bird poop "stain" removal?

[sweetneet]

i was at the store for maybe 15 minutes when birds took few craps on one door of my poor Model 3. (i wasn't under a tree even, must have been a flyover). i noticed it immediately and then soon as i got home (10 minutes later) got a microfiber cloth soaked with some water & ONR to wipe it off.

i noticed though that with the poop gone, there is stain/residues left behind that seem to have gotten underneath the clear coat down to the paint. it looks downright awful (see photos). main one is on the passenger side door, also one near the windshield.

anything i can do? seriously, the bird poop was on the car 30 minutes MAX and now it just looks horrendous. i tried cloth soaked with club soda but it's difficult since it's on the door.

funny, i was just about to take it in to get ClearBra on the hood (mainly for rock chip protection) but now it looks like i need that plus ceramic coating over the whole car? had no idea bird poop could wreak such havoc in such little time. seriously, it was on there for 30 minutes max.

i had waxed the car about a week or so ago too, but apparently that did not do much..

 

[garth_angst]

Try WD-40. Someone suggested that to me here and it got off some substance that I have no idea what it was, but it worked. Then soap off the WD-40 when done.

 

[djroberts]

If you take the car in for ceramic then they will insist and perform a paint correction first. If anyone cant get rid of the stain then they can.

Once it's coated you just keep a spray bottle of something like Wipeout and a micro fiber cloth in your trunk. Then spray, delay (5 minutes), then wipe away.

 

[Kleenerth3]

If WD-40 doesn't work, I'd use McGuire's Scratch X 2.0 w/ a terry applicator. It has fine polishing grit and will make it disappear with a light circular motion.
To keep future flying elephants from dropping acidy bombs on your beautiful paint, you should seriously consider a ceramic coating. A PPF like Xpel would be ideal and a bit expensive. I had an Xpel clear bra installed then I did Adam's ceramic coating after a bit of polishing away the micro- swirls. This keeps the poop from getting into the paint pores and etching the finish, making it easy to remove and damage minimal.
Good luck with the doody duty and let us know what you did and how well it turned out!

 

[joebruin77]

Sounds like the bird bomb etched into the clear coat . If Kleenerth3's suggestion doesn't work, I would use a Dual Action polisher to correct it and start with a less aggressive polish or compound. If that doesn’t work, then use something more aggressive. For example, you could start with Meguiars Ultimate Polish and then, if that doesn’t work, use Meguiars Ultimate Compound.

What kind of wax did you use? Just curious as it did not do a good job of protecting your paint.

 

[Silicon Desert]

This is making me glad that I put c-quartz on the car when it was new. If you can get the poop issue corrected, then yes do consider some sort of ceramic coat. It's going to be a lot cheaper than ppf on the whole car (unless you want a different look). I just put ppf on the parts of the car likely to be damaged from chips. I've had several dive bombings of birds that hate Teslas over the last 3 years, and fortunately it came off easily and left no marks.

 

[dabbler]

I have used this produce with GREAT success. My last S85 was midnight blue and bird stains were a constant issue. Now I have the titanium (tan). Still use this product from SCHOLL. Removes all types of stains and minor scratches.

S20 BLACK Real 1-Step Compound | Scholl Concepts

Best used with a buffer at speed setting #1 to spread material and increase to #3 to clean and polish. Comes with foam pad applicator and instructions.

 

[Kleenerth3]

As Joebruin77 suggested, you might consider a good random orbit polisher and a good polish like McGuire's #4. Since your paint is fairly new, there shouldn't be any serious grinding to do.
I used Adam's ceramic coating after the polish. They've got great product, reputation and have fantastic tutorials for every one of there items.
There are several great ceramic coatings and Joebruin77 is one of the reasons I ventured out of my wax comfort zone.
This is how my car turned out with his help...

Xpel clear bra and Adams ceramic

 

[Kleenerth3]

Sounds like the bird bomb etched into the clear coat . If Kleenerth3's suggestion doesn't work, I would use a Dual Action polisher to correct it and start with a less aggressive polish or compound. If that doesn’t work, then use something more aggressive. For example, you could start with Meguiars Ultimate Polish and then, if that doesn’t work, use Meguiars Ultimate Compound.

What kind of wax did you use? Just curious as it did not do a good job of protecting your paint.

I love helping people out with they're finishes then showing them a few pics!
Again, thanks Joe....

