My wife had the car away at work last evening. She returned home in the dark and parked in the garage. I had washed the car the day before and there was no visible marks on the car. The next morning i decided to wash the car again as the roads over here are still covered in salt from cold weather. So Washed the car again as i always do at home as i have a hot wash. When i was finished i dried the car with my Chamois leather. Then to my horror i discovered a mark on the right hand rear wing, on the hip of the car just to the right of the fuel cap.
It's like if some one maybe fell against the car and rubbed it with their palm or a rub of some sorts. There is no scratch marks in the paint. It looks like marks you would often see left from sun tan lotion from kids hands on a car, kind of white marks. Well i have polished, t-cut , rubbed, tried loads of things and it will not come off. As i said the paint itself isn't scratched, just this strange mark.
Will i have to get it resprayed or anyone any ideas how to get it off.

 

It sounds like you tried all of the regular stuff we'd have suggested. Worst case scenario is that you take it to a reputable body & paint shop. Those guys can sometimes do magic...

Good luck, that really sucks. I'm the same way about my Jag. I know every imperfection. Keep us updated.

 

euclyptus oil and tea tree oil are good. Try them

 

Going to try anything at this stage before i resort to the dreaded respray. Thing is in the light you can't really see it only from the front angle. When i'm away from the car a bit it's not noticeable. I took the pictures when it was just getting dark and i suppose the flash makes it look worse. Totally pi**ed off.

 

Wow, this is pretty shocking! It's almost like something chemical has damaged the paint.

Honestly, Autopia or Autogeek is probably a better place to look for answers. Professional detailers could probably tell you exactly what happened and how to fix it.

 

Could it have been moisture stuck under your decals (I see from your photo that you may have put a decal in that spot)? Maybe the moisture seeped into the paint.



Covered car with plastic sheet --> stained my paint

Someone said to try spraying 50/50 isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol water mixture.

Also, someone else said "The fix was REALLY easy. All I had to do was use a hair dryer to heat the paint. As I heated the paint I could see the moisture evaporating out of the paint."

Try this!

 

BTW, I remembered this happening to my black X350. I had gotten the windows tinted, and whoever did the install washed the car, and then applied some sort of protective film all over the side of the car (I presume to protect the paint). It looked like the photos in the post above. But polishing it with a buffer removed all of those stains. Or maybe it was just the sunlight that removed them. I can't be sure!

 

Thanks, but the car has had the decals off since last October and there was no damage. Car hadn't a mark on it till this. Don't even know how it was done just guessing. In the picture there's kind of swirl marks, but no scratches and the part that's stained shows no sign of distortion like it got rubbed.

 

Try CarPro IronX. I had some weird stains in my paint that came right out with it.

 

Well if it's not on the surface, it has to be under the surface. So either it's moisture or some sort of chemical?

 

The stuff IronX took out felt level or under the surface. Paint was totally smooth but had stains in it.

 

My stain is the same, feels level but seems under, seen this clear coat safe rubbing compound on e-bay, but can't find in the UK. Will keep looking, watched it used on a YouTube video and seemed to take out a hard stain.

*NEW*MEGUIAR'S MEGUIARS Clear Coat Rubbing Compound/Scratch Remover 8.8 Oz 250 g | eBay

 

Powerhouse, are you polishing by hand or with a machine?

 

Gents.....relax.....Most paint issues like this can be resolved very easily by using a professional polish (note: not wax) like the 3M Finesse-it line which ranges from a liquid rubbing compound to an ultra fine swirl remover; you use these by HAND with a microfibre cloth or by machine but you have better control by hand. This will produce a mirror surface and eliminate all but the deepest scratches. I have used this on about 25 restorations. There are other brands, but I have always found the 3M products to be superior in ease of use and speed in obtaining the final finish - which should then be waxed with a good carnauba wax. Based on the photos, the car in question does not need to be repainted nor does it need professional attention. I could fix this problem in 15 minutes - and so can you.

 

3m fast cut plus , followed by the products Sov mentioned should have it sorted quickly.

 

This sounded such an off-the-wall suggestion I'm amazed no one has commented.

I knew koalas like Eucalyptus ........



....... and was familiar with Tea Tree Oil Shampoo (although I don't have too much need for that nowadays) ........




....... but cleaning the car?

Assuming this is a serious suggestion and not an Australian wind-up, tell me more.

Graham

 

This. Always start with the mildest abrasives first and work your way up until the scratches start to disappear. I own 3 black cars. 3M ultra fine machine polish is the bomb. Followed by glaze then a good wax. I have a pro level 90 degree buffer and it's a worthwhile investment IMHO. Unless of course you just drop it at the detailers and write a check. If you don't want to tackle this I'd suggest a quality detailer before a body shop.

 

Or.......

Try Meguiars M205 Polish and Mirror Glaze. You should be able to find it in the UK.

 

The advice to start with the mildest abrasive first is the correct advice if you are not fully familiar with the process. After a while you learn how to determine which grade of polish is necessary; my experience with the 3M polishes is that they all end with the same fine finish (except the swirl remover which is the ultimate treatment) - it is only the length of time needed to achieve that finish which differs. I think I have used almost every polish system available and have found the 3M system to give the most consistent and most glass-like results (disclaimer: I have absolutely no attachment to any particular brand other than that of a satisfied or dissatisfied user). Most of my cars have been dark in colour: black, Black Cherry, Anthracite, Racing Green... - and these are colours on which fine swirl makes are fatal to a concours finish. The final touch is the wax you use - again, I have used just about everything available and the best in my experience in terms of ease of use and a deep mirror finish with no swirls, is Victoria Wax - as it has no abrasives, the more coats you put on, the deeper the shine (the worst and most difficult to use, I have found, is a popular high-end wax whose name starts with a letter at the very end of the alphabet - almost impossible to get the swirls out). I get consistent comments on the paint finish of my cars using the products and techniques mentioned. Others have their own favourites, so what works for you, works.

 

Thanks everybody for the help, especially sov211. Sov211 is there any chance of you showing me a picture of what polish to use, i see a few of the name you have given, just want to get the right one. I always apply polish to my car by had with a small buffer pads, and then polish with microfiber cloths never machine.