Really bad Water Spot Woes

**imported_detailchick** · 10-31-2010, 12:12 PM

Ive never really seen just rain water spot like that unless the car is under trees, leaky carport or exposed to something other than just rain.

Maybe you could give that detailer a call and ask his opinion since he worked on it last?

Ive never seen acid rain in my area , Ca. What state are you in?

could this be acid rain?

**imported_Flash Gordon** · 10-31-2010, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by jill70

I`ve got a single stage paint job of questionable quality on my alfa spider. A respray by the previous owner that "looks good" but...
The car has had about 6-10 random milky-looking water spots pop up in the past which were removed during a pro detail job 3 months ago. (I`ve only had the car 4 months so this issue is still new to me...)
All was good until today when i found my car covered with spots after some rain last night. These aren`t surface spots, they`re in the paint. The surface looks and feels as smooth as glass. In a panic, I purchased some ScratchX which has helped and 2 hours into the job I managed to remove about 10% of the spots. (by hand) And I fear about 5% of my paint! At this rate I`ll be at it all week before they`re all gone. Clearly I need a better method. My question- am I using the right product for the job? And more important, what can I apply that might stop this from happening again? I`ve been washing and waxing with Maguires products weekly- it`s beautifully shiny and water beads on the car. In fact, these spots were hiding under the water beads.
A proper repaint is in my future but I need some way to address this while I save my money for a quality respray. I can`t keep polishing the car every time it rains. Or can I? Help.
pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/5530553...57625276972972

You need a wax that has sheeting action, not beading action. Sounds like you got hit with some nasty rain for sure. Good luck :-B

Originally Posted by detailchick

Ive never really seen just rain water spot like that unless the car is under trees, leaky carport or exposed to something other than just rain.

Maybe you could give that detailer a call and ask his opinion since he worked on it last?

Ive never seen acid rain in my area , Ca. What state are you in?

could this be acid rain?

State of confusion is where I hang my hat :Snowman:

**imported_detailchick** · 10-31-2010, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by Flash Gordon

You need a wax that has sheeting action, not beading action. Sounds like you got hit with some nasty rain for sure. Good luck :-B

State of confusion is where I hang my hat :Snowman:

LOL Flash! :tongue:I think as one ages the confusion gets worse!
Maybe you can suggest some for Jill that have sheeting action ?

**jill70** · 10-31-2010, 08:11 PM

Thanks for the replies all! Well it`s been a long and hard day`s work but I removed the spots and the car now looks better than ever.. let`s hope I can keep it that way.

Vinegar did nothing and the spots laughed at the clay bar. What did work was 3M rubbing compound with lots of rubbing followed by Megs ScratchX2.0 and more rubbing. The spots were very stubborn and well into the paint but eventually I got rid of them. By eventually I mean 6 hours of rubbing by hand and 2 hours with a rotary buffer that a neighbor kindly loaned me this afternoon. It all went slowly as I didn`t want to take off more paint than necessary in the process. I took my time.
I followed with a polish and a thorough wax.

I suspect the old single stage paint is very porous and somehow the rain and what ever is in the rain is penetrating beneath the paint surface. I`m in Los Angeles and the rain isn`t exactly pristine here but I believe ultimately this is due to the paint`s unusual porosity and not the LA rain.
Interestingly the hood of the car was spotless and in polishing I discovered the hood, and only the hood, is clear coated. Must have been replaced at some point. So at least I don`t have to worry about these spots on that part of the car

I think that the wax from my detail 3 months ago had mostly worn away and was no longer offering enough protection. The car`s my daily driver and lives outside so it`s exposed to a lot. I wash the car by hand weekly and had been using Megs Ultimate Quik wax after each wash. It seems the Quik wax, applied weekly, isn`t quite enough protection for the poor paint on this car. Or maybe I need to do a major wax with a heavy duty product more often than 3X a year? Maybe monthly or bi- monthly?

**jill70** · 10-31-2010, 08:13 PM

yes, I need such a product! My paint does not take well to beads of water.
Can anyone suggest a sheeting action product?

**imported_detailchick** · 10-31-2010, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by jill70

Thanks for the replies all! Well it`s been a long and hard day`s work but I removed the spots and the car now looks better than ever.. let`s hope I can keep it that way.

Vinegar did nothing and the spots laughed at the clay bar. What did work was 3M rubbing compound with lots of rubbing followed by Megs ScratchX2.0 and more rubbing. The spots were very stubborn and well into the paint but eventually I got rid of them. By eventually I mean 6 hours of rubbing by hand and 2 hours with a rotary buffer that a neighbor kindly loaned me this afternoon. It all went slowly as I didn`t want to take off more paint than necessary in the process. I took my time.
I followed with a polish and a thorough wax.

