Gernby

iTrader: (1)

A buddy of mine has a mobile detailing business, and he is over right now cleaning my car. Once he started doing the clay bar treatment, he called me out to show me that the entire car is covered with TINY rust spots. They are very hard to see without focusing your eyes just right, but once you see one, you see hundreds. The only reason we can come up with for them being so abundant is brake dust from the front pads. Has anyone noticed this? Has anyone found a less aggressive brake pad for the front to reduce brake dust?

onihc

iTrader: (1)

Where are the rust specs located? Specific area of your car, or entire car?

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

They are all over the painted area of the car. They are even in front of the front wheels, which may be from train rail dust or other cars in traffic.

onihc

iTrader: (1)

I think I know what you are talking about. I bet there are a lot on your rear bumper. I don't know what these particles are called, but I call it tree sap. I may be wrong on the name, but those "dots" are extremely tough to take off.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

They are definitely rusted metal flakes embedded in the paint, not sap. They come off pretty easily with clay.

Belmont

Can you feel them?

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Well, I hadn't polished or waxed my car since I got it (3 months ago), so the paint felt a bit rough. It's VERY smooth now that he did the clay bar and sealer.

CaThaFeR

iTrader: (1)

did it look like this??
http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactS...leryfungus.htm

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Nope. It looked like tiny rust spots. LOL

15951

If it's the first time your car has been clayed since it was shipped, it's probably rail dust from shipping. I had a Dodge Durango that was covered with it after shipment, and it really will only come off with clay.

Don't worry, it's not from your brakes, and it won't come back. However, you should clay at least once per year to remove contaminants from your paint surface that polishing and waxing won't remove.

HaveBlue

Could be worse. My Blue Onyx Pearl car was covered in white paint specs from a couple of bozos with a paint sprayer next to my office. The whole car was covered. What a mess and only 1900 miles on it. They sent a mobile detailer out. It was scarey watching him try to get the white paint off. Actually as we speak I'm afraid to go back outside...

tgara

It's not tree sap. The spots are due to embedded metal bits that have rusted.

I've had four white cars, and it is particularly noticeable on the white finish. Basically, very tiny shrapnel-like bits of metal get embedded in the (relatively) soft paint and begin to rust. You have to remove the metal bit AND the rust stain. Clay is good for removing the metal bit, since the clay will "pull" the bit out of the paint (kinda like taking out a splinter from your finger). Polish will remove the rust spot. The good news is that all of it should be removeable. The bad news is that it takes a bit of effort to remove it.

The metal bits are just part of the environmental insults your car has to endure. Sources for the metal include rail dust, tire belt material on the highway, asphalt mix, for example. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to prevent this from happening. A good coat of wax or sealant will help, but not prevent it. The strategy I use is to keep the car clean, and remove the bits as soon as you notice them.

Markie1985

I have little rust dots all over my car not just on the sides its on the trunk lid back bumper sides the only place I dont have it is on the front bumper i need to bring it in. It is def. rust embedded in the paint!

ff_

...and proceed to drag the metal bits across the paint

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

sounds like you havent used a clay bar before, its one of the greatest yet most simple detailing tools