Out of bullets, what to try next???

[billddrummer]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

So you've got the same issue on both the 3M paint protection film and the unprotected paint? It sure looks like you got caught by a sprinkler system somewhere along the line, and that sprinkler system was using "reclaimed" water. That stuff is so nasty that, quite frankly, we're a bit surprised that plants even like it!

Once the water evaporates and the minerals and other deposits are left to sit on the paint and potentially bake in the sun, things can go sideways pretty quickly. Exactly what was in the water, how the paint responds to it, as well as time and heat all play a role in how deeply the etching can get and how easy/difficult the paint is to correct. We really hate to say this, but we've seen situations where the only recourse was to wet sand and then buff out the sanding marks.

Mike (hope I may call you Mike even though I'm new to the community), you've hit upon an issue which may affect my car when the complex turns its sprinklers on. I don't know if they use reclaimed water, but I know my space routinely gets doused. Is there a way to prevent water spots short of immediately drying the vehicle when the watering cycle is complete? Parking out of the sprinkler path would lead me to an uncovered space under a tree subject to tree sap, pollen and bird droppings (which seems worse to me).

Again, thanks for all you do to maintain this forum. It's the best!

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

You never want to immedietly dry a vehicle when that watering cycle is complete. You should only dry your vehicle after a full & proper hand wash. Otherwise, you'd be speading grit across your whole car and causing swirls during that "immediate dry" Just say No:p

[billddrummer]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

You never want to immedietly dry a vehicle when that watering cycle is complete. You should only dry your vehicle after a full & proper hand wash. Otherwise, you'd be speading grit across your whole car and causing swirls during that "immediate dry" Just say No:p

Thanks for the tip, will just have to hope I don't get sprayed then. I don't have access to a hose (apartment dweller), and the sprinklers are set to go off early in the morning (3-4 AM usually). I don't see myself rising at 4:00 to run the car through the touchless wash--I start my morning commute at 5:00 AM.

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

I feel your pain brother.. However, it seems you have it a bit tougher than I do as far as those pesky sprinkler locations.. For example just last night I heard moms tell pops to turn on the other side sprinklers on the front lawn.. Well she obviously didn't remember me advising her about NOT running the sprinklers on that side as she'd make those nasty water spots return on her now flawless finish I polished on her ride.. Not to mention, she'd muck up my Caddy at the same time! lol So I told my pops to hold on, I'll water the lawn with the hose.. This morning I kindly reminded her that if she choses to turn the sprinklers on that side of the yard, she'll stain her paint again.. Plus she'll stain mine as well._. But in the real world, it's only a matter of time b4 she turns them on again or my father disregards the 2 bucket method I told him about in order to keep their SUV as sweet as it currently is..

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Since your situation is just about unavoidable, you might want to look into the many availiable quality car covers out there.. With enough research, you're bound to find a quality cover that fits your needs and isn't ridiculously priced. Beware of both of those details as the wrong cover could swirl your ride up with every time you use it... And an overpriced cover.... Well there's No need to explain that 1, as there's NO good in overpaying for anything in this world. But if you're interested enough, I think you might just find that ideal car cover to fit your needs and let you "skate" past those pesky sprinklers. There's a;ways a solution if we take the time to think things over. It also helps to seek the advice of a good friend with similar interests. And you know there's plenty of good folks on this forum with the same interests in maintaining a superior finish to our rides, no matter what kind of ride! As long as we take pride the ride, there's no thought of decline! Let it shine, because that shine, represents pride

[Top Gear]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Friends, these are the same kinds of water spots I've commented about in various threads, which led me to:
- block and/or adjust sprinkler heads to avoid cars
- filter garden hose water (also for plants) w/ 2-micron carbon
- modest flooding with nozzle setting to reduce beads
- leaf blower for quick and thorough drying

Even the city water where I am is hard enough to cause the same spotting 5xkmw has shown, and it's generally good city water where I am, so it's not just a reclaimed water issue. While blowing dry might eliminate the need for the filter regarding the car's paint, the otherwise unfiltered deposits still build up anywhere you are not immediately blowing dry. Plants are not happy with these deposits or the other chemicals now common in even the best water supplies.

If an HOA or apartment complex or owner refuses to adjust sprinklers for you, just remind them they are legally liable for any property damage resulting from their own sloppy landscaping. Here in the deciduous and lushly forested Southeast, there are armies of low-quality landscaping companies, whose single-minded focus on grass often means wasted water, property damage, and all kinds of chemical evils.

