[barbuse]

Hey guys,

I recently acquired a beautiful BMW m235i f22 in estoril blue in great conditions but unfortunately it has a couple "stains" on the hood. (See attached pictures)

At first I thought it was just dirt but after giving it a good wash, I noticed that it was "inside" the paint and can't get it off. Tried to polish it but it didn't help much.

Any ideas what it could be and if there's a way to fix it without having to repaint the whole hood?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[bosstones]

Can't tell from the pix but have you tried a tar remover (weird spot for it) or clay bar? If it is just surface contamination of the clear coat, the clay should take care of it.

[tracer bullet]

Agreed, clay bar or maybe some fine polish next, you might take care of it yourself. Be sure to "wax" it with whatever paint protector is your preference.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Well that's interesting, not sure I have seen that before. Let us know what you end up doing.

[disintegrator66]

Originally Posted by barbuse

Hey guys,

I recently acquired a beautiful BMW m235i f22 in estoril blue in great conditions but unfortunately it has a couple "stains" on the hood. (See attached pictures)

At first I thought it was just dirt but after giving it a good wash, I noticed that it was "inside" the paint and can't get it off. Tried to polish it but it didn't help much.

Any ideas what it could be and if there's a way to fix it without having to repaint the whole hood?

Thanks in advance for your help!

3M adhesive remover along with Meguiars clay bar. The adhesive remover is my go-to for removing anything tar/grease/adhesive related. Good luck!

[barbuse]

Thanks for your replies guys!

So I guess I'll try with the clay but I'm pretty nood in that area, never used it.

From what I saw, there are synthetic and natural clay bars, any thoughts on which one to take? From my understanding, I also need a clay lube. Any specific product to suggest?

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Agreed, clay bar or maybe some fine polish next, you might take care of it yourself. Be sure to "wax" it with whatever paint protector is your preference.

I don't have any paint protector of preference yet... any thoughts on which type to take without risks of messing it up?

Thanks again for your help!

[tracer bullet]

I wouldn't worry about what type of clay you use. Look for a kit perhaps in a local auto parts store. Meguiars is all over the place for example. It'll have everything you need. Plus you might end up doing more of the vehicle some day as well.

Paint sealants, wow, so many options. If you're not up for a ton of work then perhaps a ceramic in a spray bottle, something low percent that sprays on and wipes off. Grab a couple soft microfiber towels to go with it.

[s_ribs]

Originally Posted by barbuse

Thanks for your replies guys!

So I guess I'll try with the clay but I'm pretty nood in that area, never used it.

From what I saw, there are synthetic and natural clay bars, any thoughts on which one to take? From my understanding, I also need a clay lube. Any specific product to suggest?

You can use any quick detailing product as a lubricant. OR... just use the soap and water from your wash bucket after cleaning your car. There is nothing magic about the product to use other than it must provide lubricity to protect your paint. I've had a bottle of ONR (Optimum No-Rinse) concentrate for years. Highly recommend it if you will be using it often, but you would have to order it as I have never seen it at locally.

Also- I've used plenty of traditional clay bars over the years and I just love the new synthetic clay mitts. Grab a cheap-o off amazon. Best part of the synthetic products is they aren't garbage if you accidently drop them. Lubrication requirements are the same for each.

Originally Posted by barbuse

I don't have any paint protector of preference yet... any thoughts on which type to take without risks of messing it up?

Thanks again for your help!

Grab a bottle of Hybrid Solutions (turtle wax) ceramic spray coating or Griots garage Ceramix 3-1 wax. You should be able to get both at local stores, they're inexpensive, and both work really really well.
Edit: you are in Switzerland so I’m likely wrong on local products!

[barbuse]

Thanks guys for your answers and for helping the noob that I am!

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

I wouldn't worry about what type of clay you use. Look for a kit perhaps in a local auto parts store. Meguiars is all over the place for example. It'll have everything you need. Plus you might end up doing more of the vehicle some day as well.

Paint sealants, wow, so many options. If you're not up for a ton of work then perhaps a ceramic in a spray bottle, something low percent that sprays on and wipes off. Grab a couple soft microfiber towels to go with it.

So being in Switzerland, I might no have the same product choice as you guys in the us. But I found those 2 kits on a local store:

• https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/...h-glass-finish
• https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/...hybrid-ceramic

Any thoughts on which one would be more suitable for my particular problem? Do you think I also need a more coarse clay as the stains look pretty deep?

[s_ribs]

Either of those kits will work. The first link will likely be a better value, but like I said, I prefer the new synthetic clay products as they work great and are easier to use.

Always start mild and go more aggressive only if required (for any car cleaning). If you do need a course clay bar then you will also need polish as they do mar the paint. Most standard stores won't carry anything but regular/mild clay so you will likely need to order it. Try the regular/mild version first.

[tracer bullet]

^^^ Agreed. I'd also go w/t he first kit. The other has a bit of ceramic added and that's OK but I'd rather keep that as a separate thing, filed under "wax" even though it's not wax, that being more of a generic term nowadays.

If the clay doesn't do it, I'd go to a liquid polish, something with a tiny bit of fine abrasive in it.

The clay isn't a waste of money, you could go over the whole car with it at a later time. The polish is fairly specific so buy as little as you can, if it gets to that point. And I guess you could also just jump straight to it, the really fine polishes won't leave scratches behind.

