Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

[JohnMcD348]

I have an 08 Dodge Ram that I washed the other day with plans on doing a full detail. For starters what I used: Water via a Rainsoft water conditioning system through regular garden hose(Hose was relatively new and I think that is part of the problem), Gold Class Car Wash, NXT2.0. I also have quite a selection of other Meguiar's products such as Clay Bar, cleaner wax, cleaner polishs and the usual interior cleaners.

My problem seems to be that I couldn't get all of the soap off the truck for starters. Also, I was left with very bad white spots on the vehicle that could not come off. I tried the clay bar, cleaner and polish and it still left behind marks on the surface of the paint that I can't seem to get off. I want to get this off before it etches my paint. It has the dealer applied "******" coating and paint treatment on it but that didn't seem to help. I'm afraid the marks were actually from a chemical that is inside the hose as it has a slight chlorine type smell when I first start to use it. The hose is new so I'm sure there are processing chemicals that have not been leached out yet.

During the wash, I kept the entire vehicle wet the entire time as I was outdoors in pretty heavy sunlight(Central Florida) and I was trying to prevent spotting. After the water began to dry while I was drying it with a shammy, I noticed there were places that seemed to have a haze like there was still soap on the surface. Also, there were a few heavy white spots on the surface. I tried the clay bar with little effect, then I tired a cleaner and a polish using and electric orbital buffer. It removed some of it but not all. It almost looks like the surface was etched in the matter of just a few minutes.

What other options do I have to try and clean my paint so I could actually wax it? 911 help.

THanks

[Andy M.]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

First let me say I think you will be OK. That being said, do you have any of the newer Meguiars products like Ultimate Compound? Check out this article here:

How To Remove Water Spots off Automotive Paints

We are here to help.

Andy M.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

I want to get this off before it etches my paint. It has the dealer applied "******" coating and paint treatment on it but that didn't seem to help.

Maybe read the fine print and what the warranty for the paint sealant covers and see if this is covered? How much did the dealer applied paint treatment cost?

My problem seems to be that I couldn't get all of the soap off the truck for starters. Also, I was left with very bad white spots on the vehicle that could not come off.

Hmmm... the only thing that may be a factor is over using the soap maybe? Rinsing with free flowing water should rinse most soap off fairly easily in most situations. Not sure what could be the root cause of this problem but here's this just for good measure...

How To Measure Car Wash to Water Ratio?

I tried the clay bar, cleaner and polish and it still left behind marks on the surface of the paint that I can't seem to get off.

Which cleaner? Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner? If so, this is our most gentle dedicated paint cleaner in our line so it could be this wasn't aggressive enough, just depends upon if this is an actual etching in the paint or not.

If the water has etched or eaten into the paint like this,

Close-up of a water spot etching
In real life it was about the size of a dime.



If it's an etching like that then you'll need something more aggressive like Ultimate Compound or ScratchX 2.0

I'm afraid the marks were actually from a chemical that is inside the hose as it has a slight chlorine type smell when I first start to use it. The hose is new so I'm sure there are processing chemicals that have not been leached out yet.

If that's what happened then maybe other's that read this thread into the future will be helped by it.

Take a good look at the spots and try to see if they are Type I or Type II and let us know, if you can try to take a picture.

[JohnMcD348]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

I wish I had taken photos of the areas but I didn't think about it. Most of the areas and particularly the one in question wasn't really so much a spot but more of a drip area just below the passenger side mirror. I went out after I posted this and found a bottle of Clear Coat body scrub and used it in conjunction with a surgical lap sponge and about an hour of elbow grease and the white outline area did finally come out. Now, If you look directly at it you can't tell anything was there. However if you get real close and catch the reflection just right, you can still see some of the marks from the drip line but not all the way down the door like it was. It's only in small areas between the top and bottom of the drip line.

If it ever happens again, I'll be sure to get the camera before I panic and worry about my paint job. I will check the paperwork on the "Simoniz" paint protector they put on and see what it covers.

[rgcurtis]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

I noticed you said you used the CLAY BAR. Well I live in Southeast GA and my water is off a well. It is probably the hardest water in the world. I would recommend you wash it quickly and get it into the garage or in shade and let it cool. Then try the Meguiars CLAY BAR box set. I used the QUICK DETAILER Mist & Wipe on a VERY gritty '01 Tacoma, '02 Maxima, and part of a '78 Aspen. All with water spots, oxidation, and contamination and had remarkable results. I did notice the more QUIK DETAILER I used and the harder I rubbed the clay the better it turned out. Hope this helps and good luck. I am from O'Town and know exactly what you are talking about.

RG Curtis
U.S. Navy Silent Service

[soupboy54]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

Working at a dealership, I get the same thing daily---via our 'sprinkler' system. I have one of "their" 'old' random-orbital polishers. I used to use Meguiar's Paint Cleaner to remove this condition (by hand)---but can no longer find it w/i 50 miles of home OR work! I did buy a bottle of the 'NEW' Cleaner/Wax! Have not tried it out yet---am SO 'leary' of doing so---not with NEW cars, at least.
Can not even get any response from Meguiars..as to the 'difference'...and the total 'loss' of the 'Paint Cleaner'!
Am (shall) continue to look into either Pinnacle or Wizard products!!!

soupboy54

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

Can not even get any response from Meguiars..

Well you've only posted six times here.
What did you need to know?
Can you start a new thread to get your answers?
Also if you search hard enough you'll find you answers without asking.
Please pm me if you need further help.

[JohnMcD348]

Re: Need Help Serious Water spotting. Nothing works

I did finally get the marks off by using a combination of the cleaner, then a clay bar application and then cleaner wax. It got it off.

My biggest problem when I wash my truck is that it wasn't built to be parked at home in the garage. It's a factory Dodge Ram MegaCab 4x4 1500. It sits on a 2500 chassis and is about 1-2 inches too tall to fit in the garage. I also have an extended top ed cap on it so that even further shoots the idea of parking it inside, unless I get the garage door raised another foot or so.