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View Full Version : Need help fixing my hard water problem



Nopstnz8
05-23-2013, 01:34 PM
Hey guys so I have a pretty bad hard water problem at my house when I wash my car that I`m trying to resolve before I do paint correction. I`ve been using no rinse for years as I`ve already accepted the fact that I can`t get a spot free finish to Autopian standards any other way. I even wash at night in my garage to prevent spotting as much as possible.



Within the last year I`ve been really busy lately and only have time to wash my car about once a month, compared to every two weeks or earlier. My solution to that was buying a pressure washer and foam lance so that I can still clean my car marring free, but less often. What I do is rinse the car down with the hose, hook up the pressure washer with foam lance and foam the car, then pressure wash it to remove the foam. I then pull my car back in the garage and clean with no rinse using the TBM. I spray down my car per panel with a spray bottle mixed with ONR as well to keep the panel lubricious to minimize scratching. This process takes about 2hrs, has worked perfectly for me. I have only a few light scratches visible under halogens, and no marring.



The problem arises with etching. I have noticed faint water spot etchings on the flat panels that are only visible under halogens with very close inspection, but they`re still there. I`m attributing this to the water from the foam lance process that sits on the paint while I go around the car no rinsing. This is where I need help because I really can`t change my wash process to maintain the results I get. I`ve been debating a CR Spottless, but it`s a lot to invest when I can`t even be certain it`ll prevent water etching. I already had a pure water products filter in the past that made things worse because whenever I tried to wash my car conventionally with it attached, I ended up having to ez-creme glaze the entire car by machine just to remove the spotting.



The only ideal solution I see at the moment would be going back to spraying my car down with ONR in a sprayer with DI water for the pre-soak, but with that method, I wouldn`t be able to go as long between washes in order to guarantee virtually no damage from the car being too dirty.



If anyone has any suggestions to help me, I`d greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Accumulator
05-24-2013, 10:43 AM
Nopstnz8-



Besides using a more etching-resistant LSP (KSG X 6 layers is best IME, or fewer layers or FK1000P), I`d want a water softener on general principles. That hard water has gotta be crappy for more than just car-washing.

Nopstnz8
05-28-2013, 06:57 AM
Nopstnz8-



Besides using a more etching-resistant LSP (KSG X 6 layers is best IME, or fewer layers or FK1000P), I`d want a water softener on general principles. That hard water has gotta be crappy for more than just car-washing.



Been using KSG for years, but over the last year, I`ve gotten really lazy and only have a coat or two that I apply once every 6 months, which by that time, it gets clayed off and reapplied. Never had the problem with the etching till now, so maybe I need more protection, but I still feel something else is up.