Ask a Pro: Strange Spots on Car
by Greg NicholsConnor Gaballa Sends us this question……
Hi. I live in California, and it recently rained. I just washed BMW
330Ci Convertible, and it appears that the rain has left acid marks on
my car. I need to get these marks off. They are on the paint, as well
as on the windshield. If you could please recommend a product that I
could possibly use that would be great. Thanks so much!Connor Gaballa
Connor!
Thanks for asking. I’m going to assume you got some mild spotting going on. I also bet you have a black car, maybe even the high maintenance JET BLACK paint. Either way here are some things you can try.
First I would wash the car. Second, if that makes no difference I would use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and distilled water. If this works then the spotting was hard water and the acidic vinegar counteracted the alkali based hard water. Another product you could try is CG water spot remover. If you still don’t have the results you want, sell the car and get a bike………… no you can clay the spotting and see if it’s fallout from the atmosphere. If these spots are still surviving your battery of trials it’s time to polish either by hand or machine. Meguairs 205 would be a least aggressive starting point, and you can work up if needed. Meguairs scratch X is also a good hand polish to have around for quick touch up. If you still have spotting, I can suggest some good detailers in Calif you might take it to.
If you have photos, and what type of paint you have I can be more specific in my reply, but this is a good starting point. Report back what worked best.
Hi. Thank you for response. The color on my car is Orient Blue Metallic (Color Code 117). I will try your strategies. Hopefully one of them will work. Is it possible that the spots are sun spots, as that was my first time washing my car in direct light ( I usually wash it at night). Thanks so much!