Water spots!

[LeMarque]

OK - one more ? about this `03 M3 I`m about to tackle.



The customer had it trucked out to NM from Fla.



Before bringing it to me he `hosed it down` at a local do it yourself. The below is how I got it. These water spots will not come out with clay, vinegar, swirlx, etc. I worked some with M105 on an orange pad and some were removed but there were some that the 105 removed the haze of the spot but left a thin line of the `circumference` (for lack of a better word) of where the water spot was.



Any miracle cures for this?



http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w385/autogeekdetailing/Cristians%20M3/P1010129.jpg

[C. Charles Hahn]

I worked some with M105 on an orange pad and some were removed but there were some that the 105 removed the haze of the spot but left a thin line of the `circumference` (for lack of a better word) of where the water spot was.



That tells me the water spots are probably chemically etched into the paint.... you say you used M105/orange, but with what machine? DA or rotary? And for that matter, whose orange pads (different manufacturers follow different color schemes)?



You might need something a bit more aggressive to cut through the etching, but I would caution you to check how much paint you`ve got to work with overall first with a PTG to be on the safe side. With a car that old you never know what you`ll find.



Another thing you might try if you have it is an ABC wash, though if the paint really is etched as I suspect it`s not going to completely keep you from having to still follow up with some buffing.



I can`t tell from your pics, but is that jet black? If so, man have you got some fun times ahead! :nervous:

[imported_truzoom]

Are you using rotary or DA with the M105? Hard to believe that combination wouldn`t be able to handle water spots..

[togwt]

Always start by using the least abrasive product first



1. Use a paint surface cleaner (Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner or Duragloss 501)

2. Try to dissolve the alkaline-based, surface/etched mineral water deposits try one or more of the following;

a) Use a 2:1 or stronger solution of distilled water/distilled white vinegar (Acetic acid)

b) Try a 2:1 solution of distilled water/Isopropyl Alcohol (adjust ratio as required)

c) Or equal parts distilled water/distilled white vinegar/Isopropyl alcohol.

3. Clean the effected surface with Klasse All-In-One or Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner

4. Use detailing clay to remove any `hard` surface granules

5. Use a machine polish (Optimum Polish, Optimum Compound) and a cutting (LC White, Orange or Yellow) foam pad (speed # 4- 5.0) to level the paint surface

6. Use the least aggressive polish/foam pad first, if this doesn’t remove the problem step-up to a more aggressive polish / foam pad set-up

7. Wet-sand with 2000, 2500 or 3000 grit finishing paper





An extract from “Removing Water (Spots) Marks” - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/136608-removing-water-spots-marks.html#post1448627

[Ron Ketcham]

ValuGard "ABC" wash first.(only such wash/decontaminated/neutralization of paint systems approved, recommended and in many cases, required by 9 of the world`s largest vehicle manufactuers)

Inspect with a 30X lighted magnifier, look for "cloudy" or " bubbles" in the clearcoat after the ABC process.

If this "cloudy or bubbles" of the clear is seen, the clear has been compromised by the enviormental/acidic corossives in the the water and heat generated by the sun and that is "increased" by the color of the base coat-"IE-black- or other darker pigmented base coats".

Using an electronic paint thickness gauge, measure the aprox, normal, thickness of the total paint film build. Total film build is not usually important, however, most manufacturers apply clearcoat in mil build of 1.5 to 2.5 film build of the clearcoat.

That is what is important, "what amount of clearcoat may be safely removed without out compromising of the "clearcoat film build."

A maximum of safe removal of the clearcoat is .3 mil (3/10th of a mil), check with the 30X lighted magnifer again, following compounding or sanding of the clearcoat, to observe if the "cloudy-bubbles" in the clear coat has been removed after the first use of a compounding product or sanding.

Remeasure to check removal amount. (an absolute removal amount is .5 mil (1/2 mil) of the clear will be the max. amount that may be removed without expecting compromise of the clearcoat within a year or less, for compromising and excessive removal of the clearcoat film build may result in a total failure of the clearcoat in the repaired area)

Once you have determined that the defects are removed, move on to the polishing process, followed by the application of a quality polymer sealant to the repaired area. (most waxes will not provide the long term resistance to further compromising of the clearcoat from enviormental contaminates)

It is possible to "remove" such damages, but many use only the "eye", however the "eye" can not determine the extent of the damage to the clearcoat, and excessive removal of the clearcoat and it`s dense portion in the top .5 mil will remove the majority of the very important UV blockers of the clearcoat. (use of a 30X lighted magnifier and learning the ability to diagnois the extent of compromise to the paint system if imperative)

Grumpy

[LeMarque]

Sorry for the delay in responding, my Net connection has been down.



I was using an LC orange on a DA and (mostly) due to the poor lighting in my shop and user error, I tried it again with the same pad on an 3401/m105 and that seems to be doing the trick. I`m way behing on this job but will post pics shortly.