[Oligarch]

Hi all,

I bought a new x45e, taking delivery on 8 Sept. keeping it parked in my building's above-ground covered garage.

Before I could do my first wash, it rained and I walked to the car one morning and noticed water dripping from the ceiling of the garage onto the front.

I didn't notice anything but later after having washed it and used turtle wax spray along the lines of some of the methods outlined in the forum, noticed brown and hologram-like spotting on the front headlight, body, and bumper around where the water had been dripping.

I've since washed the car weekly with mckees rinse less wash and turtle wax as a rinse aid. Also tried at various points strip washing with chemical guys product and using adams iron remover, but have had no luck removing the spotting.

Any ideas of what this could be, and how best to address it?

I'm new to detailing and so petrified of irreparably damaging the paint on a car with Les than 1000 miles on it!

Trying to share some recent pics below.

[icj_45e]

I'd try clay bar first and then try polishing the spots away. Adams Polishes and Chemical Guys both have tons of great youtube videos for guidance

[malvern_man]

Originally Posted by Oligarch

Hi all,

I bought a new x45e, taking delivery on 8 Sept. keeping it parked in my building's above-ground covered garage.

Before I could do my first wash, it rained and I walked to the car one morning and noticed water dripping from the ceiling of the garage onto the front.

I didn't notice anything but later after having washed it and used turtle wax spray along the lines of some of the methods outlined in the forum, noticed brown and hologram-like spotting on the front headlight, body, and bumper around where the water had been dripping.

I've since washed the car weekly with mckees rinse less wash and turtle wax as a rinse aid. Also tried at various points strip washing with chemical guys product and using adams iron remover, but have had no luck removing the spotting.

Any ideas of what this could be, and how best to address it?

I'm new to detailing and so petrified of irreparably damaging the paint on a car with Les than 1000 miles on it!

Trying to share some recent pics below.

Try this....

Koch Chemie FSE Quick Detailer with Limescale Remover is an all-round quick detailing spray with limescale/water spot remover, suitable for use on paintwork, glass and plastics. Finish Spray Exterior or FSE as it’s know as has a special formula which will remove stubborn limescale & water spot stains with ease without leaving any residue, making this one tough detailing spray.

[kgelfen360]

I agree with clay bar idea first. It's cheap East and easiest and mostly likely will work. Wash the car one more time get clay bar and "lubricating spray" (which can be soapy water as well) and try cleaning it off. I am almost sure it will come off.

[PHXATC]

Clay bar will leave scratches on the painted surfaces, so unless you're willing to polish after that, leave that as a last resort.

[P1]

There are way to get this off, but as PHXATC mentioned, always try to least aggressive method first and work your way up.

I'd personally try some polish first. New microfiber, dab of your favorite polish and see if you can get the marks off.

If that doesn't work, it might just need to be wet sanded by a professional.

And if that doesn't work, consider PPF. You'd be surprised how much it hides.

[kgelfen360]

Originally Posted by PHXATC

Clay bar will leave scratches on the painted surfaces, so unless you're willing to polish after that, leave that as a last resort.

That's false. If used correctly which is with some sort lubricant it will not leave scratches.

[malvern_man]

Clay bars are abrasive so have the potential to damage paint by causing clear coat scratches, marring and swirls. You can minimise the risk by using a soft clay, plenty of lubrication and keep inspecting the clay for contaminants that may cause scratches.

[Shllshck]

I would consider the risk reward here. If you’ve never done your own detailing, that is doing your own clay bar, using swirl removers, polishers, and waxes you can do a lot more harm than good. Do you have the proper tools such as good microfiber pads/towels, detail spray, polish, and clay bar to go the DIY approach?

Consider the alternative and discuss with a local, reputable detailer, PPF/ceramic install shop. Good luck with getting those stains out.

[chefwong]

Oligarch - WAG is some rusty water runoff from something metallic. Don't overcomplicate it...start with the least aggressive polish and see if it comes off. Just be mindful of the headlight lense as there is a UV coating on it.

If this is out of your wiki or you need to buy products to do it, it would not hurt to just go to a local detailer as the money you spend on products, you should have just put it towards the labor of having a pro do it.

[sharkymcpeterson]

Water spots-I'd use chemical guys water spot remover. Works like a freaking charm. I had 2-3 year old, HARD water spots on top of spots on top of spots. Probably 10 layers/rounds of water spots stacked on top of each other. The car changed from black sapphire metallic to an off shade of white in the cargo bay where water always seems to stand after a wash.

one softly applied round of chemical guys water spot remover and it looks brand new back there. I thought it was some sort of black magic. How tf does it work that well? If you have water spots chemical guys water spot remover will have it done in seconds.

Before water spot remover was invented I always hand polished with a fine swirl remover. I had excellent results with that, both on glass and on paint for water spot removal.

Bottom line here is they will be gone instantly with chemical guys water spot remover. YouTube it. It's amazing stuff. Kindve amazed no one here has mentioned it yet. It's instant remover. No hard rubbing. It just works. And it works to perfection.

I'd never clay bar before trying this simple and easy option.

[MJBradley1967]

If you don't mind rewaxing, either some Goof-Off or a stronger solvent might do the trick.
I used SprayOn EL848 "electrical degreaser" on severe tar a couple years ago. It worked at least 10x better than Goof-Off on that and didn't bother the clear coat in the least, just removed any hint of wax I had on.

[Oligarch]

Hi guys, so as an update, I'd ended up buying the Chemical Guys water spot remover, which worked like a charm. Took a few passes, especially since I was being super careful, but it did the job in the end, and all the marks are more or less gone.

Thank you all for the helpful responses.

[P1]

Great to hear!

[AAA]

Glad the hear it worked out well. I've also used the chemical guys water spot remover on nasty water spots and the stuff works great! I've not had nearly as good of luck with their other products.

[sharkymcpeterson]

Originally Posted by AAA

Glad the hear it worked out well. I've also used the chemical guys water spot remover on nasty water spots and the stuff works great! I've not had nearly as good of luck with their other products.

That water spot remover is amazing stuff, works instantly in my experience. Better than any alternative on the market.

Ive also seen great results with their ceramic wax. It seems to temporarily hide swirl fine marks very well and provides a shine and strong beading that lasts about a month. Not as good as sealant or ceramic coating but for what it is I'm a fan. I apply it over my ceramic coating and it really makes a difference.