Water marks in clear finish over wood trim?

[thefitter]

Have been out of the amateur detailing game for years now. I need some help with some water marks in the clear finish over wood trim.



Car is a 2011 BMW 335d. It has interior wood trim that has a thick plastic (?) coating. A couple of months ago I slopped some coffee on the center console. I finally got around to cleaning up the interior and I assumed that the marks could be rubbed out with a plastic polish. Did not work so I tried some Menzerna Final Finish Polish that I have had for years. It worked a little but I can still see the water marks in the plastic coating. I`m pretty surprised that these did not rub out easily.



Any other new products I could try? I do have heavier compounds but I`m a little reluctant to try them on plastic.



Thanks

[imported_Rcrew]

Step up to a heavier polish. It shouldn`t marr when hand polished and you can always finish down with one if your finer polishes.

[Ron Ketcham]

This is a toughy, due to the use of "enviormental" friendly coating used today.

While they provide a great gloss finish, they do not "cross-link" or cure like high VOC coatings.

That means that they are not as "dense-compacted", so they "aborb" more moisture.

BMW announced a few years back how they were going "green", everything possible on or in the vehicle could be re-cycled, etc.

Normal actions with a clearcoat finish on the body of the vehicle is to use IPA and some heat to relieve the moisture from the substrate of the vehicle`s paint finish.

Regarding your concern, not sure if that would work, but better than attempting to "polish/abrade" the concern away.

Try using a hair dryer, not creating excessive heat on the surface and see it may draw out the moisture, which is creating your concern.(if too hot to touch, it`s too hot and it takes some time and patience)

Worth a try, not sure if it will do it, but cheap and you will not damage the surface as long as you don`t create too much heat on it.

[thefitter]

This is a toughy, due to the use of "enviormental" friendly coating used today.

While they provide a great gloss finish, they do not "cross-link" or cure like high VOC coatings.

That means that they are not as "dense-compacted", so they "aborb" more moisture.

BMW announced a few years back how they were going "green", everything possible on or in the vehicle could be re-cycled, etc.

Normal actions with a clearcoat finish on the body of the vehicle is to use IPA and some heat to relieve the moisture from the substrate of the vehicle`s paint finish.

Regarding your concern, not sure if that would work, but better than attempting to "polish/abrade" the concern away.

Try using a hair dryer, not creating excessive heat on the surface and see it may draw out the moisture, which is creating your concern.(if too hot to touch, it`s too hot and it takes some time and patience)

Worth a try, not sure if it will do it, but cheap and you will not damage the surface as long as you don`t create too much heat on it.





Interesting theory, but since these marks are months old wouldn`t the hot car interior day after day have removed any moisture in the coating by now?

I will give it a whirl though, got nothing to lose.

thanks