Lime Damage on Car!!!

[10musketeer]

What is the safest way to remove lime spots on a new car? I unknowingly parked next to a broken sprinkler for two days and now have water spots left all over my new car. I tried a clay bar and have washed it several times with no luck. Any products out there that would be safe for a new paint job?

 

[Steve_S]

I would get a dual action rotary tool and a mild polish. Work the area until the spots are gone, and then re-wax.

I've had good luck with Meguiar's Speed Glaze for polishing. I also bought one of their rotary tools at a discount sale once. It's a suprisingly nice tool, actually.

 

[10musketeer]

Thanks for the tip!

 

[R6MGS]

If it's just water spots they should come out pretty easily.....My wife parked the caddy in an underground spot that had a leaky water line about the car....Water got contaminated with lime from the concrete and left a big stain on the hood....i was able to compound it out.

 

[PC]

Hard water spots can be scale that’s stuck to the paint. If that’s the case it needs to be removed. The first step is to try and dissolve them. Since you’ve already tried washing them with water the next level would be a mild acid like distilled white vinegar. Most people mix it 50/50 with water. There are much more aggressive acids out there but I wouldn’t recommend them for DIY.

Claying usually works well on surface deposits. What clay did you use? How vigorously did you work it? What lube did you use? Does the finish feel smooth as new glass or can you still feel the spots?

Water spots can also be etching and staining of the paint itself, where the paint has undergone a physical change because of the chemicals in the deposits. In that case you either have to abrade away the damaged layer of paint or learn to live with it.

Abrading the damaged paint can be done very safely (if the damage isn’t really deep). Steve_S’s suggestion of Meguiar’s #80 Speed Glaze with a DA buffer is right on the money. If you have to work by hand try Meguiar’s ScratchX.


PC.

 

[10musketeer]

Thanks for the info guys. I tried Meguiars clay bar with their touch up wax/mist as the lubricant. I didn't try real hard, as I was afraid to ruin the new paint, and thought I would ask you guys before I damaged something using a poor practice. For the most part the clay bar helped smooth out the spots, but there is still definite, silver-dollar sized, rings all over the hood. Since this is a brand new vehicle, I thought I would see what you guys had to say, before damaging it worse.

 

[PC]

Freshly sprayed paint on an old car will take many weeks to cure but OEM paint is hard from the get-go. New car Paint is typically very tough so you're actually less likely to "hurt" new car paint than paint on an old car.

The white clay in a Meguiar's kit is really mild too so it's pretty much impossible to damage new car paint with it. Don't be afraid to put some effort into it. Use plenty of the Quik Detailer that came with it and you should do fine.

If you can still feel anything at all there's probably still more you can do with the clay. The finish should feel super slick after claying.

If you still have rings afterwards then you'll probably need to use the cutting polish.


PC.

 

[10musketeer]

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

 

[Keoke]

[ QUOTE ]
What is the safest way to remove lime spots on a new car? I unknowingly parked next to a broken sprinkler for two days and now have water spots left all over my new car. I tried a clay bar and have washed it several times with no luck. Any products out there that would be safe for a new paint job?

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
Try a bit of vinegar on a wet towel.---Fwiw---Keoke

 

[jlaird]

I would think some stuff called Bartenders Friend would work as well.

 

[kennypinkerton]

Nah, he'd just get drunk, and stumble off into the dark morning air after the bar closed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif