Bird poop etching
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Depends on how deep the etching is into the top clearcoat paint-layer. If it is not too deep, or only on the surface, SCRATCH-OUT might work. If not, then probably a trip to the body shop.
#3
Lexus Fanatic
You have a lot of steps between scratch out and the body shop.
If a hand polish like that doesn't work, it will likely need to be machine polished or even wetsanded.
If a hand polish like that doesn't work, it will likely need to be machine polished or even wetsanded.
#4
Lexus Fanatic
The average car owner, though, usually does not have the skills to wet-sand. Doesn't that usually take a body shop?
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Yes, you're going to want a professional detailer to handle this.
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#8
Out of Warranty
Bird poop well definitely etch your paint, but this time of year "love bugs" can be even worse here in the South. On high-speed road trips I take time every evening to drop onto a coin-op carwash and spray their little carcasses off the paint. Best not to use soap because you don't know what's in it.
if you're in a humid climate wait 'til early morning to let the dew soften them up for easy removal, but don't wait for too long after sunrise. It's important to flush them off ASAP, so those acidic little bodies don't eat into the paint. In college I had to have a car resprayed after a really nasty attack of the bugs ate through the new enamel paint job on my old Dodge. It was an expensive lesson.
if you're in a humid climate wait 'til early morning to let the dew soften them up for easy removal, but don't wait for too long after sunrise. It's important to flush them off ASAP, so those acidic little bodies don't eat into the paint. In college I had to have a car resprayed after a really nasty attack of the bugs ate through the new enamel paint job on my old Dodge. It was an expensive lesson.
Last edited by Lil4X; 09-30-16 at 05:43 AM.
#9
Lexus Fanatic
From the looks of it that unfortunately is not going to come out from polishing. It may be able to made a little better with some polishing but the acid has destroyed that portion of your clearcoat. You can generally do 3 or 4 things, just live with it which is probably the best most cost effective thing to do, have the hood repainted by a shop which will be expensive, try light wet sanding and polishing which may or may not work but it will just be taking off more clear, or there is a DIY method of sanding it down, reapplying urethane paint, and using a 2K clear all of which you can get in aerosol cans, you can do the area that got hit and blend the area around it but you will have to so some wet sanding/polishing to cut down the edge or do a larger a whole larger section where there is a crease to try to better disguise the edge.
I would put this in the detailing section though.
I would put this in the detailing section though.
#10
Car Chat Moderator
iTrader: (4)
I had like 10 huge spots when my 750i was 2 months old. I was furious and after I wash them off, I can clearly see the etchings so I called my detail guy to come asap.
But to my surprise, when the guy came 5 hours later, all the etchings are gone, not a trace of it! I don't believe my car paint is self healing but guess I was lucky to saw
them early and wash them off fast?
But to my surprise, when the guy came 5 hours later, all the etchings are gone, not a trace of it! I don't believe my car paint is self healing but guess I was lucky to saw
them early and wash them off fast?
#11
Pole Position
iTrader: (1)
I had like 10 huge spots when my 750i was 2 months old. I was furious and after I wash them off, I can clearly see the etchings so I called my detail guy to come asap.
But to my surprise, when the guy came 5 hours later, all the etchings are gone, not a trace of it! I don't believe my car paint is self healing but guess I was lucky to saw
them early and wash them off fast?
But to my surprise, when the guy came 5 hours later, all the etchings are gone, not a trace of it! I don't believe my car paint is self healing but guess I was lucky to saw
them early and wash them off fast?
#13
As an owner of a classic car business, I've had to become something of an expert car-detailer over the years, and deal with all kinds of situations involving paint that I didn't want to hand over to my paint and body guy. As a result, I will give this piece of advice, and while obvious, it is THE #1 thing you can do to prevent this type of etching:
Get it off your paint the moment you see it. Not over the weekend. Not tomorrow. NOW.
The longer you let it sit there, especially baking in the sun, the worse it will eat through the layers of clear and paint. I've seen bird droppings permanently etch paint after only 48 hours NOT sitting in the blazing sun. That stuff is pure concentrated evil!
Once it is etched through the clear, you'll be hard-pressed to ever make it go away without repainting. My advice is to try varying degrees of abrasive polishes and rubbing compounds (Meguiars, 3M, etc have many such products that cover wide spectrums), starting with the least abrasive, and work your way through the clear until you've gotten it the best you can, then use a pure polish/swirl remover (multiple coats), then finally a good wax.
