New Guy - Who feels like crying

S

StangLoveR

New member
Laugh, but if you were in my shoes, you would want to cry too!



First off, hello everyone, my name is Jake. I've been lurking around here and decided it's about time I join. Well, not to mention I have a horrible problem I'm trying to resolve that led to my registering sooner rather than later. :)



OKAY:



I recently purchased a 2011 Mustang GT - Kona Blue. It is absolutely gorgeous. I've always taken care of my cars, but never to the extent of using machines (i.e. a PC). For this car, I decided to "go all out" and so I purchased a PC package along with a variety of products from Poorboys. I got plenty of microfibers, plenty of polishing pads, etc. I simply decided to keep this car looking perfect, all the time.



And then it happened:



I washed my car for the first time this past weekend. It was only 65-70 degrees outside. Apparently despite my rinsing off the entire car periodically as I was washing, water spots had formed because I didn't re-rinse in time.



I re-washed some of the car to see if the spots would come out from simple agitation from a wash mitt and soap, but it didn't help. I finished washing the rest of the car and used an electric leaf blower to dry (again, doing everything I can to take care of the car and keep away from swirls!). Then, I set out to remove the water spots using Poorboys Spray 'N Gloss. It claims to remove fresh water spots. Well let me tell you, the water spots were THERE TO STAY, and they were only a handful of minutes old!!!!!



I also tried the Spray 'N Wash, and it didn't help either. So, my car is COMPLETELY water spotted. In fact, when I am driving down the road and the sun is in my face, I can barely see out of the windshield because the thousands of water spots all catch the light. Unbelievable.



Mind you, the water where I am temporarily living (Lubbock, TX for a one-year appointment) is poor. For that reason, I invested in a water softener I purchased from Autogeek. I think it just PISSED OFF the water instead of helping it.



I am convinced that I will have to learn how to use the porter cable quickly and polish the entire car to remove the darn water spots. Today I tried to at least repair my glass and I failed. I first tried Glass Wipes and they didn't help. Then I applied undiluted white vinegar and it helped just a tiny bit. Still completely spotted. I feel hopeless!!



So, what advice do you have for a guy who had his heart in the right place, was so excited to have a perfect looking car, and then had the exact opposite happen to him?



How can I get the spots out of my glass? Specifically, how can I do it without having to order a special product that will take a week to get here?



As for the paint: I have to go out of town this weekend so the car will have to sit until I get back. I understand that the water spots slowly etch into the clear coat. Will I be in big trouble if the water spots stay on the car for say a week and a half or two weeks before I attempt to polish them out with a porter cable?



My poor brand new car!!!!! :( :(



Thank you SO MUCH for reading through this!
 
If the water spots are mineral deposits I am very suprised the vinegar did not work. Pick just one spot on the car body and blot the vinegar on it and let it dwell. Do not let it dry. Wipe dry with a mf cloth. Hopefully this process will work for you. If you have tinted windows I would not try the vinegar on the glass.
 
I'd try a medium clay bar on it. If that does not work you may be in for a polishing. Then put two coats of wax on it, which will help to avoid water spots. With the car being a 2011, if you haven't waxed it nobody has. Hard to avoid water spots washing in the sun without any protection on your paint to keep the water up. Just take your time with the polishing and start with something not agressive. Do it in the shade or better yet in a garage. Right now you have a simple nuisance on your hands, no need to burn some edges and turn it into a real problem.
 
If you want to wash in the sun, try Optimum No Rinse (ONR). You use a grout sponge or wash mitt to wipe the solution on, and wipe it off immediately, panel by panel. This way water has no chance to dry!
 
Do you think it is possible that the waterspots were there before purchasing the car? You just didn't notice it until now?



For windows: 0000 steal wool and your polish WILL remove them.
 
