Very HARD water stains

[Kaptain]

Last weekend was my 05 silverado's birthday so I decided to dedicate this weekend to giving my pick-up a good wash/wax. It's now Sunday and I have not gotten very far. I should mention that I am a farm equipment consultant so on a day to day basis I drive my vehicle through irrigation circles which has left the paint on my pick-up and absolute mess. Also I should mention that some of the dairys around here pump cow piss/water back onto their fields as fertilizer, so along with hard irrigation water I probably have some cow piss in my paint. Yey.

Anyway I bought Meguiars #6 wax cleaner and applied it to the paint with a meguiars rotary foam pad using my milauwakee polisher. That was a no go.. I then tried some turtlewax rubbing compound, not only did it not work but my arms got tired fast. Finally I tried some #4 heavy cut and it works. This is good news but I really do not think heavy cut is the right product at this point; I think it's too abrasive for what I am trying to achieve here.

I traded my last pick-up off for this reason, there has to be something out there that will clean my paint without using too much elbow grease.

Suggestions?

Below are some pictures of the water damage, I found a product at Ace Hardware called A-Maze that works great on the windows.

[MikeGT]

What are you using to wash the truck? My first suggestion would be to wash using NXT wash if you are not doing so.

Then if you have not done so yet, clay the truck since its a yr old now. After that, you could use a cleaner such as DC1, then perhaps DC2, and follow with a coat of wax like GC or NXT.

[MikeGT]

I hate to point out the obvious, but make sure your not washing your truck in the sun

[Kaptain]

Originally posted by MikeGT
What are you using to wash the truck? My first suggestion would be to wash using NXT wash if you are not doing so.

Then if you have not done so yet, clay the truck since its a yr old now. After that, you could use a cleaner such as DC1, then perhaps DC2, and follow with a coat of wax like GC or NXT.

I'll see if I can find these products in town. Thanks.

Also, even if I did wash it in the sun and let the water dry on it, I would think that wax would remove the water spots.

[MikeGT]

If you cant find it in town, you can buy it online for like 7-8bucks. Well worth it. NXT car wash

You still never want to wash your car in the sun, and esp. let it dry on its own. Do it in the shade, and dry your car by hand.

[Kaptain]

I usually always wash in the evenings and hand dry everything. But I cannot stop and dry my pick-up off after every sprinkler that hits my pickup during the day. It's very difficult to keep my vehicles clean in my line of employment, but I do what I can when I have time.

I went to the store and found everthing mentioned before. The clay block seemed to help with removing anything stuck on the paint; ie tree sap and other misc. ****.

I then tried DC1, followed with DC2, and waxed with NXT. The results were better but I still have water spots, they are not as visible but they are still there.

Should I just take it to a detail shop and pay someone to do this? I spent 6 hours today working on this and I still have water stains. If there is not a product out there that will work then what's the point? I dont feel like wasting another weekend on this vehicle for moderate results. There has to be a product out there that will make this job a bit easier; isnt there some sort of acid that you can wash it off with? This may be a dumb question but I just want it to look good again, not show room shine just good.

[F-150]

There's definately a product out there that'll work, along with a technique. Try Scratch X, it should work, but if that's not giving you the results you want. A G100 DA Polisher with make it all easier.
Here check these out:
How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

Using the G-100 to remove swirls, scratches and etchings...

By the way, you should do a test spot, just try out products in a section about 2 ft x 2 ft and work the product in and then buff it off with a mf and repeat if it's removing some of the spots till they're gone. There's no point in repeating a process over the whole vehicle if you didn't get desired results after going over a panel.

[F-150]

Edit: When I said do a test spot, I meant the area should be about 12 in. x 14 in. er so. NOT 2ft x 2ft, that's way too large of a work area. And you should work on the truck section by section while overlapping.

[MaxImage]

Originally posted by Kaptain

Should I just take it to a detail shop and pay someone to do this? If there is not a product out there that will work then what's the point? I dont feel like wasting another weekend on this vehicle for moderate results. There has to be a product out there that will make this job a bit easier; isnt there some sort of acid that you can wash it off with? This may be a dumb question but I just want it to look good again, not show room shine just good.