I suspect the old single stage paint is very porous and somehow the rain and what ever is in the rain is penetrating beneath the paint surface. I`m in Los Angeles and the rain isn`t exactly pristine here but I believe ultimately this is due to the paint`s unusual porosity and not the LA rain.
Interestingly the hood of the car was spotless and in polishing I discovered the hood, and only the hood, is clear coated. Must have been replaced at some point. So at least I don`t have to worry about these spots on that part of the car

I think that the wax from my detail 3 months ago had mostly worn away and was no longer offering enough protection. The car`s my daily driver and lives outside so it`s exposed to a lot. I wash the car by hand weekly and had been using Megs Ultimate Quik wax after each wash. It seems the Quik wax, applied weekly, isn`t quite enough protection for the poor paint on this car. Or maybe I need to do a major wax with a heavy duty product more often than 3X a year? Maybe monthly or bi- monthly?

Glad you got the water spots out Jill!:thumbup:

Wax doesnt last more than 3 months ,your right. You should wax at least 4 times a year or even more depending on the climate .

**imported_Flash Gordon** · 10-31-2010, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by detailchick

LOL Flash! :tongue:I think as one ages the confusion gets worse!

Good, now I will at least have an excuse for my behavior :ar!

Happy Halloween DC <:-P

Originally Posted by jill70

Thanks for the replies all! Well it`s been a long and hard day`s work but I removed the spots and the car now looks better than ever.. let`s hope I can keep it that way.

Vinegar did nothing and the spots laughed at the clay bar. What did work was 3M rubbing compound with lots of rubbing followed by Megs ScratchX2.0 and more rubbing. The spots were very stubborn and well into the paint but eventually I got rid of them. By eventually I mean 6 hours of rubbing by hand and 2 hours with a rotary buffer that a neighbor kindly loaned me this afternoon. It all went slowly as I didn`t want to take off more paint than necessary in the process. I took my time.
I followed with a polish and a thorough wax.

I suspect the old single stage paint is very porous and somehow the rain and what ever is in the rain is penetrating beneath the paint surface. I`m in Los Angeles and the rain isn`t exactly pristine here but I believe ultimately this is due to the paint`s unusual porosity and not the LA rain.
Interestingly the hood of the car was spotless and in polishing I discovered the hood, and only the hood, is clear coated. Must have been replaced at some point. So at least I don`t have to worry about these spots on that part of the car

I think that the wax from my detail 3 months ago had mostly worn away and was no longer offering enough protection. The car`s my daily driver and lives outside so it`s exposed to a lot. I wash the car by hand weekly and had been using Megs Ultimate Quik wax after each wash. It seems the Quik wax, applied weekly, isn`t quite enough protection for the poor paint on this car. Or maybe I need to do a major wax with a heavy duty product more often than 3X a year? Maybe monthly or bi- monthly?

Yea, single stage paint jobs do tend to dry out faster for sure. If your car is exposed to those nasty day to day horendous air quality indexs LA offers I`m afraid your going to e having to preform this task at minimual 4 times a year. Have you considered getting a DA? :-?

Another thing. Avoid irrigation/sprinklers at all cost :2 cents:

Originally Posted by jill70

yes, I need such a product! My paint does not take well to beads of water.
Can anyone suggest a sheeting action product?

Well, the stuff I use I get local. And when I say local, I mean this place musta had Huckleberry Finn name there product line. Its called Willies Wet Wax I believe. I hardly ever use it as 99.9999% of my peeps are hooked on beads :drool5:

There are several different manufactures that offer this type of product. I`m just not that familiar. Hopefully someone else will chime in. If Collinite offered something like this, I would go that route for sure :Christmas Hat:

**Audiguru** · 11-02-2010, 08:52 PM

When Autoglym High definition is on our cars it sheets amazing.After it rains we have to the windows up cause water from the roof falls into the cabin, its a pretty slick wax, and $35.00 at big box mart

sheets like craazzzyyyyy:smile:

**imported_detailchick** · 11-02-2010, 09:08 PM

I had a regular customer complain my wax wasnt beading anymore like it used to so I asked him what he was washing with and it was some kind of new carsoap and when I read the front of the bottle it said "sheeting action"! well no wonder !! I told him thats what the soap was designed to do.

Anyway i cant remember the carsoap but it did have the word" ice" on it somewhere. sorry thats all I can remember but you may want to look for that as well Jill.

**imported_Auto Concierge** · 11-02-2010, 10:02 PM

Next time try CG water spot remover or Mark V water spot remover before correction or polishing, both are heavy duty products but used right will get you through a tough task like this in the future when vinegar falls short.

**Audiguru** · 11-05-2010, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by detailchick

I had a regular customer complain my wax wasnt beading anymore like it used to so I asked him what he was washing with and it was some kind of new carsoap and when I read the front of the bottle it said "sheeting action"! well no wonder !! I told him thats what the soap was designed to do.

Anyway i cant remember the carsoap but it did have the word" ice" on it somewhere. sorry thats all I can remember but you may want to look for that as well Jill.

Turtle wax ICE, horrid stuff