Well, I've got a problem and need some help

keeotee

keeotee

Detailing Stare
Well, the other day the car went iin to check for a leak. Thye couldn't find one. I'm happy with that. I told them not to clean the car up when they were done with it.

They didn't.

Unfortunately, the car was completely water spotted. I mean it is really bad. I had a good coat of sealant topped with a coat of wax on it and the day or so before even added PB's QD+ to it after washing it.

So my problem is, these waterspots are baked on in a bad way.

I tried S&W and it helped a little. I tried AIO and it did a nice job but they are still there - in my test spot - though faint.

Any suggestions as to what I'm going to have to do with it now? Will I need to resort to a swirl remover or polish? I've got PB's SSR1, SSR2, SSR2.5 and Pro Polish.

Needless to say, I am not pleased. Not the dealerships fault. They did exactly as I told them (which is BTW a good sign on their part!).

Thanks for any input.
 
keeotee......... I hear that bioclean i dont know if you ever heard of it but a friend of mind said it works great on glass but not sure about paint.:dunno Oh........ by the way the other day i was talking to you about the new Malibu took it in the Chevy dealer today and its got to have a new brake sensor on it:angry Brand new car only 300 miles on it :beat
 
Wow! I would've thought the sealant and wax would've protected the paint. Besides sympathetic I'm puzzled that happened.
 
Clean4u, yes, I recall. I'm glad though that they got the problem figured out. As for the bioclean, no, I've not heard of that.

rabbi, yea, me too. Maybe the waterspots are etched into the sealant/wax and I'm hoping certainly not the paint.

Poorboy, No, but I told them not to dry it off (I was afraid they'd use some old, dirty towel that would leave horrible scratches on it). They used lots of water to test for a window leak, and then I'm sure they pulled it out into the hot sun. I should have had them dry it off. Would have been better.
 
I know what they did...they used a soap mixture to search for leaks ....you are right , they probably didn't rinse it well or at all and the sun just baked the beautiful beading water right in:angry: you should be able to fix it...but you will have to start from scratch probably:(
 
Hmmm Steve will Bird Remover work? I remember reading that it could clean up some nasty stuff. Try 1 Grand stuff over @ TOL.
 
Distilled vinegar has worked for me. As for how bad they are i dont know. the ones i cleaned off were not to to bad .
 
Does the bioclean work any better than distilled vinegar or just a normal polish? Also, how do you apply it, by hand or machine? Is it watery like vinegar or thick like a polish? It's an interesting product as water spots on glass is a very common problem. More info please :D
 
Bio Clean works great on glass, BUT DO NOT USE ON YOUR PAINT!!!! It has abrasives in it that do not dimish and will scratch the paint. I know b/c I've done it. :-(

You can use the Bio Clean by hand or machine, lots of elbow grease though by hand. I use a small 4 inch pad on my rotary set at low speed and go at the windows, rince sell and dry with 2 towels.
 
Well, if I were to use distilled vinegar, how do I apply it? Full strength and wash lightly with it and then rinse well followed with car wash soap and rinse again? Or do I dilute it? And if I dilute it, what ratio of vinegar to water?
 
Try a 50/50 mix of white, distilled vinegar and water. If the mix doesn't get it then increase the amount of vinegar. Don't let it sit on the paint too long and not in the sun or on a very hot finish then rinse well. If the spots aren't etched into the clear it should remove them.

If you have a jewelers loop or hand held magnifying glass look at the spots and see if they are etched into the clear. If they are it will be very easy to see.
 
Thanks everyone for the info and help.

I'll try that Natty - thanks. Here's the thing though... if we're protecting our paint with sealant and wax, it would seem that we are not actually protecting it all that effectively if water baked in the sun can eat right through it and etch the clearcoat. I dunno, very depressing.

But I appreciate everyone's help in this. Thanks again all. I'll give it a best shot effort.
 
keeotee said:
Thanks everyone for the info and help.

I'll try that Natty - thanks. Here's the thing though... if we're protecting our paint with sealant and wax, it would seem that we are not actually protecting it all that effectively if water baked in the sun can eat right through it and etch the clearcoat. I dunno, very depressing.

But I appreciate everyone's help in this. Thanks again all. I'll give it a best shot effort.
Click to expand...

Hi Scott,

One thing to consider is that waxes and sealants are "sacrificial" barriers and not, despite some companies claims, "inpenatrable" barriers.

Highly acidic contaminants (bug splatter, bird bombs) or highly alkaline contaminants (rail dust, hard water, or water containing a strong alkaline soap solution) can damage even the best sealant when alowed to cook in the sun on a hot painted surface.

If even the clearcoat which is a fully cured urethane coating can be etched or damaged by these things if exposed to them then how much more so can a microscopic wax or sealant layer be damaged if exposed to the same elements.

Don't be discouraged. You may need to start over by completely cleaning your paint with the vinegar solution. Wash with a car wash soap to nuetralize the paint. Try using detailing clay to remove anything above the surface. Try a mild paint cleaner and only go more agressive if necessary.

Once you obtain a flawless finish go ahead and start adding protective wax or sealants.

Dwayne
 
Thanks Dwayne. I'm going to do just that. I'll get started tonight. I'm fighting the clock on this one as my wife has to again take the car out today and tomorrow. :( But i can make some progress tonight.

Also, thanks for the explanation. That helps me understand about the protection. Much appreciated. :)
 
Dwayne said:
Hi Scott,

One thing to consider is that waxes and sealants are "sacrificial" barriers and not, despite some companies claims, "inpenatrable" barriers.

Highly acidic contaminants (bug splatter, bird bombs) or highly alkaline contaminants (rail dust, hard water, or water containing a strong alkaline soap solution) can damage even the best sealant when alowed to cook in the sun on a hot painted surface.

If even the clearcoat which is a fully cured urethane coating can be etched or damaged by these things if exposed to them then how much more so can a microscopic wax or sealant layer be damaged if exposed to the same elements.

Don't be discouraged. You may need to start over by completely cleaning your paint with the vinegar solution. Wash with a car wash soap to nuetralize the paint. Try using detailing clay to remove anything above the surface. Try a mild paint cleaner and only go more agressive if necessary.

Once you obtain a flawless finish go ahead and start adding protective wax or sealants.

Dwayne
Click to expand...

Scott, I couldn't have explained it better than what Dwayne just said. Let's hope that it just took the sacraficial layer and that's it:kneel:

Steve
 
Dwayne, others: I'm confused...as I understand it, they were looking for a leak and just hit his car with water to see where it leaked. The car got wet -- not unlike a quick rain shower. He said:

?I had a good coat of sealant topped with a coat of wax on it and the day or so before even added PB's QD+ to it after washing it.

Why all this "rain spot" damage just from water? Unless it was super-aciditic or something, I would think even poorly-applied protection would have prevented any big-time damage. Was it the combination of water on a car combined with a very hot day in the sun?
 
when checking for a leak, a soapy mixture is usually used to look for air bubbles coming through...a combination of a hot day, soapy(who knows what) mixture , and leaving it wet all contibuted to the problem. As Dwyane mentioned ..these microscopic layers of sealant/wax can't prevent what a cured paint finish couldn't either...
 
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