Well, the paint looks ruined. I waxed the car with two coats of Zymol last weekend and then this happened a few nights ago. I've tried washing it with soap, notta, nothing. I don't want to try and wax it out just yet. The rear window, I've tried cleaning with Maguires cleaner/polish - haven't tried my plexus because I started getting a light 'film' on the rear window with the plexus that I did not care for.

It happened in my usual parking spot where I usually park in my apartment complex. Apparently, one of the sprinkler heads broke and this is what the end result. On the right rear quarter panel, there's nothing, it looks clean but the rest of the car - you dont even know the words that I have to describe it. I'm actually quite embarrassed to drive it around because its *that bad*. The pictures don't do justice, but you get the idea. The rear window - ugh, that's another problem.

So, I went by the apartment complex office today to speak with them. They said they can't do anything, but they didn't say that they wouldn't. I made sure that one of the managers looked at the car. I said, this is what happened - and it happened to another car I had when I was in high school, and because it was out on the culdesac island, the MUD district ended up shelling out a buck fifty for full detail to get it out - well, not really out, but the best they could. So, I'll wait and see what they say on Monday and hope that they will not ignore me. I've lived there for over three years now, and never had one lick of a problem with them at all - I'm one of their perfect tenants, so hopefully they will see that is a reason to keep me happy, right? Or else, it will eat itself into my paint and then I will not be able to afford getting it reshot since this is my last week at work.

What would you do?

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Clay bar day and a re-wax day. You'll have 15 hours in it.

 

not sure about the rear window, but for the rest of the paint, all you have to do is use some sort of paint cleaner, ie Meguair's 3 step system, step 1 is paint cleaner... it will work really well. Ofcourse if you don't want to do it yourself, there's a detail shop in First Texas Honda, on the used car lot side. I took my old civic there after having left it untouched, parked outside for 8 months, the car looked like new afterwards... it can be fixed... no worries. I think on the rear window, just use some plastic cleaner I bet should work.

-Shing

 

Yikes! That's pretty bad. I had the same problem where I live and the board of directors wouldn't do anything as well. I sent letters to the developer of our complex with no results as well. You could try small claims court but you would have to look at the by laws of your complex to see if they have anything about water/sprinkler damage that would protect them.
This happened to my wife's van and it's dark blue so it really shows. What I ended up doing was getting a product sold locally here called MX-7, it's a dark green liquid and you wipe it on and wipe it off. It's that simple to work with. You could also try a cleaner/wax to remove the water spots. I'd highly recommend you get a car cover to prevent future incidents.

 

I had the same problem with apartment sprinklers a few years back on my black Prelude. I was able to remove them from the paint with claybar and very fine polish. Normal washing wouldn't remove them. I also asked the apartment office for a new parking spot away from sprinkers. They cooperated.

You might try full strength vinegar first (on the paint only). I don't have any experience removing tough stains on the plastic window.

Here are some tips on removing mineral deposits from Sal Zaino:

"Most 'fresh' mineral deposits (water spotting, acid rain, etc.) can be removed with Z-7 Show Car Wash or Z-6 Gloss Enhancer spray. If they have been on the car for a while and Z-6 or Z-7 will not remove them. Use household white vinegar full strength. This is acetic acid and will loosen and remove the mineral deposits and not harm the paint surface. Most of the time, the water spot etching you see is simply the hardened mineral deposit, giving the illusion of etching into the paint. Believe me, when these
mineral deposits harden. They become really tough and hard to remove. The trick is to not give them a chance to harden.

If the above fails, then use the Z-18 ClayBar to remove them....

If those water spots on your car have been there for a while. They might be already etched into the clear coat. If Z-18 ClayBar will not remove them. Then what you are seeing is an etched spot in the paint surface.

Although, I am totally against using an abrasive product on todays clear coated finishes. It seems like, in your specific situation, you don't have a choice. I would try 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze Swirl Mark Remover part #39009 by hand, not by machine, using very light pressure. This should do the trick. Be
careful when doing this and only do the water spot areas, as the 3M is abrasive and will remove paint material. Don't forget to reapply Z-5 or Z-2 as the 3M products will remove any polish."

Good luck!

 

Schatten:

Uuuugh.

If all else fails... 'T Cut' ???

You must feelreally pissed off!

 

yes I'm pissed off.

yes, cleaner/polish was used on the rear window with no luck.

yes, the clearcoat is already etched.

and no, I dont want to shell out one friggin penny, like I said, I am out of the job at the end of the week, so this does not come at an appropriate time.

 

one other note, I did vinegar/newspaper on the windows (side and front) and notta, didn't come up, its pretty etched into the windows as well. the windshield I'm having replaced soon but the side windows - UGH, not good.

 

Schatten, I feel your pain! Fortunately I also did auto detailing in college. The "deposits" you are seeing are cacium carbonate, and from the looks of it you have real hard water where you live. Guess what....Calcium Carbonate is soluable in water! Calcium carbonate will not "etch" if, as you state, you just waxed her up. Remember, what you see is just water which has evaporated. If you rehydrate it, it goes away. I would suggest going to the "god forbid"; spray and wash. Then rinse it with the "spot free" rinse like 4 dollars worth. Then a quick pass with a towel and wax. I could tell you how many Porsches I did this to in college but then.........well you know what I mean.

What you need now is water, water, water..........


Utah

 

I've had the "sprinkler spots" too. Calgary has extremely hard water. But I've always washed the car with warm water and car wash soap and it always comes out. I can't understand why yours is so persistent.