Bird droppings on my new 4GS!
04-08-12, 02:14 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
Bird droppings on my new 4GS!
Hey guys - ever since getting my new 4GS this past week, I've decided that I'm going to make it my hobby (obsession) to maintain the car in great shape, paint in particular.
Anyways, as it turns out, today I got some bird poop on the hood. And I didn't notice it until a couple of hours later after it had dried (note to self, empty garage and park in garage from now on).
So I got some warm water and soaked the bird dropping for a bit. Then I wiped it away. However, after wiping I noticed some discoloration. I can't tell if the bird dropping has eaten into the clear coat, or if it's the wax on top that is discolored.
Please see the attached picture. It's not the best quality picture but you see the "smudge" look in the centre. Up close it looks like residue from scotch tape.. If I'm to believe the service manager where I bought the car, my car was the "showcase" vehicle for their grand opening and was waxed three times in a day (exxageration probably, but the wax job is still less than two weeks old).
Anyways, after I wiped the car. I prepped the area, grabbed some clay, and rubbed it down. Still looked the same... So I applied some wax in that are and let dry... still looked the same.
Help! Do I need to do a more aggressive buff? Is this going to happen every time I have bird poop on my car, or was this stuff extra aggressive? My wife's car (grey EX35) has been parked on our driveway for almost three years and I've never seen this happen, although I've never looked this closely.
I also had a white 2001 IS300 for 8 years - and never noticed this either. Is this an issue with dark cars.
Any advice to fix would be appreciated. I've been reading some other forums and junkmans posts and have some hope.
Anyways, as it turns out, today I got some bird poop on the hood. And I didn't notice it until a couple of hours later after it had dried (note to self, empty garage and park in garage from now on).
So I got some warm water and soaked the bird dropping for a bit. Then I wiped it away. However, after wiping I noticed some discoloration. I can't tell if the bird dropping has eaten into the clear coat, or if it's the wax on top that is discolored.
Please see the attached picture. It's not the best quality picture but you see the "smudge" look in the centre. Up close it looks like residue from scotch tape.. If I'm to believe the service manager where I bought the car, my car was the "showcase" vehicle for their grand opening and was waxed three times in a day (exxageration probably, but the wax job is still less than two weeks old).
Anyways, after I wiped the car. I prepped the area, grabbed some clay, and rubbed it down. Still looked the same... So I applied some wax in that are and let dry... still looked the same.
Help! Do I need to do a more aggressive buff? Is this going to happen every time I have bird poop on my car, or was this stuff extra aggressive? My wife's car (grey EX35) has been parked on our driveway for almost three years and I've never seen this happen, although I've never looked this closely.
I also had a white 2001 IS300 for 8 years - and never noticed this either. Is this an issue with dark cars.
Any advice to fix would be appreciated. I've been reading some other forums and junkmans posts and have some hope.
04-08-12, 02:31 PM
#2
Instructor
Hey guys - ever since getting my new 4GS this past week, I've decided that I'm going to make it my hobby (obsession) to maintain the car in great shape, paint in particular.
Anyways, as it turns out, today I got some bird poop on the hood. And I didn't notice it until a couple of hours later after it had dried (note to self, empty garage and park in garage from now on).
So I got some warm water and soaked the bird dropping for a bit. Then I wiped it away. However, after wiping I noticed some discoloration. I can't tell if the bird dropping has eaten into the clear coat, or if it's the wax on top that is discolored.
Please see the attached picture. It's not the best quality picture but you see the "smudge" look in the centre. Up close it looks like residue from scotch tape.. If I'm to believe the service manager where I bought the car, my car was the "showcase" vehicle for their grand opening and was waxed three times in a day (exxageration probably, but the wax job is still less than two weeks old).
Anyways, after I wiped the car. I prepped the area, grabbed some clay, and rubbed it down. Still looked the same... So I applied some wax in that are and let dry... still looked the same.
Help! Do I need to do a more aggressive buff? Is this going to happen every time I have bird poop on my car, or was this stuff extra aggressive? My wife's car (grey EX35) has been parked on our driveway for almost three years and I've never seen this happen, although I've never looked this closely.
I also had a white 2001 IS300 for 8 years - and never noticed this either. Is this an issue with dark cars.
Any advice to fix would be appreciated. I've been reading some other forums and junkmans posts and have some hope.
Anyways, as it turns out, today I got some bird poop on the hood. And I didn't notice it until a couple of hours later after it had dried (note to self, empty garage and park in garage from now on).
So I got some warm water and soaked the bird dropping for a bit. Then I wiped it away. However, after wiping I noticed some discoloration. I can't tell if the bird dropping has eaten into the clear coat, or if it's the wax on top that is discolored.
Please see the attached picture. It's not the best quality picture but you see the "smudge" look in the centre. Up close it looks like residue from scotch tape.. If I'm to believe the service manager where I bought the car, my car was the "showcase" vehicle for their grand opening and was waxed three times in a day (exxageration probably, but the wax job is still less than two weeks old).
