2015 AMG Mercedes C400 – Paint Correction – Inept Hands Create Misery

This is a 2015 AMG Mercedes C400. This is a beautiful 2015 AMG Mercedes C400 that was unfortunately left in inexperienced hands. This created some major anguish for everyone involved at one of our local car washes. The swirls and holograms are the end result of such care. When I spoke with my client about the situation, he told me that he had just taken it in to one of our local car washes. He told them he wanted to have it polished and protected because it was looking dull. He was upset beyond the point that most people, I think, could understand.



This is special AMG version of 2015 Mercedes C400 sedan.

The AMG in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle actually stands for two of the founders; Hans-Werner Aufrect, and Erhard Melcher. The “G” at the end is for Großaspach, which is their birthplace. Altogether, the AMG stands for “Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach”, which makes a bit more sense than some of the other explanations the public had come up with! The AMG lineup has its origin rooted in racing history. The AMG trims are higher trims in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, and generally have more power, better performance, and more features than a trim that is not AMG.

Having properly trained Technicians is a must !!

What makes this so disappointing is the fact that it seems absolutely no care was taken in the preparation of the surface before putting a rotary machine on the paint. That being said, if a detail technician is properly trained, he should know how to properly use a rotary machine. However, once they know, a good technician can make the paint of any car become fabulous.

Accessing the Damage of the 2015 AMG Mercedes C400

I met with my client to discuss the damage and our course of action regarding this 2015 AMG Mercedes C400. We discussed several options including Opti-Coat Pro and Pro Plus ceramic coatings. We also discussed just fixing the paint and putting a sealant on the paint for the time being. He decided to go with fixing the paint and adding a sealant for the time being. He told me he had just spent $200 for the car wash to polish the paint and he was apprehensive to pay to have it done again. I told him that I don’t work like that. We agree on a price and well defined service at the beginning before any work has begun. Then, only at the end when we both agree that the work that has been done to my clients (your) satisfaction, does any payment take place.

Paint Correction Work Performed

The paint correction repair of this fiasco was extensive. The holograms were unfortunately just the beginning. As I got into correcting the paint I started to find a lot of micro abrasions in the paint. These are in essence very small straight-line scratches almost looking like a tic-tac-toe pattern on the paint. This occurs when a dual action (DA) polisher is used along with a dirty pad.

To fix this the first step is to measure the paint thickness. This will help me make sure there is enough paint to work with. Next is to lightly compound the surface. This will remove a majority of the micro abrasions and give an even surface. Next is to polish and restore the color. Incidentally, that was what my client wanted in the first place. The final step is actually the most time consuming. You can’t rush the process. Most don’t realize that when a machine is placed on vehicle paint and left in one spot, the paint in that particular area will start to heat. When that happens you can fracture the paint and make it crack, so the polishing process needs to be slow and methodical. This will restore the luster and depth of color to the paint. Incidentally, I think the results speak for themselves.

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