Victim To Sprinklers

M

MELODY7

New member
Went on vacation, came back to find out that the neighbors fixed their sprinklers and one of them hit my car for a whole week. I now have water spots and washed the car a few times the same day to try to remove as much as possible. What can I do to totally remove this without having to buff since I'm not a detailer. Is there any type of special soap I should use such as dish washing soap? Thanks.
 
Clay will induce fine scratches, so you'll be removing one issue and adding another. Some might not mind the fine scratches that clay will introduce. I'm nuts, and do mind. I'm not a professional detailer, but I do it for the cars that I own, and invested the time and money to be able to be "nuts".



I say have it detailed.



It happens.
 
You can mix up a bottle of water and vinegar (50/50) and spray down a section, let it dwell about a minute, wipe down, then rinse.



If all else fails, make your neighbor pay to have the spots removed. Maybe that way, in the future, they will make sure their sprinklers don't hit your car.
 
I tried the 50/50 vinegar, and it helped slightly. The Duragloss makes it very clear that if your paint is already etched and "in" the paint that it won't help.



So...on to the Flex!
 
Atlantic Euro said:
I tried the 50/50 vinegar, and it helped slightly. The Duragloss makes it very clear that if your paint is already etched and "in" the paint that it won't help.



So...on to the Flex!
Click to expand...



If it's etched into the paint it won't help but are you sure that's the case? Is it possible it's on top the Duragloss?
 
the other pc said:
I have never had a fine clay cause scratches.



It can happen with some very soft finishes but it’s rare.





PC.
Click to expand...



Thats funny because even using plenty of lube, I have never 'not' had clay introduce scratches.



All I'm saying is clay only if you plan on polishing. I clay usually once a year or if the car comes back from an extended stay at the dealer.
 
aren't there different grades of "Clay", and some may absorb dirt better than others? Some clay is harder, and you can feel little pieces of debris that get stuck on it, which then will cause scratches if you continue using it without cleaning it off. I noticed a big difference with two different clay bars I have. One works great, always pulls out all the black fallout etc from the paint, doesn't leave a scratch, and I usually just use water as a lubricant from the garden hose. The other clay bar was much more expensive, but works horribly. It feels like a rock, causes scratches, and doesn't really pull out the black road grime, all while using lubricant (this clay bar sucks even worse without lube).



Both clay bars I use are from pinnacle, but one is older and softer material. The new one had a different name I can't remember.
 
Jester7677 said:
Thats funny because even using plenty of lube, I have never 'not' had clay introduce scratches....
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Bummer, either you’re one of the “lucky� ones with seriously sensitive paint or you’re using a clay that’s too aggressive. What clays have you used?





Jester7677 said:
...All I'm saying is clay only if you plan on polishing....
Click to expand...
That’s my point, for the vast majority of finishes there’s no reason at all for polishing after clay (assuming you use a mild clay). In general, using clay will prevent you from having to use excessively aggressive cleaning techniques.



But as always, it’s finish dependent and doing a test spot is always recommended.





gto78 said:
aren't there different grades of "Clay", and some may absorb dirt better than others? ....
Click to expand...
Yes. Most OTC clays are mild. But there are aggressive clays out there.





Anyway, back to the original question, clay or vinegar will remove hard water deposits (clay by mechanically cutting, vinegar by chemically dissolving) but neither will remove etching, which can sometimes accompany the deposits.



It’s critical to remove the deposits ASAP. If it’s too late and there’s etching it will need polishing.





PC.
 
The suggestions given so far will work as long as what you have are deposits, not etching/staining.



Pick out a test spot, about a 6� to 12� square, and experiment. (Masking off a square makes it easier to see improvements but isn’t absolutely required.)



Having a magnifying glass to inspect the finish very closely is helpful too.



Any vinegar will work but it’s sort of silly to use balsamic vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is cheap and easily available in any supermarket. (Warehouse stores like Costco sell it in gallons.)



After trying the vinegar and/or clay the finish should be absolutely smooth and slick. If the surface is slick and there are still spots the minerals in the water have etched or stained the paint film. Removing that requires polishing.



There are too many variables involved to predict exactly how aggressive a product/process is required to remove etching/staining from a given finish. It takes a little experimentation to find a combo that’s just aggressive enough to work.



I usually suggest trying Meg’s Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner (step 1) or Meg’s ScratchX by hand to start out because they’re easily available over the counter and very mild.



If one of those doesn’t do it or takes an awful lot of work you should probably consider going to a machine process, either having a pro do it or diving in and learning to diy.





PC.
 
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