Anyways, after I wiped the car. I prepped the area, grabbed some clay, and rubbed it down. Still looked the same... So I applied some wax in that are and let dry... still looked the same.
Help! Do I need to do a more aggressive buff? Is this going to happen every time I have bird poop on my car, or was this stuff extra aggressive? My wife's car (grey EX35) has been parked on our driveway for almost three years and I've never seen this happen, although I've never looked this closely.
I also had a white 2001 IS300 for 8 years - and never noticed this either. Is this an issue with dark cars.
Any advice to fix would be appreciated. I've been reading some other forums and junkmans posts and have some hope.
04-08-12, 04:26 PM
#4
Advanced
Thread Starter
What do you recommend to use as polish, and what method? When you say polish, do you just mean to buff in some wax, let dry, and then wipe off?
04-08-12, 04:31 PM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
That sucks. If you can still see the marks after washing/claying/polishing you need to take it to someone to either to have it wetsanded or compounded. Bird dropping acid is that bad that even if it is left on the finish for as little as an hour or so in the sun it can eat right into your clearcoat. Wax does not even do much against it since no wax is stronger then a factory clear coat.
My dads black car got a new hood and paintjob after an accident. It was left outside in the sun for maybe an hour before we came to pick it up and I noticed a big bird dropping on the hood. I knew it most likely already damaged the finish. I washed it off and could see the telltale sign of clear coat etching just like what I have had on my hood. I told the service guy about it and he had someone buff for a while, it got most of it out but when we got home I noticed it under the fluorescent lights in the garage and we had to take the car back to get the rest taken out. He said they had to wet sand because compounding and buffing just wasn't getting it.
Bird dropping are one of the worst things for a clear coat, the little white spotted ones are not too bad and don't seem to cause much damage but the bigger ones that are more clear, redish, and have seeds/chunks are really bad.
Those bird etchings are very difficult to see on a white car which is most likely why you never noticed it. They are clear as day on black cars and pretty noticeable on darker colors like reds, blues, dark grays, etc.
My dads black car got a new hood and paintjob after an accident. It was left outside in the sun for maybe an hour before we came to pick it up and I noticed a big bird dropping on the hood. I knew it most likely already damaged the finish. I washed it off and could see the telltale sign of clear coat etching just like what I have had on my hood. I told the service guy about it and he had someone buff for a while, it got most of it out but when we got home I noticed it under the fluorescent lights in the garage and we had to take the car back to get the rest taken out. He said they had to wet sand because compounding and buffing just wasn't getting it.
Bird dropping are one of the worst things for a clear coat, the little white spotted ones are not too bad and don't seem to cause much damage but the bigger ones that are more clear, redish, and have seeds/chunks are really bad.
Those bird etchings are very difficult to see on a white car which is most likely why you never noticed it. They are clear as day on black cars and pretty noticeable on darker colors like reds, blues, dark grays, etc.
04-08-12, 04:37 PM
#6
Advanced
Thread Starter
Thanks for the advice (although it sounds like bad news). I'm not going to touch it for now, but I will start to take better care of my car. Unfortunately the garage is full of crap (mine, my wifes and my sons) - much of which I can't throw out without repercussions.
Towards the end of the summer I hopefully won't have any more damage... but I'll try the wet sand (or get someone else to do it as I'm a bit scared). I've watched these videos a couple of times already:
I imagine the more often I wax my car, the more protected it will be (and maybe buy me some time in case it gets pooped on while I'm away).
... sucks. Haven't even had the car a week.
And yes, this poop was dark and seedy.
Mehran
Towards the end of the summer I hopefully won't have any more damage... but I'll try the wet sand (or get someone else to do it as I'm a bit scared). I've watched these videos a couple of times already:
I imagine the more often I wax my car, the more protected it will be (and maybe buy me some time in case it gets pooped on while I'm away).
... sucks. Haven't even had the car a week.
And yes, this poop was dark and seedy.
Mehran
That sucks. If you can still see the marks after washing/claying/polishing you need to take it to someone to either to have it wetsanded or compounded. Bird dropping acid is that bad that even if it is left on the finish for as little as an hour or so in the sun it can eat right into your clearcoat. Wax does not even do much against it since no wax is stronger then a factory clear coat.
My dads black car got a new hood and paintjob after an accident. It was left outside in the sun for maybe an hour before we came to pick it up and I noticed a big bird dropping on the hood. I knew it most likely already damaged the finish. I washed it off and could see the telltale sign of clear coat etching just like what I have had on my hood. I told the service guy about it and he had someone buff for a while, it got most of it out but when we got home I noticed it under the fluorescent lights in the garage and we had to take the car back to get the rest taken out. He said they had to wet sand because compounding and buffing just wasn't getting it.
