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  #11  
Old 06-10-2006, 04:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gresch
Isopropyl alcohol ALWAYS works on hard water spots. It's also good for removing tree sap from the paint without damaging the paint.
wow! no sh*t?! Ill have to try that..a LOT cheaper and faster than claying and Z-PC!...Cheers!
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  #12  
Old 06-11-2006, 11:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bozo5521
wow! no sh*t?! Ill have to try that..a LOT cheaper and faster than claying and Z-PC!...Cheers!
are you being sarcastic or are you really surprised? A bottle of isopropyl alcohol is the best .99 I've ever spent on car care.
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  #13  
Old 06-11-2006, 11:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gresch
are you being sarcastic or are you really surprised? A bottle of isopropyl alcohol is the best .99 I've ever spent on car care.
Works well to clean streaky windows, too.
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  #14  
Old 06-11-2006, 11:27 PM
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are you being sarcastic about the alcohol?

Ill try it tomorrow.
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  #15  
Old 06-12-2006, 10:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimster
are you being sarcastic about the alcohol?

Ill try it tomorrow.

I'm dead serious... just make sure it's isopropyl alcohol, any drug store will have it.
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  #16  
Old 06-12-2006, 11:56 AM
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Excellent info if it works...I'll have to give it a try as there are a couple of water spots that I can't seem to get rid of just by using cleaner wax.
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  #17  
Old 06-12-2006, 08:30 PM
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ok alcohol did not work

does this mean the damage is too deep to fix?
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  #18  
Old 07-24-2006, 09:18 AM
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Try Vinegar, please check the below...

WATER SPOTSThe same water we use to bathe our cars can also damage our cars' paint. The spots and damage are caused by the minerals in the water. When water evaporates off of your car's paint, it leaves behind the trace elements it contains. Calcium and metals are the most damaging elements found in your tap water, whereas rainwater may contain damaging acids from air pollutants.Avoiding water spots is easy if you chase after them. The best solution is to use a quick detailing spray after you wash, or as soon as you discover the spots (i.e., when your neighbor's sprinkler gets you).If the spots are allowed to dry and bake on, they will attach to and harden on your paint. When this happens, you need to use a mild acid to get them loose. Believe it or not, the best acid is also the least expensive and most available: a gallon jug of distilled white vinegar.Expert car detailers have known this secret for years. If you take your car to a pro, they will tell you about the "magic acid bath" and charge you $60 or more for the pleasure of smelling like a pickle. Save the $60, put on some gloves, and get to it.To give your car the magic acid bath, first wash your car with your normal car shampoo, rinse, then use the distilled vinegar. Just wipe it on with a sponge, and rub it in. Do one section at a time, let it sit 30 to 60 seconds, then rinse. When you're done, wash the car again with shampoo and rinse. By the way, vinegar will remove your wax. So, be prepared to re-wax your car after the vinegar treatment.If water spots are allowed to stay for more than a week or so, the minerals will etch the paint. In this case, using vinegar will remove the mineral spots, but the paint will have etched spots (dimples). In this case, it is necessary to use a medium cut polish (if you have a polisher) or a fine cut polishing compound (for use by hand) to restore the paint surface.

