Hard lesson learned ....

[5xkmw]

I washed the wife's black '10 Maxima in the sun yesterday. It was cool, and I washed small sections and rinsed quickly. It had a good coat of wax(NTX) so I figured it would be no problem. Well, upon wiping off, I found THOUSANDS of tiny soap spots all over it. I tried M80, and Ultimate Correction System, but there are still spots evident. I'm using a 6" pad, with the Ultimate, with speed set at 4. I have some of the smaller pads(3") I was thinking of trying. I understand from my body shop buddy that Nissans have a single stage paint(no clear coat). Any suggestions?? And I swear I'll NEVER, EVER wash a black car in the sun again!!!!

[davey g-force]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

By your desription, I doubt the spots are due to the soap. More likely from the minerals in the water drying on your paint. Do you have hard water in your area?

Were you using Ultimate Compound or the Microfiber Correction System to try and remove the spots? It's not clear from your post. Either way, I'm surprised you couldn't remove them. Are you sure the spots weren't already there?

[Garage Troll]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Hmm, it sounds like some type of chemical or fallout may have gotten on the surface and not been visible before washing. I've had some rather hard water spots after washing my car at my parents house but none that could ever stand up to UC or a similar paint cleaner. Can you provide US with a picture?

As far as whether or not you have a single stage or clear coat paint, that's easy. When you use a paint cleaner does your pad start turning black? If you don't have color from the paint coming out onto your pad then it has a clear coat. If you have color on the pad then it's a single stage.

[mis3]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Really? Single stage paint in a new Nissan? Did not know that any car manufacturer uses Single stage paint anymore.

Based on my experience, new water spots are easy to remove. Older ones, on the other hand, are harder but UC with some elbow grease can remove them.

Single stage paint may as well be a completely different ball game.

[Kornercarver]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

I am thinking Nissan uses clear coat on all their cars. My 350Z from 2003 has clear coat.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

By your desription, I doubt the spots are due to the soap. More likely from the minerals in the water drying on your paint. Do you have hard water in your area?

Hmm, it sounds like some type of chemical or fallout may have gotten on the surface and not been visible before washing. I've had some rather hard water spots after washing my car at my parents house but none that could ever stand up to UC or a similar paint cleaner.

These two suggestions make perfect sense and are the most logical explanations here. Water spots that appear immediately after washing when the paint was otherwise defect free (just dirty) should wipe off with a quick detailer and a microfiber towel if you get to them right away. But tiny little spots can easily be hidden on a dirty car and only really revealed once the car is cleaned. And has been mentioned, water spots that have set in, been baked in, etc can be quite difficult to remove.

We're also unsure as to which product mix you're using here - Ultimate Compound on a 6" foam pad or D300 from the DA Microfiber Correction System on the 6" microfiber discs? Clarify that for us, please, and we'll make some recommendations with regard to tweaking your technique a bit to see if we can help get rid of these spots.

As far as whether or not you have a single stage or clear coat paint, that's easy. When you use a paint cleaner does your pad start turning black? If you don't have color from the paint coming out onto your pad then it has a clear coat. If you have color on the pad then it's a single stage.

The only single stage paint we know of that's still in use is a non metallic black on some Lexus models - we've never encountered a modern Nissan/Infiniti with single stage paint. What Garage Troll points out will tell you immediately whether you've got a clear coat or not: this car, if it has single stage paint, will turn your applicator as black as the paint in no time, whether you're using UC with a foam pad or D300 with a microfiber disc. We suspect that's not happening. But in the long run, it doesn't matter whether the car has a clear coat or not, because even that Lexus single stage black is a modern, catalyzed paint system that is just as different from single stage lacquers of old as a modern clear coat is. The process you use to remove these defects on either paint would be identical.

[5xkmw]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Guys, thanks for the replies. The spots were not on the car 30 days ago. I used the UC and UP with the microfiber pads then. I inspect this car with a portable light when detailing. It had a good coat of the Ultimate polish followed by NTX a day later. It was flawless. I tried the Ultimate correction system(pad and compound) to no avail. This diminished the spots some. I do have hard water, but it is filtered thru a softener. The spots are minimal on the side that was out of direct sunlight. As far as single stage paint, IDK, just going by what a friend in the body shop business said.

[davey g-force]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

I tried the Ultimate correction system(pad and compound) to no avail.

Do you mean the Microfiber Correction System with the D300 compound / D301 finishing wax?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Are your pads turning black? If so, single stage paint. If not, clear coat.

[5xkmw]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Yes, the microfiber correction system. Also tried some M80 with a foam cutting pad first. Must be a clear coat. Pads are the color of the product. Peptp pink and gunship grey.....

[Garage Troll]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Guys, thanks for the replies. The spots were not on the car 30 days ago. I used the UC and UP with the microfiber pads then. I inspect this car with a portable light when detailing. It had a good coat of the Ultimate polish followed by NTX a day later. It was flawless. I tried the Ultimate correction system(pad and compound) to no avail. This diminished the spots some. I do have hard water, but it is filtered thru a softener. The spots are minimal on the side that was out of direct sunlight. As far as single stage paint, IDK, just going by what a friend in the body shop business said.

Hmm, the fact that you have a softener hooked up makes me think it was something else even more so. A month is plenty of time for a foreign chemical to deposit and etched your paint. I mean, it is a driver after all. I think there are 2 routes you could take at this point.

2. Take your wife's car to a professional detailer.

2. Try a few more passes with the DA kit to minimize it maybe a bit more and live with it.

[5xkmw]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

This car gets a weekly to biweekly cleaning, either a touch less car wash followed by UQD, or hand wash and UQD. It is garage parked. Any suggestions on how much more aggressive I can get with the speed and the microfiber pads? I could use the 3" microfiber pads and really increase the pressure. I'm also confident that this stuff was not on the car last weekend. It just showed up after washing this weekend. The funny thing is that the side that was in the shade has little to no residue on it. Just the top and side(driver's) in the sun.

[SVT Lightning]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

Have you tried clay? Can you feel the spots with your fingernail? Has the car been parked anywhere that someone may have been using an exterior house wash chemical that could have drifted onto your paint? Some of those are pretty caustic. Just a thought anyway!

[5xkmw]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

I did try clay. Both mild and aggressive. The aggressive made a little difference. Can't really feel the spots. It is really fine, almost like a clear paint mist, just irregular in shape. I can't speak for the car when the wife is a t work. She is very particular where she parks.

[Garage Troll]

Re: Hard lesson learned ....

If you want to get more aggressive with the DA MF kit you simply increase pressure. Do NOT exceed the recommended speed settings. You could try to use a 3 inch pad but just keep in mind the plastic fascias. The agents in the paint that allow it to "flex" don't like the heat. Rasky on here had a situation one time with a rotary (if I remember correctly) that caused the paint to basically wrinkle. So be mindful of that.

Beyond that, there is wetsanding but without practice and the right tools that can be very risky and make a bad situation worse.

I guess you have to weigh the situation. Do you take it to a professional detailer or do you live with it? Believe me, I know how you feel. I try to keep my car as nice as I can and it is really frustrating when something happens but it is a daily driver and unfortunately it can't be kept pristine no matter how hard you try.