M83 vs Water spots

[NissanMaxima96]

I woke up a few days ago to notice my freshly detailed car was covered by waterspots from a neighbors sprinkler system. The car was detailed less then a week ago, and I got a little irritated and took some Gold Class wash to it, none the less not to my suprise I was left with etchings in the paint, and claying did nothing. So I decided to take some M83 with my G110 on speed 5 and after multiple applications the etchings still remain on the paint. Am I doing something wrong? I never had trouble with M83 and nissan paint is pretty soft but the etchings seem to remain. Any help would be appreciated.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

There is a good chance you are doing everything right, unfortunately.

Water etching can vary dramatically in terms of severity, and ease of removal. One etching could be easily removed with some basic A12 Cleaner Wax, one may require a rotary and M105, or maybe even wet sanding followed by M105, and some may just be too deep to safely remove.

My advice would be to grab a bottle of the new Ultimate Compound and try a few passes. If it doesn't budge from that, then you unfortunately may have some water etching well below the surface that simply can't be safely removed.

Let us know how it goes.

[AjNavo61490]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

what pad you using? make sure to go wool/compound and foam/polish

[Mike Phillips]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

So I decided to take some M83 with my G110 on speed 5 and after multiple applications the etchings still remain on the paint.

If the etchings are below the surface, and it sounds like they are, then the way to remove them is to remove enough paint surrounding them to level the surface flat.

If M83 with a foam polishing pad on the G110 on the 5.0 Speed Setting, and you're keeping the pad rotating all the time, and this isn't removing enough paint to level then you'll need to get more aggressive, or learn to live with the etchings.

Keep in mind you only have so much clear paint that you can remove safely and all the UV protection for the basecoat is in the clear layer, so the more clear your remove the less UV protection to last over the service life of the car.

Check out this thread,

Aggressiveness Order for New Consumer Products - This will surprise you!

Most aggressive to least aggressive -->

[NissanMaxima96]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

I used the polishing pad, but i also have the 7006 pad which im planning to use as soon as it warms up enough again. I place my car in car shows so, I really don't want to have to live with the etchings, and I have learned to really be anal with my paint after spending hours on this site and trying different Meguiar products. As far as long term for the paint it isn't much of a problem since the paint job i put on it is only temporary Maacco job, while not bad I want to get it done correctly later on when I get the funds.
I know the 7006 pad isn't recommended to use with DAs but would it be okay to use it on a lower speed in order to get into the paint more then polish it out with the 8006 pad to get all the scratches out left by 7006?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

I know the 7006 pad isn't recommended to use with DAs but would it be okay to use it on a lower speed in order to get into the paint more then polish it out with the 8006 pad to get all the scratches out left by 7006?

You could try that. Usually if the cutting pad hazes the paint then all you have to do is remove the haze which means completely going over the car with a second polishing step and of course before going over the entire car dial in a pad and product combo that removes the haze.

The reason I posted the list of chemicals above was because instead of getting more aggressive by using a foam cutting pad, maybe instead stick with a foam polishing pad, (a historically proven product with the DA Polisher), and switch to a more aggressive product that's actually recommended for use with a DA Polisher?

That way you're working with two recommended products, both the right pad and the right chemical.

You stated that you used M83 and it didn't do the job, so maybe look for some ScratchX 2.0, some Ultimate Compound or the new M105 for use with DA Polishers.

It would be better to remove the defects and leave behind a high gloss, clear finish than to remove the defects and have to re-polish the car again.

[NissanMaxima96]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

Sorry for the long delay, with the weather and other life events I had to live with the water spots for a while. I found the new Ultimate Compound while walking around my local Wal-mart and decided to give it a try. All I can say is that it is my new favorite product. It easily removed all the water spots that M83 had trouble getting and left an amazing finish. I started late so I couldn't finish up my whole car and go through the rest of my detailing process, I will post pics up soon.

[Tuck91]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

glad to here it was a success, i bet looking at those water spots for a month bothered you

[Mike Phillips]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

If you can, try to get some before pictures, it makes the after pictures powerful.


This might help...

How-To capture swirls, scratches, etchings and other surface defects with your camera


This is a good one too...

Tips for how to correctly take pictures to document an Extreme Makeover

[asim_296]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

I had the same problem last week with my 02 maxima. I finished detailing it. the very next day I found the water spot. I prayed that washing will solve the problem...

unfortunately, they're still there and I don't have time to work in my car.

I don't know how to say this but will the spot develop it self and becomes more difficult to be removed if I ignore it? Or should I remove it as fast as possible??

[NissanMaxima96]

Re: M83 vs Water spots

Unfortunantly I did not get any before pictures because I did not have a camera around me, and I will be using a friends tomorrow. But don't worry in due time I will run around the problem again and take pictures of it heh. The spots were killing me, I actually let my car just get dirty so it hid the spots better until I could get them out heh heh.

Sorry to hear that asim, if it hasn't already baked into the famous nissan soft paint then it could be removed with a wash, but take it from experience with maximas and the paint, and try to get it out as soon as possible. If it didn't sit in the direct sun light, it might not be too bad and might come out with a simple wash and clay, unfortunantly when I found my car it had already sat for more then a few hours in hot florida sun and got the spots nice and baked. Life of a college kid, if only I could get up earlier then 4pm it might have not been a problem.