Water marks on my black car
 

i recently got poured on and attacked by sprinklers while i was at school. 6 hours later when i came out, my car had spots all over. I was reading online that they are a real pain to get out if they have been there for a while. Is 2 days considered a while? Also will a good wash with some elbow greece drying get them out. Will a spray wax and buff get them out. thanx

Water marks / spots on my black car
 

srry to post this here. i just kind of need a fast answer. i recently got poured on and attacked by sprinklers while i was at school. 6 hours later when i came out, my car had spots all over. I was reading online that they are a real pain to get out if they have been there for a while. Is 2 days considered a while? Also will a good wash with some elbow greece drying get them out. Will a spray wax and buff get them out. thanx

A touch-free wash works good for me.

Try washing w/ vinegar first. 2 days isnt too bad, but dont continue to put it off. The sooner you can address it, the better. :cool:
Just wash thoroughly afterwards of course. Reassess the situation and report back :)

Try to wash them off first. I've had good luck removing stubborn ones using SwirlX.

i am kind of a noob. when you say wash with vinegar, do you just add vinegar(and if so how much) to the soap and water bucket?

Clay bar will take care of your problem.

thats wat i do the same thing happen to me at work jus keep washing it every 3 days and wipe down and they should be gone after that

Happened to me. Washed the car- no luck, claybar the whole car- no luck, then busted out my DA and buffed it with swirl x and boom it was gone. I didn't have to work it in much to make it come off cause it happened only a couple days before. I made sure to cover my car after it happened so the sun wont bake the spots deeper.

You can use it straight, but I dilute it slightly. Just white vinegar that you can pick up at most local grocery stores will do :) It should hopefully break down some of the deposits/spots that are sitting on the surface.

Here's what I'd do;

1.) Allow your car to sit for a period of time, (in shade, overnight, in a garage, if possible) and wash it only if, A) the paint is cool to the touch, and B) if you have an area where it will be out of direct sunlight for a few hours.

2.) After you thoroughly cleaned the car, leave it wet, and clay it. From my experience, (and I own a black car, there are several in my family, and I've detailed quite a few) claying will remove the water spots.

3.) After you've clayed the entire vehicle, wash it a second time and dry it.

4.) Finish by adding a good wax/polish to protect the surface.

I'd recommend you avoid using a buffer unless you're experienced in using one. ;) You could cause yourself more headaches by creating more blemishes if you're not careful using a buffer.

Dark cars obviously have higher paint temperatures when exposed to sunlight, and require more maintanence as a result. You cannot let anything sit on the paint for very long without creating problems.

I truly believe if you invest a couple of hours, and follow the steps I've provided, that you'll be successful in removing the water marks. ;)

Please let me know if I can help you further.

Ed

(And stay away from the sprinklers!) :D

Water etching is a type of paint defect that can very in depth and frequency, but creates a unique pattern dependant on how it is created. Etching is caused by chemical reaction on that paint’s surface that eats dissolves the surface at a fairly consistent rate of a relatively large area, creating depressions on the surface that appear like empty swimming pools. The most common forms of etching are from acid rain, insect remains and bird droppings, and from the residual minerals found in water and sprinkler systems too.


By hand: Modern clear coats are much harder then their older, single stage counter parts. However modern technology these days have made it more possible to remove paint defects by hand. Keep in mind that the polishes used to remove paint evenly require a lot of work and this is the slowest method possible.

By machine: With the rise in popularity of Dual Action polishers, many enthusiast have taken to machine polishing their cars themselves. Machine polishing with a Dual Action is very safe and affords great results with a great margin of safety. Some enthusiasts and many professionals use a Rotary Polisher to polish paint. These powerful machines are capable of quickly removing the deepest marring marks but can also damage paint in the hands of an inexperienced user.

Removing Etching: Etching, because of the width of the defect, is difficult to remove. Complete removal often requires wet sanding the surface flat with a stiff backing plate because of a polishing pad’s tendency to travel into the defect itself. Deep etching often requires experience or a professional for removal.

Hopes this helps out.

I agree, but remember, there may not be any etching yet. The minerals may just be sitting on the surface at this point :).

Ed is of course always right! The very best step is the good old wax till ya drop! I have about 18 coats of Mequires, Turtle Ice, and Zaino on my RJT. Last Thursday on the way home I got dumped on in the path of a nearly 4 inch rain storm. Let her dry in the garage without a spot to be seen. It pays to put in the labor on the front end, so you don't have the problems later on the back end!