No, don't take it to the detail shop just yet. Please check your PM (Private messages) for further info. "Water spotting," read, "the removal of water spots" is somewhat of a tedious process depending on the severity of the spots. Some locales have harder water (more alkaline conditions) than others, making the accumulation of minerals greater. But with some patience, some time and a small amount of elbow grease, you can achieve great results on your own.

[Mike Phillips]

I lived in Oregon most of my life and understand the problem you have associated with your work and the irrigation water being sprinklered onto your truck's paint.

To tell you the truth there is no sure-fire way to prevent this from happening and as far as removing the water spots goes you need to first determine if they are mineral deposits on the surface or etchings below the surface and in your case it's probably both.

Taking your truck to a detailer will likely cause more problems than it will fix unless they read a forum like this. A better option since this is going to continue to happen to your truck's finish would be to invest in a dual action polisher and tackle the problem yourself. A dual action polisher and some M80 Speed Glaze together with some wax should fix the problem and periodic machine wax with some ColorX should keep the problem at bay.

Here's an article I wrote on the subject.


How To Remove Water Spots off Automotive Paints

Swirls, scratches and water spots are the three most common paint defects car enthusiasts struggle with when it comes to removing them and preventing them from coming back. In this how-to article we'll take a look at water spots, where they come from, how to remove them and also how to prevent them.

There are two basic kinds of water spots or water marks found on automotive paints.

• Type I Water Spots - Above Surface Mineral Deposits
• Type II Water Spots - Below Surface Water Spot Etchings

Type I Water Spots
Type I Water Spots are what Meguiar's refers to as Above Surface Bonded Contaminants. A Type I water spot is some type of deposit, often times a mineral deposit that was suspended in the water source to begin with, then after the water evaporated off the finish the mineral is left behind where it bonds to the finish usually in a circular or pattern or shape.


Type I Water Spots - Mineral deposits sitting on top of the paint







How to Remove Type I Water Spots
If you discover Type I Water Spots on your car's finish, it will often times require the use of both detailing clay and a paint cleaner to completely remove all trace of the mark left behind.

• Step by step process for removing Type I Water Spots
  
  Step 1 - Wash & Dry the Car
  First wash the car thoroughly using a quality car wash to remove any loose contaminants and to also remove any portion of the mineral deposit that has not yet bonded to the paint. After washing the car, dry the car to remove any standing water and to prevent further accumulation of Type I Water Spots.
  
  Step 2 - Clay the Paint
  Use Meguiar's Smooth Surface™ Clay Kit to clay all affected paint panels. Meguiar's Detailing clay is a special clay that you knead into a wafer or patty, somewhat like a pancake, and then rub over the finish using Meguiar's Quik Detailer as a lubricant between the clay and the paint. As you're rubbing the clay over the finish, the specialized abrasives will loosen and remove any deposits sitting on top of the paint and trap them into the clay and our clay will do this without instilling scratches into the paint.
  
  Because as you're claying, you're removing these mineral deposits and trapping them into the clay itself, you'll want to take your clay patty and fold it into itself and then re-knead it to expose a fresh side of clay. Also keep a microfiber polishing cloth handy and wipe down the clayed area as you work to remove any excess Quick Detailer from the paint so that you won't have to re-wash the car.
  
  Repeat the above process until you've clayed all of the horizontal panels on your car and possibly even the vertical panels should you discover Type I Water Spots on the sides of your car's paint.
  
  Step 3 - Clean the Paint with a Paint Cleaner
  After claying the finish, re-inspect the affected areas, the paint should look smooth and clean as well as feel smooth like a piece of new glass. If you see any trace outlines in the paint where the water deposits were previously, then you'll now need to use a paint cleaner like ScratchX to remove these imperfections out of the paint.
  
