Let's hear your personal stories of detailing disasters. --- This was before I knew what I know now of course; when I was working in the detailing department at a MB/Porsche dealership one summer I was powerwashing off bugs from the dealership's client from Ontario; it was a 997 Turbo. I was spraying the lip on the front bumper and it stripped a flake of paint from the lip. Obviously, I told our manager and it was taken care of. But it was a bad day at the shop.
I always wondered, since I don't have a pressure washer myself. The ones at the car wash place seem WAY too powerful. Can you adjust the pressure of the stream with the nice pressure washers you guys use? Chase, what exactly were you doing wrong that stripped the paint? Doesn't almost every pro here use pressure washer without issues? Care to explain?
As you would expect. It was an industrial unit and was way too strong for cars. But I was young and ignorant.
I once detailed a 99 VW cabrio, aka, Scariest car I've ever driven (it takes balls to reach 60mph in that death trap) Anyway, they were friends of my parents and wanted it cleaned up. While washing, I went to wash the engine bay. I was Using as little water as possible to rinse it off becausei didn't want to chance harming something. Being an older vw, they have a ton of exposed wires. Well. It wouldn't start...so I kinda figured it might've gotten too wet and that I should let it air dry. Wouldn't start for the next 2 hours. It was hot and sunny outside and had to get it into the shade so I could clay bar it, as the lube evaporated in seconds. I towed into my car port with my wrx :giggle: 2 hours after all that, finally started... Gave me a small heart attack though
Pretty much any vehicle with an exposed distributor cap and these would be older vehicles, will get condensation inside of it, if water is sprayed on the outside when its turned off. That is always the first place to look if you get a no start. Dry out the inside with a paper towel, etc., lightly, and it should fire right up. Those of us that started out with older cars know all about this.. DanF
First car I ever polished was with a wool pad....EVERYTHING was applied with a wool pads. Needless to say that after the glaze and wax wore off, it was hologram central. Granted this was many years ago.
I polished my tail light but burned it with my rotary I think, I'll take take a picture and ask you guys later when I feel the need to clean it up. I also got my fenix last month and just this week took it outside for something and decided to check on my paint. There was holos on the rear quarter panels.
i did my car first. got tons of stuff from phil and went to town with orange pad and power gloss. could not figure out why it was hazy lol. month or two later i figured it out. good thing i only did one side
I took paint off the bumper of an 06 Hyundai with my pressure washer. I blame Hyundai's super soft paint though, because I have a $60 cheap as dirt pressure washer and it was fanned out as much as possible, from like 12 inches away. Luckily this was on my mother's car, and she could care less if a few tiny flakes of paint were missing.
