How do you remove water spots on your car?

[49erinnc]

I have an older car (1995) and the finish still looks great except for the water spots on the hood, roof and rear deck. They're not overwhleming but if you get real close to my car and look, then they're quite apparent. Doesn't help that my car is black. Outside of taking it to a shop, is there a DIY solution?

A buddy of mine said something about getting some 2000 grit sanding paper from the auto store and using that with some soapy water, followed by a wax/buff. He said it wouldn't hurt the finish but would remove the stains. However, despite it being a super fine grit, I still have a hard time with the notion of applying sandpaper to my car's finish. My car has that "orange peel" finish as well but I want to say that's only on the sides but I could be wrong.

Any suggestions that won't damage my finish but will help eliminate the stains?

 

[ballmode]

I would like to know too...

 

[iamwiz82]

Straight vinegar should work.

 

[thirdeye]

Try some Meguiar's 3-Stage car care or some of their cleaner wax.

 

[ballmode]

I drank all my vinegar

 

[Descartes]

SANDING PAPER? HELL NO!

I'd have to see pictures of the actual stains, but what you could do is start with a very fine polish. 3M makes quite a number of them, and some you can reasonably apply by hand; however, they work best with proper heat, and to accomplish this you really need an orbital polisher (not circular).

The way it works is this: You start with a fine polish (light "cut" as they call it) and work your way into the heavier cuts. All you're doing is reducing the edges of the area of the pain that has been compromised to reduce diffuse reflection on the surface.

You won't fix the orange peel. Most cars have this problem.

[edit]Others have recommended cleaners. This might help, but I'm suspecting not based on your description; again, pictures would help here. Klasse makes a fantastic cleaner + sealant that works beautifully on oxidized finishes.[/edit]

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: Descartes
SANDING PAPER? HELL NO!

I'd have to see pictures of the actual stains, but what you could do is start with a very fine polish. 3M makes quite a number of them, and some you can reasonably apply by hand; however, they work best with proper heat, and to accomplish this you really need an orbital polisher (not circular).

The way it works is this: You start with a fine polish (light "cut" as they call it) and work your way into the heavier cuts. All you're doing is reducing the edges of the area of the pain that has been compromised to reduce diffuse reflection on the surface.

You won't fix the orange peel. Most cars have this problem.

[edit]Others have recommended cleaners. This might help, but I'm suspecting not based on your description; again, pictures would help here. Klasse makes a fantastic cleaner + sealant that works beautifully on oxidized finishes.[/edit]

I've tried a polisher with a few different polishes and none have worked. I just don't see how it's possible to remove water stains without some sort of abrasive. And "abrasive" doesn't have to mean "damaging." 2000 grit sandpaper feels smooth as glass to your hand so it's not really going to do a whole lot to the finish. None of this is below the topcoat surface like a scratch would be. Water stains are solely above the surface so it does make sense that you could sand them off without damagine the coat below it. But still...it just sounds bad to me.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc

Originally posted by: Descartes
SANDING PAPER? HELL NO!

I'd have to see pictures of the actual stains, but what you could do is start with a very fine polish. 3M makes quite a number of them, and some you can reasonably apply by hand; however, they work best with proper heat, and to accomplish this you really need an orbital polisher (not circular).

The way it works is this: You start with a fine polish (light "cut" as they call it) and work your way into the heavier cuts. All you're doing is reducing the edges of the area of the pain that has been compromised to reduce diffuse reflection on the surface.

You won't fix the orange peel. Most cars have this problem.

[edit]Others have recommended cleaners. This might help, but I'm suspecting not based on your description; again, pictures would help here. Klasse makes a fantastic cleaner + sealant that works beautifully on oxidized finishes.[/edit]

I've tried a polisher with a few different polishes and none have worked. I just don't see how it's possible to remove water stains without some sort of abrasive. And "abrasive" doesn't have to mean "damaging." 2000 grit sandpaper feels smooth as glass to your hand so it's not really going to do a whole lot to the finish. None of this is below the topcoat surface like a scratch would be. Water stains are solely above the surface so it does make sense that you could sand them off without damagine the coat below it. But still...it just sounds bad to me.

Polishes are abrasive, but the degree to which they are obviously varies.

Again, pictures would help. If the spots are very large you're probably going to have a tough time no matter what. I most certainly would not use sandpaper, even 2000 grit. Polishes are specifically made for painted surfaces, and with good reason.

If the polish didn't work you might have been using the wrong polish or the wrong method.

[edit]And technically abrasive does mean damaging, at least to a painted surface. You are removing paint. It might be very, very small amounts, but you're still damaging the surface to make the difference between the tainted surface and the regular surface as small as possible.[/edit]

 

[Mutilator]

Actually Descartes wet sanding WILL remove the orange peel if done correctly... and 2000 grit sandpaper is used in part of the process... no need to go in to too much detail on that though.

As for how to remove the water spots without going too far... read this.

 

[Feldenak]

I don't.

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: Mutilator
Actually Descartes wet sanding WILL remove the orange peel if done correctly... and 2000 grit sandpaper is used in part of the process... no need to go in to too much detail on that though.

As for how to remove the water spots without going too far... read this.

Thanks for the link. I was going to use iamwiz82's white vinegar suggestion which is mentioned in that link but it seems to only work on aluminum, plastic and rubber. My water spots are etched into the paint. Looks like I'll have to use both vinegar and a polishing compound to get it back to normal.

 

[randomlinh]

whoa... i wouldn't touch wet sanding quite yet.. not for water spots. and i wouldn't try it in general... i'd let someone who has a bit of experience go that route. if you take your time, and use the right polishes, your car should look great... autopia is a great resource.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc

Originally posted by: Mutilator
Actually Descartes wet sanding WILL remove the orange peel if done correctly... and 2000 grit sandpaper is used in part of the process... no need to go in to too much detail on that though.

As for how to remove the water spots without going too far... read this.

Thanks for the link. I was going to use iamwiz82's white vinegar suggestion which is mentioned in that link but it seems to only work on aluminum, plastic and rubber. My water spots are etched into the paint. Looks like I'll have to use both vinegar and a polishing compound to get it back to normal.

Honestly, it works. 484,000 hits on google can't be wrong

http://www.automedia.com/How/to/Eliminate/Water/Spots/ccr20020801hw/1

 

[cardiac]

I have well water at home and use the vinegar trick on my cars to keep them decent. It works just fine....

Bob

 

[nboy22]

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