  Any water spots or marks left in the paint after claying the paint are actually etchings in the paint and must be removed using a paint cleaner. Water Mark Etchings are what Meguiar's calls, Below Surface Defects, that is these water marks are where the mineral deposits, (left after the water evaporated off the finish), actually etched into, or ate into the paint. This is why the detailing clay did not completely remove these marks, it's because these marks are below the surface and detailing clay only removes contaminants sitting on top of the surface.
  
  ScratchX is a paint cleaner that uses Meguiar's Microscopic Diminishing Abrasive Technology to safely remove swirls, scratches and other below surface imperfections out of the paint. Simply apply ScratchX using a clean, soft foam applicator pad and then work the product against the finish with firm pressure. Work a small area or directly on the affected area for 2-3 minutes and then immediately remove any leftover product from the paint and inspect. If the mark is no longer visible, apply a coat of wax to protect the paint. If the mark is still visible, then repeat paint cleaning step using ScratchX. Some swirls, scratches and water spot etchings will require multiple applications to remove depending on how hard the paint is and how deep the defects are.

Type II Water Spots - Etchings below the surface

Type II Water Spots are what Meguiar's refers to as Below Surface Defects. A Type II Water Spot is actually an etching in the surface where whatever was in the water was strong enough in its chemical composition to actually eat or dissolve the paint and thus etch into the paint.


Type II Water Spots - Etchings below the surface




Close-up of same photo above





If you discover Type II Water Spots in your car's finish, you can use a paint cleaner by hand such as ScratchX and the procedure outlined above in Step 3 for removing below surface etchings left by Type I Water Spots, or you can use a machine applied product such as a Meguiar's paint cleaner, or cleaner/polish to remove the water spot etchings using Meguiar's G100 Dual Action Polisher.

Meguiar's Dual Action Polisher will safely clean your car's finish removing a small amount of paint in an effort to level, or smooth-out the paint. The goal is to remove just enough paint to level the upper most portions of the surface with the lowest depths of the defect you're trying to remove. In some cases you may want to check with a seasoned professional for their advice before attempting to remove below surface defects like Type II Water Spots.


Important Note: Anytime you use detailing clay and/or a paint cleaner on your car's finish, you need to reapply a coat of wax to the paint as detailing clay and paint cleaners will remove any previously applied wax off the paint.



How to prevent water spots from coming back
There are two important things you can do to help prevent water spots from coming back, one is to remove water from the finish before it can dry and potentially leave a water spot. Meguiar's offers a number of different tools to help you do this including, our waffle weave Water Magnet Drying Towel, our Microfiber Super Suede Drying Towel, and our Super Thick Natural Chamois which comes in 4 different sizes.

Besides keeping water off your car, the next best thing you can do is to keep maintain a good coat of wax on all the painted surfaces, to help with this Meguiar's offers a number of different waxes to suit everyone's preferences including, NXT Generation™ Tech Wax, Gold Class™ Liquid Wax and Deep Crystal System Carnauba Wax.

[Zet]

To the early posters: Did you actually read Kaptain's post? Cause those are some good advice on avoiding water spots in general. But if you regularly drive your car through sprinklers with irrigation water, i don't think washing with NXT is gonna help much And when he has tried #6 (and #4) via machine, how could DC1 or ScratchX meant for hand application work better? Oh well, those are great products, and so will be good for maintaining the truck in the future.

I would follow Mike's advice. But since you already own a Milwaukee polisher (rotary right?), I would start out using that with #80 on a 8006 pad. You might have to step up to #83, if the spots have really etched into the surface, and your paint is hard.

To prevent this from getting so bad again, you should wash the car as often as possible, to help remove the mineral deposits and dried in fertilizers from the paint. You should also wax the car often, to ensure that there is always a protective barrier covering the paint. I agree that ColorX would be a good maintenance product, especially applied via PC/G100, as it will help remove new water spots and leave a coat of wax, all in one step The #6 that you already own, is quite close to ColorX in function, and can be used for the same purpose. And after using either one, you could apply a coat of NXT, for even better protection.

And the #4 you mention is great for removing water spots from glass, and will remove any other gunk as well. Use it via rotary or a piece of terry cloth. It is discussed in this thread: Glass Polishing... deep cleaning