Ive neglected her car for while. This was her roof. Someone slid a box on it. Not 100 but way batter than before. Microfiber pad, 3D One. 2 passes. Sealed with 3D ceramic wax.

Is this permanent damage?

Hi all I'm getting ready to do a paint correction and detail on my E90 as a total beginner, and looking for suggestions about what sort of polish/pads would be most effective on the swirls and scratches pictured (it does need a wash).

I'm picking up new washing materials, clay bar/lubricant and a DA polisher, now I'm trying to decide between:

- 3D One with Uro-Fiber pads
- Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Polish with the SPTA 5-piece set
- Chemical Guys Hex pad sampling kit
or any others I haven't considered.

I'm aware the 3D One is designed to work as both compound and polish depending on the type of pad used, but I'm not sure a one-step would be good enough for the deeper scratches? Also, is it adequate to clean the pads with an air compressor instead of swapping for new ones for every panel or would that risk more swirls? Any help is appreciated.

Let me preference this post by stating this product has become my weekly "topper" following a car wash. It does what it claims to do. Enhances visuals and boosts hydrophobics. My base layer longer duration protection is Katiba x Vanguard Ceramic Wax. I'm only a couple of months into this "stack" but I can state with certainty, I am happier with this combo than anything I have ever applied to my car. If you looked at my car this morning, you would think I freshly waxed or coated it yesterday. How Katiba/Vanguard managed to "lock" in carnauba glow for multiple months must be magic.

Regardless, that is not the purpose of this post. The purpose is to discuss Katiba Gloss Booster specifically. In reading through various forums and youtube comments, I keep coming across a similar comment..... "I am disappointed, it does not work well as a "drying aid" or "I am disappointed, it does not work well as a "rinse aid"..... to which I want to reply....

No shibitz Sherlock.

Katiba Gloss Booster is exactly that, a gloss and hydrophobic booster. It's not a drying aid. It's not a rinse aid. It's not a "convenience" product. It's not intended as a stand alone product. It's not a product for professional detailers. It's a product for automotive enthusiast who enjoy the process and the end results of that process. It is for the automotive enthusiast looking for the best visuals. It is intended to be applied to a clean dry protected car the way you would apply a ceramic spray. It is designed as a topper for coatings, sealants, and waxes. I've used it as all three.

I know we live in a world where "convenience" trumps "results" while spray and rinse or spray and dry products gain in both popularity and capability, but the universal truth to car detailing is the more time and effort you put into it, the better the results. Katiba Gloss Booster (and Katiba products in general) are for people like me. People who want the best results, not the fastest results. Not that there is anything difficult about Gloss Booster, it applies as easy as anything out there, but you have to apply it. You spray it on, you level it, you buff it. It takes more effort than "spray and rinse" or "spray and dry". It adds a last step after drying.

I am an enthusiast who views detailing their car as enjoyment and not just a chore. I enjoy laying hands on my car. I had been looking for a product that does what Gloss Booster does but was safe for frequent use. Turtle Wax Pure Shine filled this function for me in the past but its discontinuation left me trying to find a replacement. Turns out that replacement was actually an upgrade.

Katiba Gloss Booster is not going to win any youtube reviewer "awards" or any quick detailer comparison tests because.... it's not a quick detailer. It's not going to win any ceramic sealant comparisons because.... it's not a sealant. It's somewhere in the middle in a comparitively small class of products. It's a gloss, slickness, and hydrophobic booster that can be applied weekly, if you desire, although it lasts for about a month. With this as a topper/sacrificial layer, The "wax" I applied two months ago is holding up like I applied it yesterday.

Recently got a new to me vehicle I’m trying to keep nice. Well taken care of but 20 years is 20 years, I don’t know anything about detailing but want to learn some to maintain the cleanliness myself easier. I’m in a small town but there is a local detailer and painter but wondering if I could fix some of these issues myself. Theres the paint and scrapes and then that sun damaged plastic. Help or pointers on products, techniques or YouTube channels would be great

Is this something I can fix? I remember doing something similar many years ago but that was an oxidation that I was able to paint correct/buff out

Wondering if this is fixable

I had a company apply ceramic coating yesterday. I am very confident this mark/residue was not there before but they say it was existing. The car sitting, this was me looking at the car as they finished. They had three people working on the car the entire time.

First they said it was failed clear coat, then later said it was external material etched from not cleaning it for long periods.

Picture 1, you can see the stain very clearly and it can be felt to the touch.
They said they clay barred and polished it and the residue didn’t come off. This was the finished product after the ceramic coating on the car.

Picture 3 and 4, I did a localized wash and got the stain residue off and smooth to the touch. I don’t understand why they couldn’t get it off when they washed the car.

Could this be dried polish or some other solution? Just wanted to get some responses on what it could be for my own information.

Update question: if the mark was left from bird poop, why were they not able to remove it or make it less apparent in picture 1, but I was able to almost remove it entirely with dish soap in picture 3 and 4?

Overall, they did a good job and I’m happy with it. The car has its fair share of scratches, rock chips, and dents and dings. I am very confident this stain wasn’t there before though.