Another one;
Like most problems, the best defense is a good offense. In this case, keeping a good coat of wax on your paint and window glass (that's right, use a glass wax) is the first line of defense against acid rain or water-spot etching. The second line of defense is to act fast to remove any water spots that may get on your vehicle. Time is relative. If you have a dark-colored vehicle and it stays out in the bright sun, you have less time to deal with the problem than a white vehicle in overcast conditions. It all has to do with surface temperature—the hotter it is, the tougher the water spots are to remove.Removing water spots is fairly easy if you catch them soon enough. Re-washing your vehicle won't do a thing. Instead, mix up a solution of 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle and carry it in your vehicle along with a soft, clean cloth. When you notice water spots, move the vehicle into the shade, let the surface cool down, spray the paint with this water/vinegar solution and wipe it off with the soft, clean cloth. The spots should come right off. Your waxed surface may be dulled by this solution, so apply a coat of wax when you get the chanceIf you don't like the smell of vinegar and don't mind spending more money, commercial water-spot removers are available at most boat shops. They work the same way: Just spray the surface down and wipe off with a clean cloth. (I've found the white vinegar just as effective and a lot less expensive.) What if the water spots have gone too far and actually etched the clear coat of your paint or the window glass? More drastic measures are called for. For window glass, try a good dry scrubbing with 000-grade steel wool to remove the spots without damaging the glass. If that doesn't do the job, then the windows will have to be polished with a commercially available glass polish and a power buffer.Because today's water-based paints are very delicate (especially the clearcoat), you'll want to experiment with the least-aggressive polish available. Try hand-polishing with a cleaner-type liquid wax. If the spots persist, then have a professional buff the surface with a fine polishing compound and machine buffer. Follow with a good hand waxing. Today's clearcoats are very soft and thin, so make sure that everyone who attacks water spots with a power buffer knows what they're doing. Ideally, you'll keep the water/vinegar "first aid kit" handy so that the water damage will never get to this point.New vehicles and new paint jobs are expensive. Keeping your vehicle looking new will add miles of driving pleasure and protect your investment.

And last one;

Water Spots:
There are two categories of water spots;
a) Surface water spots-alkaline watermarks (water spots) are calcium and magnesium salts that deposit on the surface after the water has evaporated, the minute crystals bond to the surface and are not re-dissolvable in water. Rainwater also contains alkaline minerals that alight on the paint film surface and as the water evaporates leave white `water spots' on both the paint and glass surfaces.

b) Below surface (etched) water spots- are caused by acid rain or industrial fallout causing a chemical reaction, if left for any length of time they will etch the paint film surface leaving a concave circular mark.
Etched water spots are one of the most difficult paint defects to remove so be patient as it will probably take more then one attempt to remove them. (See also Industrial fall out (IFO) and Acid rain)

1a) Removing surface water spots from paint film surface-
Methodology
•Use detailing clay to remove any `hard' surface granules
•To dissolve the alkaline-based, surface/etched mineral water deposits try one or more of the following;
1) 2:1 solution of distilled water/distilled white vinegar
2) Distilled water/Isopropyl Alcohol (adjust ratio as required)
3) Equal parts distilled water/distilled white vinegar/Isopropyl alcohol.
•Use a clean spray bottle and 100% cotton micro fibre cloth to apply the solution to the paint surface
•Wipe off any residue from the paint surface and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
If any `water spots' remain apply distilled white vinegar or Isopropyl alcohol un-diluted to a 100% cotton micro fibre towel, using a medium/heavy pressure on glass surface, for stubborn spots use an abrasive polish as in (1b)
•For stubborn water spots use Auto International's A, B, C System, a safe alkaline wash and neutralizing system (http://www.autoint.com/)

1b) Removing etched water (below surface) spots from paint-
Methodology
•These can be removed by using detailer's clay to remove any hardened surface deposits
•Then using a machine polish, Iz einzett TM Metallic Polish or Iz einzett TM Paint Polish and a cutting (LC Orange or Yellow) foam pad (speed # 4) to level the surface
•Work on a very small area at a time (2-foot x 2-foot) until the polish has run out
•Repeat this process two or three times, as necessary
•Reapply surface protection once spots have been removed.
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  #19  
Old 07-24-2006, 09:54 AM
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Good write-up.
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  #20  
Old 08-17-2006, 09:00 AM
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Liquid wax does the trick fo-sho!

Wow alot of great info here but damn I just used good ol liquid turtle wax an whoala no more watermarks/stains on my pillars/shadowline. Worked great on my co-workers X too

I learned that lil trick on my E38 by overspraying wax onto the pillars once. Came out smooth N nice N black.
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