Exterior Paint Correction Procedure

  1. Using painters tape, mask off plastic & rubber trim around windows and body panels. Also mask off windshield washer tips and any other items that can be damaged or will collect polish materials that will have to be removed later. Cover the windshield with newspaper so that the polishing products used will not splatter on the windshield.
  2. Check for any loose trim or accessories that could be damaged in the process.
  3. Review the vehicle for medium or deep scratches so you can determine what process if any can be used to eliminate them.
  4. Usually the hood, roof, deck lid and tops of fenders are areas that will need special attention. Look for faded paint or acid rain that may be able to be removed by using one of the compounds.
  5. Decide what product you may or will need to correct the paint and bring the best results.
  6. In most cases Blue Diamond Polish or Foam Pad Glaze will be used to bring the paint back to life as long as there are not medium to deep scratches and heavy oxidation.
  7. Diamond Cut Ultra or Diamond Cut compounds may be required to correct imperfections of certain body panels prior to the glazing/ polishing step. If you have swirls from heavy compounding follow up with Pure Finish “Final Step” High Gloss Polish.
  8. Lake Country Hybrid and CCS Pads are excellent to use with any DA Polisher
  9. One good option is to buff a 24″ x 24″ section of the hood with the Blue Diamond. Then do another section next to the first with Diamond Cut compound to determine if the panel needs compounded first to correct the imperfections on that panel.
  10. It is suggested that you compound only when necessary to avoid any unnecessary steps.
  11. Determine the pads needed to complete the job based on the decisions made in the previous step. Follow the information provided in step 8.
  12. Determine the thickness of the paint by reviewing the condition.
  13. Following the insight gained in step 9 continue to compound, polish, wax or seal the paint. The Detail King® products used in these steps would depend on the paint condition and correction needed. Diamond Cut Ultra & Diamond Cut for medium to major paint leveling. Pure Finish “Final Step” High Gloss Polish for micro swirl removal, Blue Diamond or Foam Pad Glaze to restore the shine, Cherry Wax or STS 3000 to protect. Not all vehicles will need compounded.
  14. Dress the tires, trim moldings and engine compartment while the wax or sealant is on the vehicle. Don’t remove the wax or sealant until all dressings have been applied.
  15. Remove the wax or sealant.
  16. Clean windows, mirrors, window tips and chrome. Be sure to take the effort to check all cracks and moldings for any wax residue.

Disclaimer: This procedure has been prepared as an example and should be used to create your own Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). All vehicles are different and may require additional steps to formulate a complete process for that vehicle. It is your responsibility to develop procedures that work for your organization. Creating best practices manual for all of your business requirements is a good idea.