Clear Coat Problem

[stoneskid]

I noticed today while I was washing the car that the clear coat on my driver and passenger door has worn away. It seems that there a line down the side of the door where the water runs out of the side mirrors. If you run your finger over the paint you can feel the channel the water has made.

Has anyone else have this problem? I did a search and could not find anything about it, so it must just be my problem. Car has been garage kept since new.

Ill try to get a picture of it but its hard to tell unless your right up on the car.

 

[paintpolisher]

I'm thinking what you are feeling is water has slightly etched into the clear, it could actually be on top of the surface instead of into the surface as well.

What color is your Tesla?

I noticed today while I was washing the car that the clear coat on my driver and passenger door has worn away. It seems that there a line down the side of the door where the water runs out of the side mirrors. If you run your finger over the paint you can feel the channel the water has made.

Has anyone else have this problem? I did a search and could not find anything about it, so it must just be my problem. Car has been garage kept since new.

Ill try to get a picture of it but its hard to tell unless your right up on the car.

 

[Tampaukfan]

paint polisher is correct, they water that collects in your mirrors will drain out dirt and soap after you dry your car leaving a straight line deposit down your door.
If you are not in to the hi end detail products, some Meguiars cleaner wax should remove it. You can get it at any Walmart, Target....

 

[stoneskid]

The color is grey. Ill try the Meguairs and report back.

Thanks

 

[Riprazor]

The color is grey. Ill try the Meguairs and report back.

Thanks

Depending on how hard the water is where you live, it is possible that the finish is etched. Calcium and Magnesium will not only deposit on the finish, they will etch it. They also do not go back into solution once the water dries on your finish when you wet it again. If that is the case it is not only a deposit, but actual damage to the finish. I would start with a clay, not wax and see if it will remove any deposits and smooth the finish before doing anything else. Wax will not remove hard etched mineral deposits or damage, clay probably will.

 

[MoeMistry]

Sounds like hard water deposit. Polish it using a hand polish then wax it. Also look into using a DI filter to avoid the hard water drip

 

[yobigd20]

Sounds like hard water deposit. Polish it using a hand polish then wax it. Also look into using a DI filter to avoid the hard water drip

This. I would get this often especially around winter when the salt corrodes the bare aluminum on the side mirror mount.

 

[Jean-Claude]

To knock excessive water free from nooks and crannies after washing, you can use an electric leaf blower. Then follow up with a quality microfiber towel to dry.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Any kind of polish is abrasive, which will take a small amount of your clear coat with it.

Instead, I recommend spraying vinegar on the hard water streaks, or even a mild citric acid solution. Food grade citric acid can be purchased as "lemon salt" in middle eastern food stores, or you can buy it as a product called LemiShine in the dishwasher detergent section of your grocery store. Neither of these will harm your clear coat in any way, and will also not be abrasive. You can find various vinegar or citric acid recipes online for removing hard water deposits.

 

[Riprazor]

To knock excessive water free from nooks and crannies after washing, you can use an electric leaf blower. Then follow up with a quality microfiber towel to dry.

Absolutely the best way to dry the car and prevent any kind of deposits. The blower gets most of the water off so you are making minimal contact with the finish using the microfiber towels. Costco sells them in bags for a reasonable price. After using a blower you will probably only need two possibly three towels.

 

[Jean-Claude]

Any kind of polish is abrasive, which will take a small amount of your clear coat with it.

That's not so. There are polishes that are specifically designed to act as fillers, which mask defects. These do not have any notable abrasives in them.

Aside from that. Even if a polish has abrasives in it and levels clear coat, if one is doing it by hand good luck taking any notable amount of clear. Good luck removing .25 micron of clear coat by hand. Leveling clear coat and removing defects is not a bad thing unless the clear is already compromised by gross neglect.

If the defects the OP has are etched, no amount of chemical treatment will mitigate the defects. If they are simply on top of the clear coat and have yet to etch, yes, chemical decontamination can be a suitable solution. For a chemical decontamination of water spots, I would advise one try Carpro Spotless.