water spots
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 13,007
Likes: 0
From: Happiness is Busch in Victory Lane!
St. Jude Donor '09 & '12, '14
I had to use a cleaning polish and I thought I was running a marathon when I was done. People don't understand how hard florida water is and all the crap in it. If a lawn sprinkler hits your car - its OVER.
Our Water table is 6 feet below the ground.
Our Water table is 6 feet below the ground.
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 626
Likes: 19
From: Ann Arbor MI
I see your in Florida. The spots could be two different things depending on what water caused it.
If it's water from a hose (washing the car), it could be simple salts from the water being left behind when the water evaporates (simple water spotting). You may have waxed over them and kinda sealed them in. Clay bar should work, or wash with Dawn to strip the wax, and try alittle vinegar from the kitchen on a rag to see if it desolves them. If they remove with the vinegar, it's simple water spotting, and its an easy fix.
Worse could be acid etch from rain. When rain water evaporates, it can contain a small amount of acidity that increases in concentration. This acid concentration can get so strong that it degrades (acid etches) the clear. Although we have a good 2K urethane clear from the factory that is designed to be resistant to this, you live in an environment ripe for this situation (rain & hot sun cycles [dark colors are worse]). If the above does not work, this could be the problem. If it is, a professional wheel-out maybe required to remove the layer of etched clear if it is unexceptable to you.
If it's water from a hose (washing the car), it could be simple salts from the water being left behind when the water evaporates (simple water spotting). You may have waxed over them and kinda sealed them in. Clay bar should work, or wash with Dawn to strip the wax, and try alittle vinegar from the kitchen on a rag to see if it desolves them. If they remove with the vinegar, it's simple water spotting, and its an easy fix.
Worse could be acid etch from rain. When rain water evaporates, it can contain a small amount of acidity that increases in concentration. This acid concentration can get so strong that it degrades (acid etches) the clear. Although we have a good 2K urethane clear from the factory that is designed to be resistant to this, you live in an environment ripe for this situation (rain & hot sun cycles [dark colors are worse]). If the above does not work, this could be the problem. If it is, a professional wheel-out maybe required to remove the layer of etched clear if it is unexceptable to you.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Flagler Beach Florida
It is a pia to get off.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 13,007
Likes: 0
From: Happiness is Busch in Victory Lane!
St. Jude Donor '09 & '12, '14
Yea I was all excited to do the vinegar thing. The spots just laughed at me. I was like WTF? I then used a claybar...once again the spots were like not even close to going away.
Heck I even took it to a professional car wash place - they couldn't remove it...and said No Dice unless I did the full detail and buff.
This is just from sprinkler water blowing back on the car. (My sprinkler is city water btw) I can't imagine well water or "Baked in" water spots.
I hate water spots. Maybe I need a whole house treatment system.
BTW I have a pool so when I test the water chemistry in my home I have hard water. So I guess they are hard to remove due to calcium?
Heck I even took it to a professional car wash place - they couldn't remove it...and said No Dice unless I did the full detail and buff.
This is just from sprinkler water blowing back on the car. (My sprinkler is city water btw) I can't imagine well water or "Baked in" water spots.
I hate water spots. Maybe I need a whole house treatment system.
BTW I have a pool so when I test the water chemistry in my home I have hard water. So I guess they are hard to remove due to calcium?
Pro
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 626
Likes: 19
From: Ann Arbor MI
If vinegar is not taking it off, it's not simple water spotting. Calcium deposits and simple salts would be removed.
It sounds like the water treatment plant is leaving some residual chemicals in the water, and upon evaporating in the hot Florida sun you are raising the concentration to the point that it's attacking the clear in some way.
In the studies done on developing the etch resistant clears for todays cars, it was found that drops of rain water that condense down during evaporation, they would turn into a more concentrated acid then that found in your car battery. Combined with the heat generated from the sun, it would eat the top layer of the clear away.
It sounds like the water treatment plant is leaving some residual chemicals in the water, and upon evaporating in the hot Florida sun you are raising the concentration to the point that it's attacking the clear in some way.
