Own a black 07 997 turbo. 6K on the odo, garaged. Problem I am having is there are tiny water spots that consistently cover the entire car (every square inch has the same distribution) and nothing will get them out (short of possibly heavy rubbing compounds which I have not tried). I also own a black 05 cayenne turbo, which had a few water spots that were removed, under the same care. Is it possible this is a paint issue? Have not shown to dealer, yet!

 

can you post some pictures?

 

You will get water spots from lawn sprinklers. The calcium in most of city's water will leave a spot on the paint after the water evaporates.There are many ways to remove them,from acid washing to buffing just depends on how bad they are.

 

Without looking at any pictures is hard to tell but my first thought could be the water as mentioned before, I said that because generally speaking the wash product per se does not cause water spots, it is the water that causes it. Now with that said, what a water spot is, it is a calcium deposit left when the water evaporates. Now this calcium has a tendency to etch into whatever surface it is on, be it clear coat, glass, etc. Left long enough, it will go very deep into the clear coat or glass, many times so deep they cannot be taken out, they are all the way through the clear coat.

A clay bar many times will take out a lot of them if they aren't too deep, some that are a little deeper, can be taken out with a R/A and swirl mark remover or even a light cut compound, ones that are a little deeper can be taken out with a high speed, light cut and then go back over with a R/O and take out the buffer marks. In some cases, you must color sand, then buff to take some of the very bad ones out.

How to prevent the water spots: Starting with a clean non-spotted surface, you must put some kind of protectant on the surface that the calcium will not penetrate. Not many products on the market do this. Neither of these products by themselves will take out calcium deposits but they will prevent them, especially if a good regular program of use is put in practice.

Maybe I'm wrong but thats what comes to mind.

 

yeah i was thinking water spots from your WATER, not the process.
could be from the dew if your car sits overnight outside sometimes as well!

You may not notice it happening, but I would put money on it that its just hard water. Car be removed like mentioned above! chemically or abrasively! I would try the chemical route first, then ease into the abrasive route!

 

Any pictures yet?? I think there are some good suggestions as to how the water spots got here and how it could be fixed. However, until we see the actual spots, it's difficult to give the proper diagnosis.

 

If they don't come of with vinegar and a microfiber you will have to have your cars polished out. Generally this can be corrected, with machine polishing, but sometimes you will have to wetsand the paint. Without looking at the paint, I would say this is not a defective paint job.

John

 

I have provided a photo, do they look similar to this ?

 

One of the most often asked questions from both professional and enthusiast detailer’s is “How do I clean glass properly without leaving streaks”? (Second is leather cleaning and care)
There are two categories of water spot-
1) Stage One Corrosion
[: defined as a surface with light to moderate corrosion damage to the paint surface]
(Stage One Corrosion) alkaline watermarks consist of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) both of which are basic (alkaline pH 10) that alight on the surface; ultra violet (heat) radiation (UVR) will leave a white ‘water mark’, the minute crystals bond to the surface, they will not wash off as they are insoluble and if left for any length of time they will etch the paint film surface leaving a concave circular mark, remove surface deposits with detailer’s clay and an acetic acid pH 2.0 (vinegar) to naturalise the alkaline
2) Stage Two Corrosion
[: definition when the dirt/corrosion deposits are no longer on the surface but have started to break down the molecular structure, leaving an etched or white haze on the surface after the stain has been removed, with moderate to serious paint damage]
Below surface (etched) acidic watermarks - (Stage Two Corrosion ) are caused by an aggressive alkaline or an acidic solution (acid rain, bird excrement 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. Unlike water spots which typically have a white outline of the spot, acid rain etching is smaller and you can see the damage in the clear coat. Etched acid rain 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. Acid spots require an abrasive polish to level the surface (some stubborn marks may require wet sanding) and an alkaline solution to neutralize them, simply rinsing a vehicle with deionised water or tap water activates / reactivates the acid concentrates. Products - A B C Decontamination / Neutralization system

An extract from “Glass Cleaning Process” one of a series of in-depth © detailing articles by TOGWT ™

 

Thanks everyone for the comments. I determined that they were tiny water spots. Clay bar didn't remove, went with a mild acid wash, polish, wax and sealer. Looks 100% better now.