I waxed my black CTS last night only to have the whole car end up looking like CRAP. I used Meguiar'* 3 stage paint treatment system. I started off with the paint cleaner, then went on to the polish. I allowed each stage to dry for around an hour, then removed. I topped it off with Meguiar'* gold class wax paste. The paint looks stunning from far away and the reflection is amazing, but up close the paint looks all foggy and swirled. The swirls won't wipe away, but they can be smudged around. I've used different terry cloths and the swirls persist. any tips?

<-- Watching this topic closely. I have the EXACT same issue with our Firehawk and it drives me nuts.

My next step is to wash it with dish soap, claybar it, and start off with a fresh coat of wax. I was thinking of using Coat'* wax or Liquid Glass. I was using Zaino, but am not happy with it so I won't go back to their products. Too pricey for the money, and no noticable benefit.

I had the same problem with my mother in laws black VUE.

After a good wash and hand drying I gave it a thorough clay baring (I use the meguiars cly just because I like getting the two bars and the handy case to keep them in).

Once done with the claying I gave it two coats of "3m Rubbing compound" (Meguiars Scratch X works fine too), NOT the one with carnauba wax in it. then finished it with a couple coats of NXT wax, I recently switched to the paste wax over the liquid and it seems to go on and off easy. Then follow with a wipe down with a microfiber towel and a light misting of detailing spray.

It'* hard to tell from the picture, but if you say the stuff can be smudged, I'm guessing you have too much product on the vehicle. I'm not completely familiar with the stuff you used though I have used the step 2 polish, but I don't think you want to leave the paint cleaner or polish on the paint for as long as you did. I would start over with the polish, work it in, and buff it right off. Then when you use the wax, go ahead and let it sit for a half hour to an hour (though not in the sun). And also remember, less is better. I used to make the mistake of using too much wax, which also could be the problem, and it makes it hard to remove and you can be left with splotchy areas. Put it on so thin that you can barely tell it'* on the paint. Then after you buff it, maybe give it a day if you can and put on another coat to ensure good coverage.

One problem you can run into with waxes & cleaners is that it can sometimes soften the top coat enough that it actually causes small swirls & scratch marks. The other thing is to make sure before you put any kind of wax or wax stripping product on your car is that it is as dirt free as possible. Even the lightest coat of dust or dirt can trash a good looking paint job in no time after rubbing on it.
Honestly with black your best bet if you have a lot of swirls that really bother you is to get someone to polish it. And I'm not talking about the magic polish your going to find at AutoZone & a terry cloth. Go to a reliable body or detail shop & have it done. If you get the right guy they will be able to put a shine back on it like you never had before. And don't get overtaken by some insane quote. I've seen shops quote as high as 400 + for a polish. But a good (honest) body shop can get it done in an hour or so for nothing more than some light swirling. Myself, I can Buff & polish a full size car in just at an hour & it would look like a mirror when I'm done on black.

NO rubbing compound should be used accross an entire car. They're not like a polish at all.

I'd start with a middle of the road aggressiveness polish on a DA, and see how much that cleans up.

Meg'* 3 step system for consumer'* isn't terribly good. Go for their professional products like Megs #80 speed glaze (after a mid polish) #21 sealant, etc..

I've had many black cars. I learned the hard way on my old black corvette.
The things I do.
1. Hand wash only and dry with chamois
2. Use a spray-on wet wax each time you wash.
(drying and paste waxing will cause swirl marks eventually)
+(paste wax leaves behind residue in scratches that look bad on black paint)
3. Remove any foreign spots or blemishes with clay.
4. Remove swirl marks or clouds with 3M Swirl Mark Remover For Dark Cars.
Best stuff I found, and the surface will look flawless when finished.
Just my 2 pennies.

*Edited- forgot to mention to only use cotton cloths. Polyester will leave swirl marks.
Check by holding a match to the edge, if it shrivels and turns black quickly, don't use
it to wash or polish your car.*

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...461&highlight=
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...705&highlight=

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...Picture044.jpg

Thats what Rob did to my car, it made a HUGE!!! ! ! ! difference

I think in those top two he posted what he used, if not ill find the info.

But thats what a Good buffer and good polish & compound will do and a LOT of labor.

x2 I'm lovin' the 3M

Really as everyone else has mentioned, that black really needs the love of a good polisher. Being fairly new it probably just needs a light polish, but I guarantee you will be blown away by the improvement that polishing will give on black.