The clay should clean the surface of the paint, specifically the clear coat. The polish will begin to slowly remove the clear coat, hopefully taking the stain with it. So you don't want to over-do this one.

[barbuse]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

^^^ Agreed. I'd also go w/t he first kit. The other has a bit of ceramic added and that's OK but I'd rather keep that as a separate thing, filed under "wax" even though it's not wax, that being more of a generic term nowadays.

If the clay doesn't do it, I'd go to a liquid polish, something with a tiny bit of fine abrasive in it.

The clay isn't a waste of money, you could go over the whole car with it at a later time. The polish is fairly specific so buy as little as you can, if it gets to that point. And I guess you could also just jump straight to it, the really fine polishes won't leave scratches behind.

The clay should clean the surface of the paint, specifically the clear coat. The polish will begin to slowly remove the clear coat, hopefully taking the stain with it. So you don't want to over-do this one.

Thanks for your suggestions.
However, as stated in my first post, I already tried liquid polish at a local shop. It helped a little bit but the guy there suggested not over doing it otherwise it would be more visible than the actual stains.
So is it even worth trying the clay?



As for the sealant/protective layer, would that be good? https://www.meguiars.com/index.php/a...n-easy-use-wax

[s_ribs]

Originally Posted by barbuse

As for the sealant/protective layer, would that be good? https://www.meguiars.com/index.php/a...n-easy-use-wax

Nothing wrong with Meguiars but there are LOTS of better products and I wouldn't buy it. Are Sonax products available locally? Or, what types of stores would you go to that we could look at selection on their website?

[s_ribs]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

The clay isn't a waste of money, you could go over the whole car with it at a later time.

This. Clay bar should be part of everyone's detailing kit and used regardless of blemishes.


OP- since you're new to this using a clay bar on your entire car (paint AND glass) is a) good maintenance, and b) proper procedure prior to applying an LSP (last step protection, i.e. wax/sealant/coating). It will clean imperfections from your paint that you didn't know were there.

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by barbuse

However, as stated in my first post, I already tried liquid polish at a local shop.

Oops, sorry. I read that but wasn't sure what exactly you did and then forgot altogether. If it was a paste type substance that was used, or thick liquid, and some sort of applicator swirling it around and around for a bit... and that didn't work... then no, clay would be "less" than that.

An aggressive polish (compound) will indeed scratch the finish, it'll be hazy looking afterwards and ugly. But the process is done in steps, where the next step uses a less aggressive formulation, and it can even be done a 3rd time, ending up where you finally see no scratching / hazing at all. At which point you are done and apply a wax of your choice (ceramic, polymer, etc.).

So a more aggressive formulation could do it, I tend to call them rubbing "compounds". Then followed up with "polishing" to remove the haze form the previous step. If that hasn't been done, you could try it. If it was already done, then - you might indeed decide to live with it or yes, truly get to work with a shop that either repaints it or hits it so hard they remove the clear coat altogether, hopefully taking the stain with it, and then following that up with a new layer of clear coat.

[barbuse]

Originally Posted by s_ribs

Nothing wrong with Meguiars but there are LOTS of better products and I wouldn't buy it. Are Sonax products available locally? Or, what types of stores would you go to that we could look at selection on their website?

Here are the 3 main local online stores:

• https://www.carcareking.ch/
• https://carpolish.ch/
• https://detailingavenue.ch/

[barbuse]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Oops, sorry. I read that but wasn't sure what exactly you did and then forgot altogether. If it was a paste type substance that was used, or thick liquid, and some sort of applicator swirling it around and around for a bit... and that didn't work... then no, clay would be "less" than that.

An aggressive polish (compound) will indeed scratch the finish, it'll be hazy looking afterwards and ugly. But the process is done in steps, where the next step uses a less aggressive formulation, and it can even be done a 3rd time, ending up where you finally see no scratching / hazing at all. At which point you are done and apply a wax of your choice (ceramic, polymer, etc.).

So a more aggressive formulation could do it, I tend to call them rubbing "compounds". Then followed up with "polishing" to remove the haze form the previous step. If that hasn't been done, you could try it. If it was already done, then - you might indeed decide to live with it or yes, truly get to work with a shop that either repaints it or hits it so hard they remove the clear coat altogether, hopefully taking the stain with it, and then following that up with a new layer of clear coat.

Yes it was done with a professional rotary polisher. So I guess clay isn't gonna be my magic solution...

But it was done at a "normal" garage so I guess I could go to a detailling professional and see if they can do anything.

Anyways I'm gonna buy the clay and some wax for the rest of the car.

[s_ribs]

Originally Posted by barbuse

Here are the 3 main local online stores:

• https://www.carcareking.ch/
• https://carpolish.ch/
• https://detailingavenue.ch/

Great, Sonax is available! They make quality products so don't hesitate to get a wax, or anything, from them. This one should be comperable to the ceramic spray waxes I referenced earlier: https://www.carcareking.ch/sonax-xtr...mic-spray.html I've had excellent results with their paint polishes and a few other products, plus read tons of positive reviews of other Sonax items. They also make a "spray-n-seal" product I've heard positive reviews on if that's your preferred level of effort.

Glaco isn't widely available here but they have some consumer grade products that also seem good.

Beyond these two you're getting into much more specific and "enthusiast" level products (CarPro and Gyeon as an example, great stuff). Go for that if you are interested but this will be a much different discussion then.