# Dry Water Marks



## SamUK (Aug 30, 2010)

Hi,

I have a scooby that has a cremic coat done - this was before i had bought it..

Recently i had washed the car and noticed dry water marks all over the car.

I have tried to remove these but not had much luck..

Viniger \ Water
Polish using a polisher
Clay Bar

Anyone got any suggestions what i can do next?

Assiming what ever i do the cremic coating will be effected..


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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

Have you got any pictures bud?

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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

One of the pitfalls of a ceramic coating and one of the reasons there are 'topper' products designed to protect the coating from water spotting.

As above pictures will help, there are dedicated water spot removers like Koch Chemie FSE.


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## stonejedi (Feb 2, 2008)

atbalfour said:


> One of the pitfalls of a ceramic coating and one of the reasons there are 'topper' products designed to protect the coating from water spotting.
> 
> As above pictures will help, there are dedicated water spot removers like Koch Chemie FSE.


Koch Chemie FSE Is superb for getting rid of water marks.SJ.


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

Ceramic coats can be susceptible to "etching" of watermarks. 

Polishing will usually remove them, but also removes the coating. You say you have tried polish, but which one and which machine?

It could be that the water marks are beneath the ceramic, indicating poor prep/application (who did the work?)


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## SamUK (Aug 30, 2010)

Blackbeard said:


> Have you got any pictures bud?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


Yup - see attached


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## SamUK (Aug 30, 2010)

fatdazza said:


> Ceramic coats can be susceptible to "etching" of watermarks.
> 
> Polishing will usually remove them, but also removes the coating. You say you have tried polish, but which one and which machine?
> 
> It could be that the water marks are beneath the ceramic, indicating poor prep/application (who did the work?)


Tried the scholl s17, s30, and 20

with the DA polisher

no idea who did the work - its was done just before i bought the car..


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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

Is it all all of the car, including vertical panels?

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## SamUK (Aug 30, 2010)

Someone said to use some acidic wheel cleaner?


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## SamUK (Aug 30, 2010)

Blackbeard said:


> Is it all all of the car, including vertical panels?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


from what i could tell just the bonnetm boot and spoiler


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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

SamUK said:


> Someone said to use some acidic wheel cleaner?


The key is to find out if it's on top or under the coating, that will then decide the next course of action.

I'd recommend a section that's lower or not as noticeable and pass the DA over a few times and see how many passes it takes to remove the marks.

Do you know what coating was used?

I wouldn't use any chemicals on it until you know where the defects are sitting.

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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

SamUK said:


> from what i could tell just the bonnetm boot and spoiler


If it's just the bonnet then I'd recommend a correction just on that panel then reapply a coating.

If it's water spots then they should correct with a little bit of spare time and patience 

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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

Blackbeard said:


> If it's just the bonnet then I'd recommend a correction just on that panel then reapply a coating.
> 
> If it's water spots then they should correct with a little bit of spare time and patience
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


Apologies I misread that, so it's all on the top surfaces then.

It'll be a bit more time but the only way to shift them will likely involve polishing and the removal of the coating as a result bud.

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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

I'd be trying a dedicated water spot remover before you polish off what might be a perfectly good ceramic coating.

If it doesn't work it won't be a wasted purchase the KC FSE is a really nice looking quick detailer and is useful to have to hand if you plan on coating the car again and are caught off guard by water drying on the paint.


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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

atbalfour said:


> I'd be trying a dedicated water spot remover before you polish off what might be a perfectly good ceramic coating.
> 
> If it doesn't work it won't be a wasted purchase the KC FSE is a really nice looking quick detailer and is useful to have to hand if you plan on coating the car again and are caught off guard by water drying on the paint.


OP has already machined the panels.

The S17 has more than likely already damaged the coating, he's best correcting the panels and reapplying a coating that he knows has then been applied properly in my opinion.

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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

Depending on what the coating was and how many passes and pad used, I would have expected S17 and S20 to have removed a ceramic (unless it was something like crystal serum).

One other thought - has the car had any new paint, can you check with a paint thickness gauge?


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## SamUK (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks all, not too fused about the coating, unsure what was used -

Just the water marks, then wax would do as the car is up for sale.

I had spent some time with the polisher and bonnet looks little better however marks are still there.. 
should i continue to go over this with the polisher? maybe with abit more pressure and lower speed?


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## RossC (Feb 16, 2019)

If there slowly improving keep with your current pad and polish combo until removed. 

Not sure what experience you have with corrections but if you're getting safe results, albeit it might be slower just stick with that.

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## Itstony (Jan 19, 2018)

It's rain and been left to dry, see this all the time. 
Best and quickest way is find some HCL acid and dilute it down to <3% and wipe it over it will not hurt or damage a thing. Wipe over with a damp cloth to neutralise.
Failing that get some bathroom calcium remover, it's next to useless but may help the test.
If it moves, buy some KC FSE as "atbalfour" suggested above, brilliant QD.

Why I insist on this, I was crap as quadratic equations and two unknowns. One-unknown at a time is what I can do, step by step and elimination.
Could not be without a bottle of HCL to clean deposits under bonnet, plastic grills, glass so cheap too. Calcium deposits just about anywhere on any surface.
No apologies for this suggestion over and over. It works quick n easy. 
Just use sensible PPE, gloves and eye protection, it can be an irritant. :thumb:


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## Dave Y (Jan 26, 2009)

SamUK said:


> Thanks all, not too fused about the coating, unsure what was used -
> 
> Just the water marks, then wax would do as the car is up for sale.
> 
> ...


J
Just being nosy what model Subaru is it ?


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

purifca or energo from labocosmetica may help






energo


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## Itstony (Jan 19, 2018)

Good video's and not just these guys do this.
No getting away with it, acidic treatment is a must. No point fighting it the Ph neutral route, that's just brute force. :wave:


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

OP - any update on progress?


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## Commander2874 (Sep 7, 2017)

Not difficult to sort out. Wash car and use carpro spotless. Rimse your paintwork and dry. Use koch chemie fse over the paintwork. Should sort it. 

Also seal with carpro reload

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## Itstony (Jan 19, 2018)

atbalfour said:


> OP - any update on progress?


Don't hold ya breath on that, didn't even thank one person since posting


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

Well I couldn't be bothered to wait for the evening so the sun was not on my car and I couldn't be bothered to hook up my di vessel so I ended up with dry water marks all over my car.

I got one of the large US bottles that holds nearly 1 litre. I filled it about 2/3 full of ONR mixture and then added about 50ml of distilled vinegar.

Spraying the car and a microfibre towel I just gently wiped the car down and the water spotting is all gone.

No need to wash the car with a product I don't have or purchase another QD.


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