Anyway, I've not been able to fully remove these permanent water spots on an older vehicle which got hit with sprinklers for many years, but fortunately I've mostly eliminated them from my black Genesis Coupe. The problem is they will return immediately without the above prevention steps.

[billddrummer]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Friends, these are the same kinds of water spots I've commented about in various threads, which led me to:
- block and/or adjust sprinkler heads to avoid cars
- filter garden hose water (also for plants) w/ 2-micron carbon
- modest flooding with nozzle setting to reduce beads
- leaf blower for quick and thorough drying

If an HOA or apartment complex or owner refuses to adjust sprinklers for you, just remind them they are legally liable for any property damage resulting from their own sloppy landscaping. Here in the deciduous and lushly forested Southeast, there are armies of low-quality landscaping companies, whose single-minded focus on grass often means wasted water, property damage, and all kinds of chemical evils.

Thanks for pointing out this fact. In the case of my complex, it's a matter of nobody is at fault. The complex's maintenance people don't touch the sprinklers, and the service they use is one of those 'low-quality landscaping companies' that seem to pop up every spring, then vanish every fall.

I may need to go stealth and adjust the heads myself one predawn morning. A toothpick and a wrench may be all I need.

[billddrummer]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Since your situation is just about unavoidable, you might want to look into the many availiable quality car covers out there.. With enough research, you're bound to find a quality cover that fits your needs and isn't ridiculously priced. Beware of both of those details as the wrong cover could swirl your ride up with every time you use it... And an overpriced cover.... Well there's No need to explain that 1, as there's NO good in overpaying for anything in this world. But if you're interested enough, I think you might just find that ideal car cover to fit your needs and let you "skate" past those pesky sprinklers. There's a;ways a solution if we take the time to think things over. It also helps to seek the advice of a good friend with similar interests. And you know there's plenty of good folks on this forum with the same interests in maintaining a superior finish to our rides, no matter what kind of ride! As long as we take pride the ride, there's no thought of decline! Let it shine, because that shine, represents pride

That's a great point! I hadn't considered a cover for this car, although I planned on getting one when my M Roadster shows up. (I don't fight with the universe, just put my order in and wait for things to show up.)

You're right about making sure that if I do invest in a cover it is 1) reasonably priced and 2) won't swirl the car. I'm also thinking about a clear bra since my commute is chewing up the nose (no deep paint chips but I think it's only a matter of time).

We will see what happens.

[5xkmw]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Thanks to Christopher for the initial help. It has rained most of the week and I have been slammed at work so I have not had time to work on it any more. The maddening thing for me is not knowing where it came from. Our rain here is hardly ever a source, I DI filter my rinse water and the car is never parked near a sprinkler system. Guess I need to invest in the TRUNK MONKEY car protection system...........

[Top Gear]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Well, to reason through in simple terms, these spots really only happen when hard water stands and evaporates on the surface. In my case, the sprinklers are right next to the cars and the spots really only appeared where the sprinklers hit, so once I caught on to the pattern it was easy. If you're not parked near sprinklers outright, are you parked near something like a soaker hose that leaks? "Acid rain" could be a source, but I'm doubting that where you and I are located, and even if the rain is picking up chemicals from nearby farms, such rain spots would all over the top surfaces, like the roof and trunk and glass, not just the hood. It's also possible the spots were there before and you're just now noticing them, or there is a new source of hard water you haven't noticed, like a sprinkler/leak at work or whatever. I missed your reference to a DI filter before, so pardon the suggestion, but it could be that the filtration is no longer working as it was before, or it could be that the garden hose is not filtered if your filtration is inside somewhere, all assuming you leave rinse water to evaporate on the surfaces that are spotted. So, if you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left will at least contain the truth.

Hope that helps

[5xkmw]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

So you're sayin' it's ALIENS??????

[Top Gear]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

That, or a glitch in the Matrix causing it to appear as aliens It's obvious, really.

[5xkmw]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Update on my progress. Made a trip to Florida. LOTS of hard water spots from the @#$% reclaimed water irrigation system. Spent about 8 hours yesterday, using the G100, 5" microfiber and the MF cutting compound. Had to use m100 on some really bad spots. Topped it with Ultimate Wax applied with the MF finishing pad. So what do ya'll think

https://www.dropbox.com/s/56w134qpw52k16j/IMG_9375.JPG

[davey g-force]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Dang, can't see your pic!

[The Guz]

Re: Out of bullets, what to try next???

Looks good from that angle.