Well I've been shining up my S4 since it's spring. Last week it ended up under sprinklers parked at a friend's house, and now I cannot get rid of the water spots.

I tried the vinegar trick - did nothing. So I moved up to Meguiars Swirl-X, and then Polishing Compound. I am polishing the safe way - by hand, but still, I can see the outlines of the water spots from the right angle, it is looking like an alligator skin purse.

Do I just keep on polishing until the paint is all gone? This is a base/clear respray in Venetian Blue, and it is tough to keep little scratches and stuff from ruining the appearance on this dark color.

Any brighter ideas?

-Sean

 

Ouch in some parts of the country the water can be hell on finishes. I could never get them completely off the WINDOWS of my wife's car, let alone the paint.

A pro detailer can probably revive it but maybe someone has some better ideas.

 

they are calcium carbonate deposits more than likely.
you can use acidic cleaners... but be careful and hose off well..............

for windshields use a product called "wink", but again, be careful and use as directed....


if you are not comfortable, then take to a detailer, they can get if off...

if you have a good coat of wax, you have no issue, as the deposit is on the wax, not the paint...

 

On my '81 I used a product from MarkV . The person I bought it (the car)from had a neighbor who did not like him. Every time he park the car near the neighbor would turn on sprinklers. This left the entire passenger side with hard water marks (even the windows). This product removed all traces of water marks and is very easy to use. Lightly rub and wash away. I got the product from my brother who has a used car lot. He got it from a supplier for car lots. I believe it is a slightly acidic solution in a soapy base, and is best used when cool and not let sit on car (wash as you go)

 

Sean--

Try a clay bar, with a thick foam of Dawn dishwashing detergent. The clay floats on a film of the detergent, and should strip away most if not all of the crust without damaging the paint. Using abrasives/compounds is a problem, since the calcium is a lot harder than the paint. You'll run out of paint and still have the deposits.

joejoe--

Long ago, in my wilder years, I had a neighbor who did that a few times until her sprinklers no longer worked and her lawn was dead.

 

See now, I'm so glad I asked instead just scrubbing some more with the compounds. I will see about these other options and hope for the best. Currently the spotting is not generally visible, but in the right light it is pretty apparent. Odd thing is that the marks came right off the windows no problem, because I didn't let it sit long enough to etch the glass.

-Sean

 

Well according to info in the Meguiar's detailing forum, what I have are "type II spots" which are not deposits, they are etched paint like if you have bird droppings left on too long in the sun. They have pictures that match what I'm seeing on the car. ScratchX or some other deep paint cleaner is recommended for removal. I was using mild fine polishing compounds that are only useful to remove surface scratches.

This must be the result of letting the water sun-dry on unprotected paint (no wax). Reminds me to make time for waxing as well as polishing.

-Sean

 

I took the time to get my paint really smooth and debris free with claybar and Zaino Cleaner. Then did several coats of Zaino for clear coat. Every wash I go over the car with the Z-6 detail spray to take off the water spots and film left after washing. Every 2-3 washes I go over the car with Zaino All-in-One using my orbital buffer to get the accumulated deposits and their resulting scratches in the Zaino off. The water here is so hard it still leaves spots even though I have a water softener system on my house.

 

IMHO, if they are in the paint and not surface, take it to a pro detailer

 

Sean the only way to correct etched paint is with polishing (leveling the paint around it).

If you're paint is in good condition and you still have the original factory orange peel then you should have plenty of paint to perform the necessary corrections. You will more than likely need a random orbital to get the job done right if the entire hood/roof and fenders have this damage.

CA sprinklers are very nasty, many use reclaim which is loaded with minerals that will quickly damage paint and or make cleaning a PITA.

For the record, wax will help with this issue but it won't eliminate it. Best thing to do is watch were you park your car and keep a microfiber with you so you can wipe the car if needed.

Good luck.

 

Dumbest part is, I could have wiped all this water off when I first saw it, but I did not because I was worried that just wiping would scratch the paint! I never imagined that water spots could produce such a huge permanent mess, I have cared for cars for many years with and without water spots occasionally, and nothing like these permanent marks have ever appeared. I have also never had a dark car, so it is possible I just couldn't see these marks on my other car, I have been sprayed by these very sprinklers at this house in the past.

There is only serious marks on the hood and one fender. I will get some deep paint cleaner and see what happens.

-Sean

 

Sean--

Find a good local detailer and describe the problem. My guess is that you are not the first victim in the area.

For those playing along at home, water here is stolen/borrowed from rather remote areas, then transported in open aqueducts to reservoirs and then local distribution. Lots of evaporation along the way, which usually means higher mineral concentration. In areas where Colorado River water is blended with other sources, the mineral problem is acute. We take ski boats and other toys to play on the Colorado River in the summertime; It is imperative thet they are dried completely as they come out of the water. If I wait until they come home, they need a serious bath with Dow spray bathroom cleaner before they are stored. And these toys are heavily waxed before they go, just for this reason.

 

Yeah Bob, all this happened down in your neck of the woods, in Brentwood. I don't think Fresno water will do this, it is fresher from nearby reservoirs.

I'm sure the marks can be ameliorated, so long as ruining the paint is not the result of attempts to fix it. I'd rather just leave it as opposed to risking total loss of the finish. I see all this damage from power buffers and it looks like they are more dangerous than anything.

-Sean

 

Sean, there is a big difference between rotary buffers and the dual/action polishers. Using a D/A like the Porter Cable 7424 or the Griot's 6" polisher, and a mild polishing compound, you would have to work very, very hard to do any damage.

Rotary's are a different animal: when you use one, you need to be scared. With a D/A, the predominant emotion is bored. Which is good-- but it is a lot easier and more effective than hand buffing.

You mentioned that this was a respray, does it show any orange peel? If so, then it hasn't been color-sanded or rubbed out, and there should be plenty of clear left. If it has been flattened and polished, then you don't know how much clear is over the base.

 

Solid advice as usual. Polishing with a machine is really the only way to fix this issue. Menzerna Super Finish or Power Finish with our white ccs pad with a porter cable or flex da will take care of this.

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