You can try one of those multi-step kits where you do your own sanding, painting, and clearcoating, but honestly, most people aren't skilled enough to not make it look like crap, esp on an otherwise nice paint finish.
Lastly, I don't recommend using a machine unless a) you've done it before, and b) a whole panel is etched. It's too easy to burn through the paint using a rotary type device (and random oribital type devices are no better than working by hand for these instances).
Get it off your paint the moment you see it. Not over the weekend. Not tomorrow. NOW.
The longer you let it sit there, especially baking in the sun, the worse it will eat through the layers of clear and paint. I've seen bird droppings permanently etch paint after only 48 hours NOT sitting in the blazing sun. That stuff is pure concentrated evil!
Once it is etched through the clear, you'll be hard-pressed to ever make it go away without repainting. My advice is to try varying degrees of abrasive polishes and rubbing compounds (Meguiars, 3M, etc have many such products that cover wide spectrums), starting with the least abrasive, and work your way through the clear until you've gotten it the best you can, then use a pure polish/swirl remover (multiple coats), then finally a good wax.
You can try one of those multi-step kits where you do your own sanding, painting, and clearcoating, but honestly, most people aren't skilled enough to not make it look like crap, esp on an otherwise nice paint finish.
Lastly, I don't recommend using a machine unless a) you've done it before, and b) a whole panel is etched. It's too easy to burn through the paint using a rotary type device (and random oribital type devices are no better than working by hand for these instances).
#14
Auto Detailing Master
iTrader: (2)
Here's a summary of removing any defect in your paint (scratches, etchings, whatever)...
The most important questions... Is it through the clear coat?
If so, then it needs to be repainted. If not, then you may use various types of abrasives to level the clear coat and remove the defect.
@GhostCar made an excellent point... "I will give this piece of advice, and while obvious, it is THE #1 thing you can do to prevent this type of etching: Get it off your paint the moment you see it. Not over the weekend. Not tomorrow. NOW."
This is absolutely critical in maintaining your vehicle! Bug guts, bird bombs, acid rain, hard water, tree sap... all of these things can cause an incredible amount of damage to your paint in very little time. I recommend you keep a small bottle of quick detailer or waterless wash along with several high quality microfiber towels in your car to remove bird bombs as they almost always occur when you are not at home.
The most important questions... Is it through the clear coat?
If so, then it needs to be repainted. If not, then you may use various types of abrasives to level the clear coat and remove the defect.
@GhostCar made an excellent point... "I will give this piece of advice, and while obvious, it is THE #1 thing you can do to prevent this type of etching: Get it off your paint the moment you see it. Not over the weekend. Not tomorrow. NOW."
This is absolutely critical in maintaining your vehicle! Bug guts, bird bombs, acid rain, hard water, tree sap... all of these things can cause an incredible amount of damage to your paint in very little time. I recommend you keep a small bottle of quick detailer or waterless wash along with several high quality microfiber towels in your car to remove bird bombs as they almost always occur when you are not at home.
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Get it off your paint the moment you see it. Not over the weekend. Not tomorrow. NOW.
The longer you let it sit there, especially baking in the sun, the worse it will eat through the layers of clear and paint. I've seen bird droppings permanently etch paint after only 48 hours NOT sitting in the blazing sun. That stuff is pure concentrated evil!
Once it is etched through the clear, you'll be hard-pressed to ever make it go away without repainting. My advice is to try varying degrees of abrasive polishes and rubbing compounds (Meguiars, 3M, etc have many such products that cover wide spectrums), starting with the least abrasive, and work your way through the clear until you've gotten it the best you can, then use a pure polish/swirl remover (multiple coats), then finally a good wax.
The longer you let it sit there, especially baking in the sun, the worse it will eat through the layers of clear and paint. I've seen bird droppings permanently etch paint after only 48 hours NOT sitting in the blazing sun. That stuff is pure concentrated evil!
Once it is etched through the clear, you'll be hard-pressed to ever make it go away without repainting. My advice is to try varying degrees of abrasive polishes and rubbing compounds (Meguiars, 3M, etc have many such products that cover wide spectrums), starting with the least abrasive, and work your way through the clear until you've gotten it the best you can, then use a pure polish/swirl remover (multiple coats), then finally a good wax.