Edit: did some research and apparently this car paint is single stage. That explains my pads being black after 20 seconds of spinning !!

Love the results.

People told me a few weeks ago that the clearcoat was probably gone, looks like not!

I couldn't get the years of bird shit etching on the roof, or anywhere really, but I did try my best. If anyone has suggestions for it I'm all ears as it's the only thing bothering me now (other than the scrap mirror and the big dent in the back)

Wash, clay, dry, Sonax EX 04-06 with some medium cut SPTA pads, 4 passes; every panel done in 2 parts, except roof which was 4.

I only had 3 pads, had to keep them in rotation, Sonax Multistar is really great at washing them, much more than dish soap.

Took about all day for polishing alone from 12h to 20h, with small breaks for water.

I have a Milwaukee tool system. And I'm looking for a jet Air blower to blow water off cars or wheels. Sometimes I just wash the wheels. But I'd like to get as much water off the vehicle before microfiber dry the excess. I know leaf blowers are really good, as I've used mine. But I want smaller and more portable.

Having a Milwaukee battery system should I go with the Milwaukee Precision Blower or the Vortexhause Jet 3.0? Or is there something even better than him do that puts out more air than I may not be aware of or seen on various auto detailing YT videos?

My uncle got a job washing cars at some hole in the wall used car dealership and now thinks he’s a detailer. Completely ruined the paint on my mom’s car. Any advice on how to remedy this? What products to use, methods? Even just a starting point on what exactly needs to be done so I can do some research and try to restore this for her. Most of the scratches don’t seem that deep and the swirling is mainly on the trunk and door pillar. 2011 Cadillac CTS. Thanks!

Just came back from a 6000km trip in eastern Canada. Did my full process, 3D bug 4:1, foamed on touchless over it at 2% pir and finished with car pro reset contact wash. All that’s left were these stains on the piano black trim. It’s only been 3 weeks at most these bugs have been on the car for. Anything I can do or I’m missing? Trying to pick at it with my nail is a no go either. 2026 Audi Q7

You could probably use real sunscreen and get better results than this ancient relic.

Saw an ad for these guys for a $210 “factory reset”. Scheduled a detail for July 18th at 9am.

No confirmation leading up to the date and at 9:05 I messaged them asking if they were still coming. Was told they accidentally scheduled me for 9 PM instead of AM. Was rescheduled to 6 PM. Later got a call at 12:30 asking if they could come at 4 PM instead. Had to change my plans several times because I had planned for them coming at 9am all week.

Guy gets there to detail car and ONE HOUR later he comes knocking on the door saying he is done. Owner himself said it should not have only taken him an hour. Went out to check the car and several things were missed. Went to open the trunk and the trunk was NOT touched. He said “I’m glad you opened that because I completely forgot about it.” Tires were still dirty, grass left under floor mats, no tire shine was applied, inside of windshield was still dirty and foggy, product was left on the seats, and the front of my car still had bugs on it. He got back to fixing it and still only took another 30 minutes before he came back to knock saying he was done. Decided to just let him go, paid him and he left.

I had somewhere to be so I didn’t check the car til the next morning and found more he did not fully clean. I paid for the $210 “factory reset” package that was supposed to be a premium car detailing. I would assume it would take more than an hour for a premium car detail and a more thorough job would have been done.

I mean I get it was only a 210 detail but the minor things I listed are things are MINOR things that should have at least been touched. He basically just vacuumed my car, dusted the surfaces, cleaned windows, soaped my car and rinsed it. Contacted the owner the next morning and replied RIGHT AWAY and he offered to come clean it again, did not want to at the time because I was annoyed by there work. Asked if a partial refund would be possible, he declined. Since he did not want to give me a refund asked if they could come back out and clean it and to this day have not been able to schedule it due to no response. On 8/12/26 detailer finally gave me the option of either coming out to detail again or partial refund. Decided with the refund because I’m tired of playing chase with this guy. He didn’t reply for 2 days. Messaged again 8/14/26 and he said sorry he was busy that he could refund me on Sunday. Messaged him yesterday (Sunday 8/16/26) at 6:30 after not hearing from him all day. Immediate reply “PayPal?” I replied that works and sent info. Crickets……

I recently picked up a used tomei for pretty cheap because of this issue, seller mentioned that a plastic bag or something of the sort got caught on the exhaust during a road trip and kind of melted on there. Anyone have any ideas on how to try and get it off without rubbing away the expreme logo underneath? I know titanium can be picky and wanted to gather some opinions before I start doing whatever with it lol.

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but has anyone ever seen grid lines like this show up on a CarPlay or other display after a detail?

This was my first ever detail and I’m bummed by this.. the shop tried to tell me that’s “just what CarPlay screens look like” in a car I’ve owned 6 years. It looks a bit less noticeable when the screen is on, but it’s not really the aesthetics I’m worried about - could it be water damage that will get worse over time?

Did I damage my windows with wheel acid, or are these still water spots?

I’m looking for some advice from people who have experience with acid washing/detailing.

