So i bought the meguiars clay bar kit
and im very disappointed
i only tried it on half of my hood and it doesnt seem to "pull"
and dirt out or look any better..i read the directions and did everything right
whats the problem?

Ok I will take a shot at the question.

First put your hand in a sandwich baggie and run it over a part of the hood you did not do yet. Do you feel all the small bumps?

Next using plenty of lube move the clay bar back and forth over the lubed surface. Do not be afraid to spray more lube on the area during this process. You can use moderate to medium pressure on the clay bar to the hood surface. Look at the claybar is there brown deposits on the clay?

Next dry the surface with a soft towel and feel the surface with your hand in the sandwich baggie. You should not feel any more bumps.

Let me know if this works for you.

Yeah, it takes a few try'* to really get the hang of it. Luckily, the first time I used it (on the Bonneville about 1 month ago) I did it successfully. Sadly, after doing the whole car, the bar is done, and I could have actually redone the entire car again and got more out. Proper maintenance was never done before I purchased this vehicle.

As stated, you will feel a difference when you run your fingers across the paint. The paint won't really LOOK better just after the claybar, since the particles the claybar removes are so small and usually not visible. But any car that hasn't been clayed will have embedded dirt in the paint that you can feel. Claybars remove that embedded crud and the paint is left smooth so wax will apply easier and better.

And also, when you're using the clay bar, you will hear a sound, kind of like a slight scratching sound. When that disappears, the area is clean of build up crap.

I just got done using the meguiar'* claybar for the first time right now. Like you said, there'* not much visible difference. It did take out some big water stains on the bumper that i thought were permanent.

But holy cow it sure made the back of the trunk smoother! The clay sounded like sandpaper when i first started on the back of the trunk lid, then got smooth as glass.

Every car I have ever done it to made the paint feel baby smooth. Didnt notice too much visual difference, just that "oh yeahhhh" feeling when you rub the paint.

One tip I'm guessing you didn't do is to cut the clay into thirds. It'* tough to kneed an entire bar, and I feel it works better using a smaller piece to get more use out of it.

But if the paint doesn't look any better, I'm sure the paint needs to be polished. I'm guessing it doesn't look any better because of all the scratches, swirls and spiderwebs you can see in the sunlight that will need to be removed by polishing.

I just got done using the Mother'* Clay bar on my car. And I do got to say I am impressed. You can tell so much of a difference in the feel of the paint. I will be buying another one when this one wears out.

I am usually pretty skeptical of products that make claims such as " the Detailer'* choice"
but I thought if it made the cut here, then it may be worth giving a shot.

I had no idea it would do this good of a job. I am impressed.

Two thumbs way up.

Tim