What causes water spots like this

[ouhockeyplayer]

Had to drive my car in the Michigan tropical depression today and when I went out to the garage tonight I noticed strange water spotting. They have brown edges and feel kind of sticky. They are all over my hood, and I just recently put a coat of machine super wax on the car. I tried some waterless wash on a couple but did not want to touch the entire hood because it probably is in need of a proper wash. Unfortunately, I can't get to that until Saturday. They take a bit of elbow grease to get off too.

[ouhockeyplayer]

Also, does anyone else notice that driving this car in the rain almost always equals a for sure rock chip in the gill area? I ended the day with two new ones.

[KnightRiderSS]

tree sap?

[Adam's Polishes]

Any number of things... acid rain, contamination coming off the road mixed with rain water, something splashing onto the car while it was wet, etc. If you can't do a proper wash now to get rid of them I'd avoid messing with it. Putting "elbow grease" into scrubbing them off is just begging for swirls as you'll be putting pressure down on contaminated paint.

[ouhockeyplayer]

Thanks Dylan. I tried one and realized they don't come off very easy so I stopped. I put too much time in polishing to get the swirls back. There was quite a bit of splashing going on from other cars as the roads were very flooded. I don't park near any trees, so I know it is not sap. Would wax do little to prevent these given the road condions? I should have plenty of wax on the car.

[Adam's Polishes]

yes, your coat of superwax is keeping this from being a larger issue as its still there (or should be) so even if you have to go with an aggressive method to clean it (say alcohol or a degreaser) the wax will be sacraficed, but better it than your paint!

[jmaryt]

Originally Posted by ouhockeyplayer

Had to drive my car in the Michigan tropical depression today and when I went out to the garage tonight I noticed strange water spotting. They have brown edges and feel kind of sticky. They are all over my hood, and I just recently put a coat of machine super wax on the car. I tried some waterless wash on a couple but did not want to touch the entire hood because it probably is in need of a proper wash. Unfortunately, I can't get to that until Saturday. They take a bit of elbow grease to get off too.

nothin' personal,but it sounds like it got s*it on!..just sayin!
sh8t fallin' from the sky?..he he he!

[khalsa013]

I THINK IT WAS THAT PURPLE SYRUP...........THAT DRANK!!! ahahahahah

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by KnightRiderSS

tree sap?

I agree, and the longer you allow it to sit there, the more damage it is doing to your paint. You say that you can't get to it until Sunday. I would have been all over the minute I saw it. You can't let that stuff sit on your paint that long. The damage could be permanent. As soon as you read this, you should be headed for your car.

[ouhockeyplayer]

Junkman - I am pretty positive it is not tree sap. It is raining here again today and once I got to work I noticed that some of them washed away with the rain water. As Dylan mentioned, I am leaning towards some road contaminates mixed with the rain water. Hopefully they come off nice and easy with some Adams car shampoo Saturday morning.

[Junkman2008]

I still wouldn't chance it, due to you saying that one spot took some elbow grease. That's a key sign to me that you want no part of that stuff baking on your paint if the sun comes out.

[ouhockeyplayer]

Well this is one time then I am thankful we haven't seen the sun in awhile. It's not looking to good until this weekend for Michigan.

[skuttduck]

I've been getting bits of tree sap and pollen lately, but they did not leave water marks like that.

It probably is road contaminents. I'm glad I also got 3 coats of Rejex on the car with the rain we've had.