All, I need your advice.

I got my car back from the dealer who washed my car but did not dry it at my request.

Result was a drip line from my gas tank cover to my wheel well.

Seems that whatever solution used in the car wash was very acidic or not pH balanced. Result is an ETCHED drip line in the clear coat.

I have tried a medium rubbing compound followed by ScratchX. I have also tried white vinegar. The drip line is less visible but still there.

Posting a pic wont help as these are hard to capture in an image.

What are your thoughts on how to remedy this? I do not have a Porter Cable or other polishing device.

Anything I can do by hand? Thanks for the feedback.

 

Ouch!

If it literally etched the surface, then you really are going to need to machine polish it out. It's going to be almost impossible to do this by hand. I don't want to rule it out entirely without seeing a picture, but if the rubbing compound/ScratchX duo didn't remove it, you probably need someone with a machine to work on it.

Not that you would want them to do the work, but did you make the dealer aware of what happened?

 

NTWRKGUY (or others) Do you think if I just continued to use the medium cut rubbing compund that I could correct it?

I assume that a machine just speeds up the process? I am also weary of the edge by the wheel well where it flattens out. I have a feeling that the clear coat may be thin on edges.

Since i dont have a PC I will not attempt to wet sand the area.

 

Pictures of damage? BTW, hand polishing with Megs Ultimate Compound is capable of removing 4000grit sandpaper marks. LAST resort though

 

I would try a clay first. As far as over the counter claybar's go, Use MOTHERS, it is the most aggressive that I have found in a store. You can find it in your automotive section @ Walmart, or in the detailing section at Autozone.

 

MelYW -- you MIGHT get there by hand using rubbing compound. And as eyezack pointed out, you can get some pretty amazing results by hand with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound (found at Wal-Mart, AutoZone, and others).

A machine does speed up the process, but it also gives you results that are simply not possible by hand. Since you don't have a machine, don't worry -- just proceed by hand, and it's likely you'll fix the problem to your satisfaction.

 

Thanks everyone...I assume that if I use the Meg's Ult Compound, I would be able to hand buff it up using ScratchX?

I have the 3M medium cut rubbing compound which will take out 1200 sand scratches. Used this but drip lines still there. Maybe I will try to use a longer exposure to the vinegar as I rubbed over it only briefly. I will also use a bit more elbow grease with the rubbing compound.

The last worry I have is thinning the clear coat in a critical area. That is right below the gas tank where drips of gas can come in contact with the paint...creating a corrosive situation.

Uggh.

 

Clear coat is uneven in all areas of a car. Thats the beauty of having a mass produced car sadly...

Yes to your question about ScratchX. As for the 3M, sand first if you're gonna use it. I'd rather you take it to a detailer so they can do it safely but if you must, make it slightly even and "round out" the scratch by sanding so it is less noticeable. That is how heavy key marks are fixed after you touch up anyway

Now for the gas tank area, wipe immediately after it touches your paint. Gas does some funny stuff sometimes...

 

Thanks again everyone for the help/advice. This is what I did last night:

1. Exposed to vinegar for longer period of time...no effect.

2. Pulled out the 3M medium cut rubbing compound and applied more elbow grease...was able to reduce the visibility of the etching.

3. Purchased some Meg's ultimate compound...helped to reduce even more. Wow this stuff is pretty impressive, BTW.

It is, however, still slightly visible. I am not sure what chemicals are used to wash dealer cars, but it sure seems acidic.

The thing is, it didnt spend too much time on my car...it might have spent a short time in the sun, however. For it to still be visible after multiple passes with rubbing compound is befuddling to me.

I might work on it just a little more, but again, I do not want to thin the clear coat more than I need to in such a sensitive area (potential to be exposed to gasoline).