Recurring spots on spoiler.

[Billstang]

I have an '01 Mustang with big water spots that keep reappearing on the spoiler. I use the Meguiar's Polish, then Wax, and Ultimate Detailer. It will last for a week or so when outside but eventually they will reappear, usually when it is in a lot of sun.

Very strange. The rest of the car looks gorgeous but the spoiler annoys me.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill

[Murr1525]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

Any chance of a pic?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

Were these spots on the rest of the car originally as well? From the sounds of it, you haven't used anything quite aggressive enough to get rid of them. You mentioned "polish" but didn't say which one. If you used Deep Crystal Polish, which has no abrasives in it, then it's not going to remove even very slightly etched water marks. It may hide them, as will a bit of wax, but it won't get rid of them. And since hiding is temporary at best, it's no wonder they keep coming back.

Water spots can be funny things - they range from simple, very fresh spots than can easily be wiped away with a little spritz of quick detailer and a microfiber towel, or they can etch so deeply into the paint that you must resort to very aggressive processes to remove them. The vast majority, however, fall somewhere between these two extremes. A good paint cleaner such as Ultimate Compound, applied with a bit of elbow grease to 1' x 1' areas at a time and wiped off before it has a chance to dry, should do the trick.

Something to consider here as well - the spoiler is most likely supplied to the factory by a third party, just as the painted bumper covers are. While the color may be a perfect match for the rest of the car, these pieces are usually not painted with the rest of the car but rather in a different facility. Because of that the paint on them can be quite different from that of the rest of the car. What this means in your case is that the same water landing on both the spoiler and the rest of the car, and allowed to sit until the water evaporates and the minerals and other material is left behind, can have different effects on the different paint systems used. If the paint on the spoiler is not as "hard" or "defect resistant" as that on the rest of the car, it could etch more easily, or more deeply, and therefore require a bit more muscle to correct than the rest of the car.

[Billstang]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

How do I upload a picture? What I'm doing doesn't seem to be working.

Bill

[Murr1525]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

Best to upload to your gallery here, then use the "image" link to insert the link from your gallery.

[Billstang]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

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[Billstang]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

The spots are only on the spoiler. I'll try the Ultimate Compound as you mentioned. I usually wipe off any rain that collects on the car before the sun would come out and bake the acid rain on. I assumed it had something to do with the spoiler being made of a different material. Thanks for the info.

Bill

[Murr1525]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

I'm worried about clear coat failure there...

[Bjkearns]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

I'm worried about clear coat failure there...

Im thinking you are right

It always seems the paint on "accessories" is subpar and issues arise

Im thinking it would be a good idea to go start shopping good body shops in your area to find out how much they would want to paint the spoiler

[Billstang]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

Thanks for the input everyone. I'll try the compound first.

I had major clear coat and paint issues with my previous Ford Probe ('91) so I guess this is nothing new.

Bill

[dtuna42]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

I agree with the others- these do not look like water etchings, it looks like the clear is failing. Doing a test run with UC should at least help answer that question.

[Murr1525]

Re: Recurring spots on spoiler.

If it is failure, using any product could make them hide for a day or two, then come back. But if you work the product in with a lot of passion, you could end up peeling the clear coat, finishing the damage.

Repaint is the only solution either way of course, but the spots may last a while before repair is needed.

Hopefully if just isolated to the spoiler, it wont be too costly if you want to fix.