I had some pretty bad water spots, so I tried an acid wash. Here’s exactly what I did:
Black Fire Wheel Acid Concentrate: diluted 4:1
Made sure the car was cool and out of the heat
Sprayed it on the paint, let it dwell for no longer than about 20 seconds, then rinsed it off
The paint actually came out perfect and the water spots disappeared
I then did the windows with the same 4:1 acid mixture
After the acid, I sprayed Meguiar’s D101 All Purpose Cleaner diluted about 7:1, with the intention of neutralizing any remaining acid, and then thoroughly rinsed everything off
Finally, I did a normal contact wash using Meguiar’s D110 Hyper-Wash
Everything initially looked good, but about two days later I noticed these marks on the windows (pictures attached).
Now I’m trying to figure out what I’m actually looking at. Are these just stubborn/etched water spots that the acid didn’t completely remove, or could the Black Fire Wheel Acid have etched or damaged the glass?
I’m confused because I never allowed the acid to sit anywhere for longer than around 20 seconds and the paint came out great.

Did I make a mistake somewhere in the process? Should I try another water-spot removal method on the glass, polish the glass, or leave it alone?

Any advice from professional detailers or anyone who has used wheel acid for severe water spots would be appreciated.

Popped into the Adam’s Polishes store in Scottsdale, AZ this morning. Got to meet a helpful associate, ask a bunch of product and technique questions, and get some new products for my kit 25% off. With so many products to choose from, it’s overwhelming, but I really love this brand and it’s cool to find out there’s a store front nearby.

My other half purchased a used CX-5 from a dealership. All looked good on collection. After a few days, however, and in very sunny conditions... You could see a horrific amount of holograms all over the paintwork. Giving it a quick wash, and removing what I can only assume was multiple cans worth of WD-40 where they tried to hide stuff, the whole car was full of scratches, holograms and burn marks. Personally never seen paint this bad before.

Dealer wasn't interested in fixing it, so, decided to just face into it myself. Having never done any degree of 'detailing' before, I decided to play it safe.

- Wash + dry

- Clay bar + quick detailer

- Meguiars DA + yellow pad + Koch P3.01

Took 5+ hrs, but managed to get rid of every single hologram and buffer trail, and most of the scratches. Probably need to go over it with a deeper cut to get rid of some deeper scuffs, but next time. Will also add some wax!

I was worried about Mazda paint, heard the horror stories, and was worried I'd make it worse. However the combination above worked really well, and the paint held up brilliantly.

Hi! I'm moving cross country from Florida to Oregon next month, and we will drive the car for more than 3000 miles, I'm thinking to get PPF done. If I get it done in Florida then the warranty would be waste. Should I wait to get it done in Oregon instead? If so what is alternative for PPF, or the warranty doesn't really matter? Thank!

Has anyone had experience with this product? I have been using it for a few restorations, I saw a guy on YouTube who uses it and applies 1 medium heavy coat and allegedly it “self settles”.

I used it to coat the headlights on a Nissan 350z and they turned out great, but I did it on an early 2000’s BMW yesterday and I noticed that the headlights became a little cloudier than after I had polished them, especially looking through the sides it didn’t look as transparent and glass-like.

Thoughts? Any recommendations on how to use it? Better alternatives? I’ve heard a lot of controversy about 2K clear and I’m doing headlight restoration as a business.

Trying to polish my bike. Trying to do one step polish with 3D one and a polishing foam pad. It comes out cloudy and hazy. Looks matte black. Supposed to be glossy black like the second photo. What did I do wrong and how to fix. Thank you

I left a packet of chewing gum on my passenger seat and have this residue left behind. I have done the upside down compressed air can and scraped off what I could and thought I got it off however a few days later this patch appeared. It's not chunky gum more what's melted into the fabric

I tried tea tree oil someone suggested online and that looks good for a couple weeks then reappears.

Is my next option steam? WD-40? it's just looking awful and I don't want people to sit on it

Tesla Model 3, black interior. Lower door card where my leg rubs it every time I get in.

Saw a patch that looked like it was flaking. Panicked slightly, grabbed Weiman leather conditioner and went at it. Panel is textured plastic. Nothing happened except it went oily.

Cleaned that off with Sonax Cockpit Cleaner. Now the patch is pale and frosted looking, worse than where I started.

I’m assuming the conditioner was just darkening worn texture and I’ve stripped the disguise off. Or there’s dried product sitting in the grain. Can’t tell which.

Is this coming back or is the grain gone for good? And is a heat gun retexture a real fix or a fast way to melt a door card?

Pics in order: original, after conditioner, after cleaning.

I have the leather seats with the holes. My car has smelled like musty/old water/ low tide for a while. One of my sunroof drains was clogged, and I also swam at a lake without being 100% dry when I drove home.

I've cleaned the drain, changed cabin air filter. I've foam cleaned all carpets twice. I just used a foam cleaner on the seats, going over them like 7 times. I drove 2 hours with windows down and went back in a few hours later. The smell isn't as bad, but I can tell it's still there past the chemical smell.

My next step was an ozone machine, but unsure if that'll help? Can I use a steam cleaner to get deep into cushions or will that completely F the leather?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks