Removing Water Spots

[DrumrBoy]

Mine is red and when well waxed, water droplets form the nicest little magnifying glass shape so that when the sun comes out the water spots burn right in....not sure whether they're in the clearcoat or the red paint underneath.

There are no waterspots on vertical surfaces (e.g. doors) just on the horizontal surfaces like the top of the rear quarters. Surprisingly there are no spots on the biggest horizontal surface - the hood.

I've tries Meguires ScratchX which is excellent for removing swirl marks but to no avail.....in the right light at the right angle you can still see a zillion water spots.

Anybody have experience with this and know of a product/technique that works?

 

[DrumrBoy]

Nobody with this issue?

 

[RobZ]

I for one cannot give advice on removing them but a nice preventative measure is to try avoid washing the car in the direct sunlight. I either wash in the morning or evening to avoid this and dry ASAP. If you remove the nozzle from the hose and don't "spray" the water it will run off in a sheet and leave very few droplets behind, makes drying much easier/faster as well.


Rob

 

[luc]

You can try white vinegar

luc 00GTS

 

[DrumrBoy]

I'll give the vinegar a try on a small area and see if that works.

Good point abut washing in sunlight....I never wash it in direct sunlight - or if I do I keep it wet until I chamois all the water off. I think I got spotted up at the track.....sprinkes and then sunlight....the car is dirty so best not to even try to get it off at that point.

Any other suggestions welcome.

 

[ronniej]

You need a claybar. Walmart sells them here. I believe Mothers has them and maybe Meguiars. It's worked for me in the past.

 

[Newport Viper]

Lots o reading here....

Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online - Search Results

 

[jay01m]

The waterspots are on the clearcoat. If its in the clearcoat or paint you have bigger problems, as in something is very wrong with your paint job, not likely though. When was the last time you stripped down your polish/wax? If you haven't done it in the last year or so, it's probably time, especially if you use WAX on your car.

Try 3M Perfect It Foam Polishing Pad Glaze. You can apply it by hand if you think you have the endurance and elbow grease to do it, but I recommend getting a high speed buffer (1800 RPMs) and 3M pad (grey pad) to do the job, it will save lots of time and effort. If that doesn't work you may need to use the 3M Rubbing Compound (with beige pad) because it's very possible the waterspots are under the coats of polish/wax you've been putting on it. Keep in mind if you use the Rubbing Compound you should go over it again with the polishing glaze to remove any haze or swirl marks left by the polishing compound. There's another 3M product you can apply after the polishing glaze if you want, it's called Ultra Fine Machine Polish (blue pad), which is an additional step to remove REALLY fine scratches and hazing. I haven't used the Ultra Fine step, but I frequently use the other stuff, and it does an excellent job.

I'll also add that if you're using wax, I'd consider moving to something else. Waxes are not the best protection for your paint because it doesn't last long on the car and can actually melt in the sun and damage your clear coat. Most shops will recommend a synthetic urethane or silicone based polish, which bonds to the paint and protects it for months, whereas wax lasts about a week or two. Zaino, Liquid Glass, and 3M Finishing Glaze are the 3 big ones that I know of. I hear good things about Zaino but haven't used it. I have used Liquid Glass and 3M and both are awesome. I can wash my car a dozen times before I need to lay another coat of finish on it.

There are a few options for good finishing glazes as mentioned above, but when it comes to compounding, polishing, and finishing, 3M is the way to go IMHO, and I think you'll find most professional auto paint shops will say the same. If you haven't already, I recommend reading up on all that 3M has to offer for your car's paint and consider using some of their products on your car. You won't be disappointed. I've been using them on all 3 of my cars for years now, and it has definitely reduced the amount of time spent keeping the paint in good shape, allowing me to go driving more often

Just my $.02.
Jason

 

[Bandit3]

Hey, what's going on here:? When I asked that very same question, the first response was: SANDPAPER. I tried that, but now the car looks like it has the measles.

 

[ViperNM]

You could wetsand with 1500 to 2000 grit and finish with 3M but I've had a lot of success with Zaino Fusion. I've used it to remove minor scratches and water spots. Here's a link :

Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover: Zaino Store

My 2c.

 

[jay01m]

Hey, what's going on here:? When I asked that very same question, the first response was: SANDPAPER. I tried that, but now the car looks like it has the measles.

Dude, sandpaper should only be needed if you have HEAVY scratches, oxidation, and/or overspray that would not come out using any of what I mentioned above or a clay bar. As for a clay bar, it's not as good at removing waterspots or oxidation because it isn't abrasive enough, works excellent on overspray though.

If you want to get that shine back, make sure you've properly wetsanded at 2000 grit with a soft sanding block, buy yourself a high speed buffer and the gear needed to do the 3M rubbing compound and polishing glaze, and go through the compound and polishing steps. Plan on at least 1 full day if you know what you're doing, 2 if its your first time.

Sorry man, I'm not on this forum as often as I'd like to be. Every now and then I'm able to surf on here and throw in my two cents. Wish I had caught you before you did the wetsanding. Most of the time that is not necessary.

 

[DrumrBoy]

Thanks for the input folks.

I'll post some before and after pix after I work on it some. The spots are only visible in the right light at the right angle, but they bug the crap out of me. Good thought about stripping the wax, I haven't done that recently but have tries ScratchX on a small area (figuring this would grind through any wax build up) but it hasn't had the desired effect.

 

[plumcrazy]

i have used liquid glass PRE cleaner for some water spots and it got them out for me. then followed up the legend polish (about 8 coats) and i never have to add more to it. i wash mine everytime i drive it and no problems.

Liquid Glass® – The Ultimate Automotive Polish/Finish!

best bet might be to call them and see what they recommend though.

 

[Dom426h]

Wetsanding Claying Polishing

That is alot of unnecessary time consuming work IMO
Seriously guys, were not talking about refinishing his paint here. We're talking about removing waterspots. Ive tryed using clay to remove waterspots before with sub-par results and it takes forever.(i guess it can depend on your type of waterspots though)

The easiest method to remove waterspots is to lather your car up (in the shade) with a warm mix of DAWN and let it soak for 15-20 min while keeping her Wet.(basically the equivalent of washing your car 3 times) Many people do this once-a-year anyway to remove old wax before applying a fresh coat
(after rinsing i also follow it up with a quick wash with reg car wash to ensure that none of the DAWN residue is left on the car) Now your car is Naked, Wax her up!!!

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(+1 for moving to the detailing section)

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Nobody with this issue?

We don't care about microscopic waterspots. We just wipe the dirt off and drive.

 

[DrumrBoy]

We don't care about microscopic waterspots. We just wipe the dirt off and drive.

Me too for the race car, this one looks better shiney.

 

[Blade Runner]

Car Care, Best Car Waxes, Best Car Polishes, Automotive Detailing Supplies, Car Buffers, Car Covers, Car Accessories from Classic Motoring Accessories

Lot of how to stuff here.

 

[jay01m]

Dom426h is right about the household dishwashing detergent, it does a great job of stripping the wax down. As for how well that works on waterspots, I'd venture to say sometimes, but not always. One of my cars is always outside (not enough room in garage), so waterspots on that car always require a little buffing and polishing to get them out.

BTW, the car that sits outside is my Corvette, not the Viper LOL!

 

[DrumrBoy]

You made the right choice! I sometimes have to let the wifeys yellow Z06 out....rain, bird poop - doesn't seem to bother it the way an afternoon rainshower does the red Viper. I got a long weekend ahead and lots of ideas - thanks folks. I'll do before and afters....assuming the afters are different!

 

[DrumrBoy]

Follow-up post:

The water spots were indeed IN the wax. I used to put a bunch of coats of Zaino on which look good, but I imagine after a while the wax breaks down enough for the sun to burn it a bit when droplets sit on the paint.

Used Palmolive dishwashing detergent....took two serious lathers to get it squeaky clean (BTW the squeaky clean thing doesn't fell right for a car....), used a polish and some scratchX to clean it all up and, water spots are no more.

Thanks for the tips on removing the wax.....for anyone else with water spots, do try this first before launching on more elbow-grease-intensive efforts.