isdreamz

Well I ran to local auto zone but they didnt have Dupont Prepsol ...Only thing they had was some bugs, tar, grease removal ...Tried it but the spot didnt come off. I'll to look for Dupont Prepsol at some body paint shop when I have time. BTW, I had hard time finding this product online, anyone can provide me the link to it?
Here goes some close up pix, not very clear:

jfelbab

Is that right under your gas filler door? Did you by chance splash gasoline on the paint and not wipe it down immediately with a QD? If that is the case then you may be dealing with a stain "in" the paint and not something "on" the paint. Neither clay nor a body solvent will remove a stain. Let me know so that you don't proceed down the wrong correction course.

If it is a stain you can try soaking paper towel in IPA and sticking it on the stain for about a few minutes and see if it lightens the stain. WD40 is also good for this and it doesn't evaporate as fast as IPA.

From the "Old Wives Tales" remedy book, hairspray is reported to do some amazing stain removal including permanent marker removal. I've not verified this but it can't damage your paint so as a last resort...

isdreamz

Yes its under gas filler...Not sure if its the gas drops but I dont think its a stain "in" because I can feel the stain with my finger.
Sorry for my ignorance but whats QD and IPA?

jfelbab

QD is Quick Detailer. I keep a bottle along with a few microfiber towels in the car for emergencies. I use it to remove things that can get out of hand if not removed quickly like bird droppings, bug guts, spills, etc. That way I can remove them before they have a chance to harm the paint.

IPA is Isopropyl alcohol.

Gasoline and it's additives can damage paint. If you leave it in contact with the paint for long it can have the effect of softening the paint and staining it. What your photos have shown looks like a gas spill.

What you want to be sure about is to do nothing that will make it worse. Don't use anything too abrasive like a Magic Eraser, for example. If some of the remedies presented here don't remove it, I'd strongly suggest taking it to a pro detailer or paint and body shop for an opinion.

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

It looks like it burned into the paint to me. I'd also recommend you go to a professional to have it checked out. Hopefully a slight polish with a rotary or PC will be able to get it out...

4ntvings

iTrader: (6)

wow, the bug/tar remover couldnt remove it? hhmmmmmm soak something on it to break it down.

isdreamz

So I took her to the body paint shop, they used one of those grease removal (can't remember the name) with no luck...Then the guy carefully use wet sand, it looks like it comes off a bit but its still there...He said if he sands it more, it will kill the clear coast. He thinks the stain got into the coast and I might have to leave with it ...This is no good but lucky the spot is not very visible unless you look for it.

tomtom2711

On a similar note/question: my daughter's RX470 ('08) has a dark gray paint color, and she's picked up a couple of nasty stains (residual bird droppings, etc.), and it has caused the paint surface to be slightly raised and etched.

Soap, water, 'gunk remover,' even a light compounding & waxing won't remove it...are we 'doomed' to a repaint job, or is there a product (clay bar, etc.) that a 'pro' would first try before condeming it?
Thanks!

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

it depends how long the bird crap sat on there and how bad the etching is. If its been there for a while, its going to need some compounding/polishing by machine. Clay typically does not remove etching, only stuff that sits on top of the paint. If you're not comfortable with a rotary buffer, I would try to get in touch w/ a local pro and see if he can remove the etching. After that, your next step would be wetsanding. I'm sure a proper compound/polish will at least improve the area a good amount though.

jfelbab

Bird droppings can be very acidic depending on what they have been feeding on. It is frequently strong enough to etch your paint and leave permanent damage. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I always keep a bottle of Quik Detailer and a few microfiber towels in the car to remove this mess before it can eat into the paint.

That said, the damage can often be removed or substantially reduced with some polishing. I'd suggest Meguiar's Ultimate Compound or Meguiar's ScratchX to work on this marring. Use firm and vigorous polishing of the area and ease up on the pressure as you finish polishing to bring up a glossy shine.

If the damage is not completely removed then you will likely need to live with it or seek out a professional detailer to measure your paint thickness and wetsand the area. You might also seek out a body shop that does airbrush blended repair.

Both of these products are available at most Walmart, Target, or automotive supply stores and I think at least one of our forum sponsors.

One caution...Understand that your paint is only around 5-6 mils thick. That's like a piece of paper. The topmost layer, the clear coat, is typically 2 mils thick. You cannot remove more than a fraction of that (maybe .5 mil) before you may have compromised the clear coat and could likely see early failure of the paint system. Using the UC or polish mentioned above should be safe for several passes but wetsanding without a paint thickness gauge is risky. Sometimes it's a good idea to set as a goal the reduction of the damage and not the elimination of it.

tomtom2711

Thanks, Chris/Jim! I purchased Maguire's compounding agent and wax today, along with a Turtle Wax compounding product. Neither helped...in fact, it looks like I've 'dulled' the paint around the stain and can't get the original dark, glossy finish back with the Maguire wax.

I'm guessing I need a 'pro' to look at this...it may need a sanding and 're-painting'. Is this problem common with darker colors of paint? We've typically owned lighter colored cars in the past and have never encountered this problem before.

My wife was also wondering if Lexus doesn't use as much clearcoat for their 'overspraying' of the color coat...I'm guessing that's not so, but would be interested in your response to that thought.

We're very careful about washing and maintaining our cars...this is very frustrating as it feels like we can't let more than a day or two go by without washing our daughters car before 'nature' will potentially assault her paint!

Again, thanks for the great insights!

jfelbab

The compounding will often dull the paint or leave a haze. A finer polish like SwirlX or scratchX with a foam applicator should remove the dullness.

All the cars in the last few years have switched to a water based paint system to reduce government VOC emission rules. This paint seems thin and brittle to me. I'd really suggest a light polish after compounding to remove the dullness. You should also know that dark colors amplify any paint issues.

I8ABMR

clay bar. cleaner wax, and some elbow grease will get it off I'm sure