

Should I apply Optic Coat to protect it again future swirl after fixing it?
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      09-28-2012, 05:30 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z4 View Post
Is the high gloss black b-pillar Plastic or painted black? I think Scratch X will work on paint but not plastic(maybe Plast X?) Not sure which one to try.

Should I apply Optic Coat to protect it again future swirl after fixing it?
Treat it as you would any other painted surface.

The high gloss of these parts makes it VERY easy to put swirl marks in it, even when you're being careful.

My B pillars have light swirls as well.
I use 3M perfect it II. Great stuff, use sparingly and lightly.

I've got a base line 328i loaner and the B pillars are made of unpainted plastic.
They look pretty good actually with a matte finish. They likely won't hold up well over time but for the first few years no glare and no swirl marks.
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      09-28-2012, 08:41 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z4 View Post
Is the high gloss black b-pillar Plastic or painted black? I think Scratch X will work on paint but not plastic(maybe Plast X?) Not sure which one to try.

Should I apply Optic Coat to protect it again future swirl after fixing it?
Here's food for thought: the clear coat paint on the car is actually plastic. You can use anything that's safe for clear coat on plastic. As a matter of fact, make it a point to polish/wax your lenses (tail and headlight) whenever you detail your car. They'll stay perfect forever.
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      09-28-2012, 09:48 PM   #9
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It's normal. Mine did the same thing. I treated it like a normal painted surface and the swirl marks were less noticeable.
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      09-28-2012, 10:36 PM   #10
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it's super easy to scratch. I used some turtle wax ice on it and it seems to diminish the swirls a great bit. i dont use it on my paint, but works great for trim.
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      09-29-2012, 12:32 PM   #11
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they probably drove it through the Swirl-O-Matic at the dealer (Automatic Car Wash)

Get some proper polish like a Swissvax Cleaner Fluid Medium if you are going to do it by hand.
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      10-17-2012, 02:40 AM   #12
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quixx works like magic. Just use the number 1 repair tube.
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      11-03-2012, 09:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScheerSpeed
they probably drove it through the Swirl-O-Matic at the dealer (Automatic Car Wash)

Get some proper polish like a Swissvax Cleaner Fluid Medium if you are going to do it by hand.
Lol Swirl-O-Matic. Lolling so hard :P
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      03-12-2013, 02:16 PM   #14
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Has anyone decided on a proper solution?
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      03-12-2013, 05:12 PM   #15
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NOVUS Plastic Clean & Shine No. 1, NOVUS Fine Scratch Remover No. 2 & NOVUS Heavy Scratch Remover No. 3, you can actually add life to plastic and keep it looking new. Best of all, you don't have to be a pro to get professional results. Clean first with no.1 then no.2 and finis off with no.1 again
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      03-20-2013, 06:26 AM   #16
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swirls in the gloss black are hard to avoid. I do have very minimal swirls on mine though as i clean those places first with as little force as possible with the mitt. This ensures the least amount of dirt is on the mitt but ive got some small cobwebs
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      03-31-2013, 09:18 AM   #17
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I really think the free dealer wash is a bad idea... there is usually some teenager w/ a grimy rag putting scratches in everything. Nobody's going to care for your car like you will.
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      03-31-2013, 09:30 AM   #18
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      04-03-2013, 05:21 PM   #19
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What about the interior black plastic. Scratches very easy- can you use wax on it?
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      04-05-2013, 09:09 AM   #20
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And for this reason, I get my car steam washed by a professional detailer and wax it.
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      04-05-2013, 09:16 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gt5422md View Post
I really think the free dealer wash is a bad idea... there is usually some teenager w/ a grimy rag putting scratches in everything. Nobody's going to care for your car like you will.


took my car in the other day to get a bent rim replaced and specifically told the bastids to not wash my car.. guess what.. they washed it... welcome to Swirl City, USA..

the SA was very apologetic and offered a loaner and free detail.. still pissed off since it will probably ruin my opti-coat
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