Recently took the SS to my dealer to fix a problem with the driver's side window. In checking it for leaks, they sprayed the car with water. I know this because the car was returned to me covered in large water spots. Lucky for me, most of them came off, but the rings on the driver's side of the hood and in the scoop will not budge. I have tried vinager and the Zanio claybar with no luck. I thought I got them using Meguire's Deep Crystal Polish, but yesterday the setting sun hit the right angle and I could see that they are back. I had just put a a fresh coat of Z-5 before taking the car in so I didn't think this would be such a challenge. So now what? I did a search on this forum, but I guess all of the old entries were wiped out when they updated the board. I thought about trying Meguire's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner or Body scrub. I think the Scratch-X would be too abrasive as you can't feel the rings, just see them. Would 3M 39009 be a better way to go? Anyone have any recommendations/suggestions?

 

Some water spots can be quite strong, and can etch pretty quickly and leave that annoying ring. It's usually what's in the water that causes it, but what can ya do? Well, I'd recommend Meguiar's Body Scrub. It's just a paint cleaner that always did the trick for me in tough situations. I don't think it's a true abrasive, but it is a pretty strong chemical cleaner of some sort. It will remove the Zaino too! Whatever the case, it works! You might also try the Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner, but this is a pretty mild formula. I've never ued it for water spotting exactly, but for general cleaning. It's not as strong as the BS IMO so it may not work as quickly.

Also, you could try a true abrasive like the 3M SMR. As you probably know, it's a very light abrasive, so you may have to repeat some application and use heavier pressure than normal. One other product that's definitely a bit more abrasive is the Meguiar's Fine Cut Cleaner. It will definitely clean anything off the paint, but it's best used with a polisher. I'd use it by hand in very small spots though, that are easy to touch up and repair.

Good Luck!

Mike

 

Mike, thanks for the reply. I will let you know how it goes.

 

Well I checked a few places and could not find the Megueir's Body Scrub, but did find some Megueir's Deep Crystal Paint cleaner at Autozone and some 3M Rubbing Compound - Fine cut at a Super Walmart. It was part No. 03900 which I couldn't find anywhere on the 3M site, but the description on the bottle reads the same as...

3M™ Perfect-It™ II Rubbing Compound, 16 oz, PN 39002
Excellent for hand compounding applications. It safely and effectively removes grade 1200 or finer sand scratches, other fine scratches, medium oxidation, coarse swirl marks or water spots, and leaves a fine finish.

Started first with the Paint cleaner, which helped some, but reached a point it was not going to do any more. After that I went with the rubbing compound. This stuff performed as promised by removing the spots and leaving the finish looking perfect. Being leary of abrasives, I used light to moderate pressure and went over each section twice. Hopefully, this will be the end of my waterspot saga for now. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Good deal, glad it worked out for you! Yes, you're correct that small bottle from WalMart is the pretty much the same as the FCRC (#39002) in the bigger regular size bottle. They also carry the small bottle of SMR that's similar to the #39009. These are perfect for small jobs, where only a few applications will be used. The Meguiar's is pretty mild, and it's OK for general cleaning but for anything heavier it's not the best, as you've seen. Since it's not very aggressive, it has it's limits.

I think the key to keeping a car water spot free is to get the surface as slick as possible with prep and waxing, then try to avoid letting spotting set on the car in direct sun for too long. Obviously, this can't be helped in many cases, so it has to be washed immediately. Even after washing, clean off the spots as quickly as possible. The water hose trick helps a bunch in this regard. The longer the spots remain, the harder it will be to remove.

Mike