In the studies done on developing the etch resistant clears for todays cars, it was found that drops of rain water that condense down during evaporation, they would turn into a more concentrated acid then that found in your car battery. Combined with the heat generated from the sun, it would eat the top layer of the clear away.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14,006
Likes: 26
From: JawJa
Yea I was all excited to do the vinegar thing. The spots just laughed at me. I was like WTF? I then used a claybar...once again the spots were like not even close to going away.
Heck I even took it to a professional car wash place - they couldn't remove it...and said No Dice unless I did the full detail and buff.
This is just from sprinkler water blowing back on the car. (My sprinkler is city water btw) I can't imagine well water or "Baked in" water spots.
I hate water spots. Maybe I need a whole house treatment system.
BTW I have a pool so when I test the water chemistry in my home I have hard water. So I guess they are hard to remove due to calcium?
Heck I even took it to a professional car wash place - they couldn't remove it...and said No Dice unless I did the full detail and buff.
This is just from sprinkler water blowing back on the car. (My sprinkler is city water btw) I can't imagine well water or "Baked in" water spots.
I hate water spots. Maybe I need a whole house treatment system.
BTW I have a pool so when I test the water chemistry in my home I have hard water. So I guess they are hard to remove due to calcium?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6,396
Likes: 3,578
From: Commerce Texas
It seems as if you have waxed over the water spots. If that's the case you're going to have to remove the wax in order to get to the water spots. Once you strip the wax from your car you can remove the water spots with vinegar. Until you remove the wax you're not going anywhere.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 13,007
Likes: 0
From: Happiness is Busch in Victory Lane!
St. Jude Donor '09 & '12, '14
If vinegar is not taking it off, it's not simple water spotting. Calcium deposits and simple salts would be removed.
It sounds like the water treatment plant is leaving some residual chemicals in the water, and upon evaporating in the hot Florida sun you are raising the concentration to the point that it's attacking the clear in some way.
In the studies done on developing the etch resistant clears for todays cars, it was found that drops of rain water that condense down during evaporation, they would turn into a more concentrated acid then that found in your car battery. Combined with the heat generated from the sun, it would eat the top layer of the clear away.
It sounds like the water treatment plant is leaving some residual chemicals in the water, and upon evaporating in the hot Florida sun you are raising the concentration to the point that it's attacking the clear in some way.
In the studies done on developing the etch resistant clears for todays cars, it was found that drops of rain water that condense down during evaporation, they would turn into a more concentrated acid then that found in your car battery. Combined with the heat generated from the sun, it would eat the top layer of the clear away.
The water from the treatment plant is another story! Thats good info thx.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Flagler Beach Florida
Yea I was all excited to do the vinegar thing. The spots just laughed at me. I was like WTF? I then used a claybar...once again the spots were like not even close to going away.
Heck I even took it to a professional car wash place - they couldn't remove it...and said No Dice unless I did the full detail and buff.
This is just from sprinkler water blowing back on the car. (My sprinkler is city water btw) I can't imagine well water or "Baked in" water spots.
I hate water spots. Maybe I need a whole house treatment system.
BTW I have a pool so when I test the water chemistry in my home I have hard water. So I guess they are hard to remove due to calcium?
Heck I even took it to a professional car wash place - they couldn't remove it...and said No Dice unless I did the full detail and buff.
This is just from sprinkler water blowing back on the car. (My sprinkler is city water btw) I can't imagine well water or "Baked in" water spots.
I hate water spots. Maybe I need a whole house treatment system.
BTW I have a pool so when I test the water chemistry in my home I have hard water. So I guess they are hard to remove due to calcium?
I have a whole house water softner system for sale. PM me if your interested.
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Surprise Arizona
I had the same problem when my black 07 was new off the lot. The dealer apparently did not dry it, and the water spotted. I bought the car in San Diego, and live in Arizona. When I noticed that spots, I tried the usualy stuff, and nothing worked. Then I decided to use, I believe it was McGuires No. 1, polish. I rubbed by hand, and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed. I finally saw signs if it coming off, and kept on rubbing. It was on the upper 1/2 of the hood, and probably took 3 hours to get it off. Good Luck!
Pro
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 626
Likes: 19
From: Ann Arbor MI
You do, but it's not as much as a problem than say, Jacksonville. Most rain is naturally acidic. We just help it out by burning hydrocarbons.