Aluminium reacting with my car`s finish?

[wooter]

Spend the afternoon giving my car a thorough cleaning, and noticed that the passenger side finish feels very hard and raw, compared to the smooth as ever driver side. I do park my car in a carport, next to a aluminium ladder.



Is it possible the aluminium from the ladder made a reaction to my car`s finish? I used the Meguiars Paint Cleaner, Polish and Wax and still can feel the irregularities in the finish, while I hadn`t any problems with it the last time I gave my car the treatment (october 2004). And how can I make the finish as smooth as ever again?



Thanks!

[Setec Astronomy]

Is it the ladder? Or just that that side of the carport is open, exposing that side of the car to environmental fallout?

[wooter]

No, I`m sorry... It`s not really a carport, it`s a aluminium but painted garage not connected to any house. I park the car always very close to the unpainted aluminium ladder, so that I have more space to get out of my car on the driver`s side.



You really feel that the front side wing`s finish is rather ok, but that the bad part of the finish goes up after the front right wheel, and ends just after the rear right wheel...



The strange thing is that the driver side is ok, and that I cannot get the finish smooth again with the Meguiars products. I`ll try today if claying does solve anything.

[imported_mirrorfinishman]

When you think about the fact that a vehicle can pick-up a static charge when it is in operation, you do have to wonder whether or not that charge can possibly be interacting with the aluminum ladder after it`s parked.



Maybe you could figure out some way of covering the ladder when it`s not in use. That could possibly help to reduce the chances of any type of interaction with your car. Just a thought.

[vapore0n]

are you that close to the ladder that the molecules of it are interacting with the paint?



Have you tried a clay bar?

[the other pc]

Sorry, I just can`t believe it`s the ladder. Not saying it`s absolutely impossible, just really, really, really, really unlikely.



I`m with Mike, some kind of environmental factor is most likely to blame.



It may not be in your garage at all. It could easily have been some place the car was parked outside. If some kind of gunk had been floating in the air somewhere it only takes a light breeze to deposit crud on one piece of a car but leave the rest OK.





PC.

[imported_UnsanePyro]

If you really want to know if its the ladder, try parking facing the opposite direction, and see if it happens to your drivers side.

[imported_liam]

Originally posted by UnsanePyro

If you really want to know if its the ladder, try parking facing the opposite direction, and see if it happens to your drivers side.



why not just move the ladder ;)

[wooter]

I`ve already moved the ladder, just to be sure.



The reason I suspect the ladder is because not the whole passenger side is affected. It`s just the area that was very close to the ladder. The upper part of my door and rear side wing are not affected.



I`ll try the clay bar...



Update: I`ve clayed the passenger side, and the finish is now smoother than ever. While claying (for the first time, I might add!), I`ve come up with a second possible cause of the `damage`: I had a worn brake pad on the front passenger side brakes last time I replaced my front brake pads.



Next time i`ll clay my whole car. I`m pretty amazed with it how much dirt it still picks up, even after a paint cleaner treatment!