MoeMistry

After spending hours, sometimes days, properly detailing a car, the moment of joy arrives. Your friends see all the hard work that went into making your car ready for her close-up. You all make the drive to Starbucks and exchange stories, talk about future purchases, etc. As you walk out and arrive to your glistening baby on four wheels, you realize the dreaded sprinklers have gone off. Usually not a problem, except, it managed to hydrate your car as well as the shrubs.

How a tiny little drop of water can ruin our whole day. You hurry home and open the war chest. Do you polish, wax, compound???? You can’t decide but remember this crazy detailer on the forums that always posts his MoeTips. What would Moe do? You search all the threads and now are more confused than before. Well, don’t panic. Help is on the way.

First, let’s examine what just happened. Think back to when you were ten years old, some of you need only to reflect on yesterday. What happened to that poor little ant when the power of the sun was harnessed into a beam of light focused by the trusty magnifying glass? The intense heat sent the ant into a brief state of heat stroke; in the name of science of course. Well, the same is happening to your paint. The water spot acts as the magnifying glass and as it dries, whatever is in the water reacts with the clear coat. The water may contain hard minerals such as calcium, sodium, lime, or even fertilizers. If it has rained and the sun comes out, you have acid rain to worry about. The effects of this process can cause varying degrees of issues that need to be diagnosed and addressed by a proper body shop or professional detailer.

Water Spotting: 1:1 Scale



Water Spotting: 10x Magnification



How to remedy the water spots can be as simple as a wash or, in the extreme, wetsanding or repainting. Most water spots can be remedied with a simple wash and some mild polish. The key is good lighting. Fluorescent light is best here. Tilt your head back and forth and examine the paint at eye level. You may need the aid of a magnifying glass. Note: DO NOT DO THIS OUTDOORS IN THE SUN!!!! You should be able to see the water spot and how deep it is. After a proper wash and dry, try polishing the water spot with a mild polish such as Menzerna Final Polish, Swissvax Cleaner Fluid, P21S Paint Cleanser, or einszett Paint Polish. This will usually do the trick.

If plan A fails, go to plan B. You will need a Dual Action polisher and some high quality polishing pads and Menzerna’s Super Finish Polish or Super Intensive (SIP) Polish. On lighter color cars, you can use SIP and the Orange CCS Curved Pads. On darker colored cars, you will need to follow the SIP stage with the Super Finish Polish and White CCS Curved pads. After this step, you will need to wax any area polished previously.

If plan A and B have failed, it will need to be taken to a reputable body shop or professional detailer. He/She will decide the proper remedy to the situation. As with anything, take the path of least resistance first.

TOGWT

There are two categories of water mark (the so-called water spots)

Stage One Corrosion

[: defined as a surface with light to moderate corrosion damage to the paint surface]

Stage Two Corrosion

[: definition when the dirt/corrosion deposits are no longer on the surface but have started to break down the molecular structure, leaving an etched or white haze on the surface( a concave circular mark ) after the stain has been removed, with moderate to serious paint damage]

a) Surface water spots- (Stage One Corrosion) alkaline watermarks consist of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) both of which are basic (alkaline pH 10) that alight on the surface; ultra violet (heat) radiation (UVR) will leave a white ‘water mark’, the minute crystals bond to the surface, they will not wash off as they are insoluble and if left for any length of time they will etch the paint film surface leaving a concave circular mark, remove surface deposits with detailer’s clay and an acetic acid pH 2.0 (vinegar) to naturalise the alkaline

b) Below surface (etched) spots- (Stage Two Corrosion ) are caused by an aggressive alkaline or an acidic solution (acid rain, bird excrement or industrial fallout) causing a chemical reaction, if left for any length of time they will etch the paint film surface leaving a concave circular mark. Unlike water spots which typically have a white outline of the spot, acid rain etching is smaller and you can see the damage in the clear coat. Etched acid rain spots are one of the most difficult paint defects to remove so be patient as it will probably take more than one attempt to remove them. Acid spots require an abrasive polish to level the surface (some stubborn marks may require wet sanding) and an alkaline solution to neutralize them, simply rinsing a vehicle with deionised water or tap water activates / reactivates the acid concentrates.

If the surface can be rectified by chemical means then this is the answer; not abrasive polishing. Using the correct chemical cleaners will dissolve the contaminants rather than abrading the surface. With all cleaning products (especially solvents) always test a small inconspicuous area first to ensure it won't discolour, stain or etch the surface, and ensure that the pH of the product is suitable for the material

After the paint surface has been subjected to a chemical cleaning its protective layer (s) have been removed and the paint surface left without protection, so it is very important that a polymer and / or Carnauba wax protection be applied immediately

An extract from one of a series of unbiased “Detailing Technical Papers” © TOGWT ™ Ltd Copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved

Marine Blue

Maybe one of you can assist with my dilemma. I am fairly confident that my 928 sat next to a sprinkler system in SoCal for at least a few years. There are several horizontal surfaces which collect water on the car and I have noted a 1/16" thick layer of white hard deposits which I have not been able to remove. I've tried vinegar (not diluted), various polishes (by hand due to location) and Water/Isopropyl but nothing has worked.

The areas aren't visible to the average person but when showing in full concours they become visible!

Any suggestions?

TOGWT

Use the least abrasive product first-

1. Use a paint surface cleaner (Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner)
2. Try to dissolve the alkaline-based, surface/etched mineral water deposits try one or more of the following;
a) Use a 2:1 or stronger solution of distilled water/distilled white vinegar (Acetic acid)
b) Try a 2:1 solution of distilled water/Isopropyl Alcohol (adjust ratio as required)
c) Or equal parts distilled water/distilled white vinegar/Isopropyl alcohol.
3. Clean the effected surface with Klasse All-In-One or Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner
4. Use detailing clay to remove any `hard' surface granules
5. Use a machine polish (Optimum Polish, Optimum Compound) and a cutting (LC White, Orange or Yellow) foam pad (speed # 4- 5.0) to level the paint surface
6. For Ceramiclear or other hard clear coats substitute Menzerna for machine polish; Super Intensive Polish / Nano Polish (105FF) or Final Finish Polish (106FA)
7. Use the least aggressive polish/foam pad first, if this doesn’t remove the problem step-up to a more aggressive polish / foam pad set-up
8. Wet-sand with 2000, 2500 or 3000 grit finishing paper

An extract from one of a series of unbiased “Detailing Technical Papers” © TOGWT ™ Ltd Copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved.

Marine Blue

Thanks TOGWT

With exception to a more agressive polish and or wet sanding I have already tried each of those steps.

I may need to investigate wet sanding but I'm worried that the surrounding areas will suffer by the time I get through the layer of build up.

MoeMistry

What polishes and pads have you used so far? Also, what machine are you using to polish?

Cowhorn

Great tips, guys.

Do you apply a paint cleaner manually or with a machine? At what speed?

Thank you!

TOGWT

Either hand applied or machine - #3-4

Cowhorn

Thank you!