If you have Face Book access, check out the before/after pictures of a Mustang GT that had EXTENSIVE hard water spots. We used Acrylic-Werks polish to completely remove them and bring the paint back to orginal condition. The owner was in the military and left for a year on deployment. His wife parked the car outside for a year. When he got back, he was crushed. He allowed us to us the car at a car show as a demo for the product. I will say it was very hard work to do by hand, but you can't argue with the results. If you want additional pictures, send me a PM.



wayne
 
If you want to get the water spots out quickly and all the way, use baking soda. Mix it with some water and make it into a paste. You can rub it on by hand or use a damp microfiber. Remove by washing the car then apply a hand wax. Windows are done with steel wool and liquid wax.
 
Edit: sorry, typed this on my phone. The below refers to my attempts at repairing the glass only. I will try the other ideas as well.

-----



Thank you guys. I have so much to learn. I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing for the last 10 years with my cars. They always looked good, but apparently far from great. My brand new car is also now swirled to death. I have a lot of work to do.



Because of my fear of the awful water here, I just ordered the ONR two-bucket kit from Autogeek. I hope you all approve of this being my exclusive washing method from now on, except when say the car is filthy for some odd reason.



I also ordered DP glass restorer.



Thank you so much for the comments and suggestions.



The claybar was a great idea! I tried it out using a claybar I had on hand (the brand escapes me; comes in a black box at the local auto parts store). It improved the situation dramatically. Unfortunately to fully fix the problem it would have taken hours of meticulous rubbing inch by inch with the claybar (I guess it's a gentle bar?).



I'll try again when I get back in town. I'll also try the DP product I ordered.



Continuing on with my awful luck with my new car, I discovered a chip in my windshield. Fortunately no cracking; just a chip taken out. It's at the very top near the weatherstripping. It's in the area that's blackened, above the rearview mirror. The problem is the chipped area has turned white and so it sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the blackened area of the glass around it. I assume the chip is okay, since there is no apparent cracking. Maybe I'll just take a black sharpie or paint and dab the cavity in the glass so that it blends in with the rest of the blackened glass.



The stress of owning this car is taking years off my life!
 
Shamerrific said:
If you want to get the water spots out quickly and all the way, use baking soda. Mix it with some water and make it into a paste. You can rub it on by hand or use a damp microfiber. Remove by washing the car then apply a hand wax. Windows are done with steel wool and liquid wax.
Click to expand...



You sound oldschool. :D



By rubbibg the paint, you will marr it. ALWAYS polish afterwards.
 
StangLoveR- Welcome to Autopia! Sorry to hear about the spotting.



If the spots are merely mineral deposits, you can get them off with the acidic portion of a decontamination system. Quick and easy IMO, but do follow the directions (don't let *that* stuff dry on the vehicle!). Check out this site, you want the product called "Alkaline Neutralizer, "step 2", or "B " (seems to have a lot of different names these days) " : ValuGard Neutralization System This works a *whole* lot better than vinegar and is a little safer than just using CLR or somesuch (but others have done OK with that).



If, OTOH, the waterspotting is actual *etching*, where something in the water "ate away" some clear like a bird-bomb can do, the you'll have to aggressively polish, or even compound, the car (with your PC).



In-between those two approaches is the KAIO/etc. paint cleaning which you can also do via PC. Just have to determine what you're dealing with before you can say just what the right remediation oughta be.



And yeah, I'd be thinking about either a glass polish or a compound for the glass (glass is tough stuff, compounds oughta be OK and I've used some really potent ones for this without issue). But I'm a litle nervous about using steel wool these days as some auto glass is "more plastic, less glass" compared to how it used to be (no problem unless there *is* a problem...).



Don't use improvised abrasives (e.g., baking soda). No point IMO now that there are such great products commonly (and cheaply) available. Note that I used a *LOT* of cornstarch + M07 back in the day so I know a bit about the topic ;)
 
I use to live in Lubbock and the water there is super hard! I guess they have to pump it in from somewhere (I forget). I would suggest ONR but you already purchased it. Good luck!
 
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