A ceramic coating high spot is excess product that was not fully leveled, leaving a cloudy patch, dark mark, or streak. In this video, Bradley demonstrates how to correct high spots on a test hood using PHOBIC, Armour Quartz, and Armour PRO.
Watch the full ceramic coating high spot removal tutorial on YouTube.
What a high spot looks like and why it happens
A high spot is excess coating left on the surface after application. It can look like a dark patch, a rainbow smear, a cloudy streak, or an outline where the applicator changed direction. Those marks are easier to miss when the light, your viewing angle, or the shape of the panel hides the residue.
Bradley's test hood uses deliberately heavy examples so the differences are visible. A small missed edge on your own car may need less work, but the order of operations stays useful: inspect, try the least aggressive appropriate correction, and move to polishing when the coating has hardened.
First establish which coating you applied and roughly when you applied it. A fresh smear and an established, hardened patch should not be treated as the same problem. Working conditions, film thickness, and the particular formula affect the repair window.
Start with inspection and a fresh removal towel
- Inspect the panel immediately after your normal leveling pass.
- Change your viewing angle and move the light so it passes across the surface.
- Check edges, body lines, lower sections, and areas around trim.
- If the residue is still fresh enough to level, use a clean coating removal towel and inspect again.
A fresh second-wipe towel is useful because it gives you an independent finishing pass after the first towel has removed most of the excess. Keep turning to clean towel faces. A loaded towel can spread product into a neighboring section and make the repair harder to judge.
Do not continue forcefully rubbing a hardened patch simply because wiping worked on a fresh one. If the residue remains, reassess the coating and cure time before choosing the next method.
When applying more coating can help
More of the same coating can sometimes soften relatively fresh residue through the carrier solvents in that product. This is the method often called re-leveling or “reliquifying.” It is not a promise that fully cured ceramic coating can be dissolved by another application.
Keep the repair local, use the same product, and level the newly applied material carefully. The demonstration shows why this works differently across the range:
| Coating | What Bradley's demonstration showed |
|---|---|
| Armour Quartz | More coating corrected the one-hour example. The 24-hour example needed polishing. |
| PHOBIC | The one-hour high spots remained after another application and needed polishing. |
| Armour PRO | Reapplication did not remove the established high spots. The thickest patch needed more cutting power. |
These are observations from the video, not guaranteed correction deadlines for every installation. Use the current directions for Armour Quartz, PHOBIC, or Armour PRO when planning your application.
How to polish a hardened high spot
On suitable gloss paint, abrasion is the next option when the residue cannot be leveled chemically. Bradley starts with a foam polishing pad and polish. Work only the affected area, inspect the result, and increase the cut only if residue remains.
The PRO example is particularly instructive. The first polishing combination removes much of the coating, but small, thick deposits remain. Bradley then uses a wool pad and compound on that stubborn area, followed by a foam pad and polish to refine the finish.
That refining step matters: removing the high spot and leaving the paint clear are separate parts of the correction. A more aggressive combination can leave haze that needs a finer finishing pass. These polishing instructions apply to suitable gloss paint; matte finishes, films, and other sensitive surfaces need their own approved correction method.
Prepare and recoat the corrected area
- Remove polishing residue with a clean towel.
- Use Panel Prep to remove polishing oils from the corrected area and a small surrounding margin.
- Reapply the same coating to restore protection where polishing removed it.
- Extend slightly beyond the correction to blend the repair into the surrounding coated surface.
- Level, perform a second inspection, and follow the coating's current aftercare requirements.
A localized defect does not automatically mean polishing and recoating the entire panel. The video demonstrates small-area repairs. If the defects are widespread, assess the full panel before deciding how much correction is sensible.
Common questions about high spot repairs
Can Panel Prep remove a cured high spot?
Panel Prep is used here to remove polishing oils before recoating. It is not the demonstrated substitute for polishing an established high spot.
Will more coating always fix the problem?
No. The PHOBIC and PRO examples show that another application can leave the defect in place. Product choice and cure time determine whether re-leveling is worth trying.
Do I need to coat the repaired area again?
Yes, when polishing has removed the coating. A clean-looking correction is not confirmation that the protective layer is still there.
How do I reduce high spots next time?
Work manageable sections, use fresh applicator and towel faces, inspect from several angles, and pay attention to edges. Our guide to five ceramic coating mistakes explains the application habits that help.