 

[SMAlset]

The after effects of Bird poop residue will look worse on dark colored paint than let's say the pearl white. I can see why you would be upset seeing it and of course once you see it you can't forget it. Even going with pearl white I still did PPF and ceramic and don't regret it and happy with the protection each has to offer, but yes it does come with a cost. Good luck with trying a few different things and let us know if you have to resort to a detailer in the end. In the meantime avoid parking under trees, street lights etc where they can perch and take a dump on your car. Nothing you can do about those aerial divebombers.

BTW bee poop (yellow spots) can be acidic as well and if left on too long harder to get off. Not as bad I don't think as bird poop. In addition to the protection on my car, I have a bottle of waterless car wash spray that when I see the poop will spray that on, let it sit for a few seconds, and find that for the most part it breaks up and wipes off pretty easily on my car with no etching. Bee poop can take a little more work from what I've experienced. Fortunately those spots are much smaller.

 

[MacGreiner]

What the hell did that bird eat that does that to paintwork in so short a time?

 

[joebruin77]

I love helping people out with they're finishes then showing them a few pics!
Again, thanks Joe....

Happy to help, Kleenerth3!

I am a huge fan of both PPF and ceramic coatings. But these are expensive options. If you don't have the budget for these, then a good quality sealant should provide protection from bird bombs. You just have to reapply every 3 to 6 months depending on the product. I love Optimum Hyper Seal, but I am going to try this product on my wife's Honda. At $6.97 a bottle, it is one of the best values in paint protection. There are numerous videos on youtube showing that this stuff provides better and longer lasting protection than many products costing 10 to 20 times as much:

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-50984-Sealant-Fluid_Ounces/dp/B07NW9D8FG

 

[RobC]

I panicked the first time bird bomb blemished the paint. Cleaned it off used some quick detailer but the mark was still there. Came back the next morning and it was miraculously gone. Could be the clear coat just needed some time to recure.

 

[Johnii__82]

Lets start. In my opinion teslas clear coat is too thin...

J Savolainen on Twitter

And:

Model 3 paint wearing off

 

[Kleenerth3]

Happy to help, Kleenerth3!

I am a huge fan of both PPF and ceramic coatings. But these are expensive options. If you don't have the budget for these, then a good quality sealant should provide protection from bird bombs. You just have to reapply every 3 to 6 months depending on the product. I love Optimum Hyper Seal, but I am going to try this product on my wife's Honda. At $6.97 a bottle, it is one of the best values in paint protection. There are numerous videos on youtube showing that this stuff provides better and longer lasting protection than many products costing 10 to 20 times as much:

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-50984-Sealant-Fluid_Ounces/dp/B07NW9D8FG

I just saw it on a gearhead site as a top ten pick along with 5 or 6 McGuire's. I laughed!
I haven't used T.W. in decades. It used to be one of the crappiest I ever used, but that was the hard wax. I'm glad to hear they turned themselves around.
Let us know what you think O' Guru of Gleam and post a few pics w/ your review.

 

[Kleenerth3]

Lets start. In my opinion teslas clear coat is too thin...

J Savolainen on Twitter

And:

Model 3 paint wearing off

This is how I fixed that problem.
A lot of us have heavy feet when it comes to the accelerator. If you live in an area with snow, ice, salt etc. you're sandblasting those parts constantly. I do remember reading those threads and seeing some serious damage.

 

[Johnii__82]

View attachment 431245 View attachment 431245
This is how I fixed that problem.
A lot of us have heavy feet when it comes to the accelerator. If you live in an area with snow, ice, salt etc. you're sandblasting those parts constantly. I do remember reading those threads and seeing some serious damage.
View attachment 431243View attachment 431245

Ööh

This is not mudguard problem if bird shlTs?!? How mudgurds can help to bird shts...

There are various vectors for the paint wearing off.

My clearcoat sevond photo.


futurespeak on Twitter

 

[Kleenerth3]

Gotcha. You referenced a thread addressing the rocker panels and the spot in front of the rear tire. The only cure for poop is get it off ASAP. I don't care how thick the clear coat is, the acids in bird poop is really strong and it will etch into the best paint. Even Ceramic coating will only minimize the marring if left awhile.
If you live in an area with a lot of big, nasty, poopy birds, ceramic coating at the least if not a full Xpel clear wrap! That pic you took in the reflection looks like a BIG BIRD.

 

[joebruin77]

 

[Kleenerth3]

Damn bird!!! Wipe that smile off your face.