Bird dropping are one of the worst things for a clear coat, the little white spotted ones are not too bad and don't seem to cause much damage but the bigger ones that are more clear, redish, and have seeds/chunks are really bad.
Those bird etchings are very difficult to see on a white car which is most likely why you never noticed it. They are clear as day on black cars and pretty noticeable on darker colors like reds, blues, dark grays, etc.
My dads black car got a new hood and paintjob after an accident. It was left outside in the sun for maybe an hour before we came to pick it up and I noticed a big bird dropping on the hood. I knew it most likely already damaged the finish. I washed it off and could see the telltale sign of clear coat etching just like what I have had on my hood. I told the service guy about it and he had someone buff for a while, it got most of it out but when we got home I noticed it under the fluorescent lights in the garage and we had to take the car back to get the rest taken out. He said they had to wet sand because compounding and buffing just wasn't getting it.
Bird dropping are one of the worst things for a clear coat, the little white spotted ones are not too bad and don't seem to cause much damage but the bigger ones that are more clear, redish, and have seeds/chunks are really bad.
Those bird etchings are very difficult to see on a white car which is most likely why you never noticed it. They are clear as day on black cars and pretty noticeable on darker colors like reds, blues, dark grays, etc.
04-08-12, 04:42 PM
#7
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Follow the how-to section, look in their forums. Order from that site. It's awesome.
http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html
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04-08-12, 04:48 PM
#8
Advanced
Thread Starter
Everything you need to know.... get some good car wash stuff - boars brush, etc... then get a porter cable with the pads you need + other liquids, then get the carnuba wax.
Follow the how-to section, look in their forums. Order from that site. It's awesome.
http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html
Follow the how-to section, look in their forums. Order from that site. It's awesome.
http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html
04-08-12, 05:01 PM
#9
try chemical guys.com the have something for bird ***** and road tar etc. i swear by them they have great products. My f sport is starfire and the bird crap was green and stuck like glue. i sprayed some chem guys go green waterless car wash(a lot of it) and let it sit for 2 minutes and the crap came right off and didn't leave a spot.and yes the junkman is the truth.
04-08-12, 05:16 PM
#10
Lead Lap
Have you tried Dawn soap yet? That will strip everything so you can see if it's the clearcoat or the wax.
I hope you find a solution soon. ~Tu
04-08-12, 06:27 PM
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04-08-12, 08:49 PM
#13
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Hey guys - ever since getting my new 4GS this past week, I've decided that I'm going to make it my hobby (obsession) to maintain the car in great shape, paint in particular.
Anyways, as it turns out, today I got some bird poop on the hood. And I didn't notice it until a couple of hours later after it had dried (note to self, empty garage and park in garage from now on).
So I got some warm water and soaked the bird dropping for a bit. Then I wiped it away. However, after wiping I noticed some discoloration. I can't tell if the bird dropping has eaten into the clear coat, or if it's the wax on top that is discolored.
Please see the attached picture. It's not the best quality picture but you see the "smudge" look in the centre. Up close it looks like residue from scotch tape.. If I'm to believe the service manager where I bought the car, my car was the "showcase" vehicle for their grand opening and was waxed three times in a day (exxageration probably, but the wax job is still less than two weeks old).
Anyways, after I wiped the car. I prepped the area, grabbed some clay, and rubbed it down. Still looked the same... So I applied some wax in that are and let dry... still looked the same.
Help! Do I need to do a more aggressive buff? Is this going to happen every time I have bird poop on my car, or was this stuff extra aggressive? My wife's car (grey EX35) has been parked on our driveway for almost three years and I've never seen this happen, although I've never looked this closely.
I also had a white 2001 IS300 for 8 years - and never noticed this either. Is this an issue with dark cars.
Any advice to fix would be appreciated. I've been reading some other forums and junkmans posts and have some hope.
Anyways, as it turns out, today I got some bird poop on the hood. And I didn't notice it until a couple of hours later after it had dried (note to self, empty garage and park in garage from now on).
So I got some warm water and soaked the bird dropping for a bit. Then I wiped it away. However, after wiping I noticed some discoloration. I can't tell if the bird dropping has eaten into the clear coat, or if it's the wax on top that is discolored.
Please see the attached picture. It's not the best quality picture but you see the "smudge" look in the centre. Up close it looks like residue from scotch tape.. If I'm to believe the service manager where I bought the car, my car was the "showcase" vehicle for their grand opening and was waxed three times in a day (exxageration probably, but the wax job is still less than two weeks old).
Anyways, after I wiped the car. I prepped the area, grabbed some clay, and rubbed it down. Still looked the same... So I applied some wax in that are and let dry... still looked the same.
Help! Do I need to do a more aggressive buff? Is this going to happen every time I have bird poop on my car, or was this stuff extra aggressive? My wife's car (grey EX35) has been parked on our driveway for almost three years and I've never seen this happen, although I've never looked this closely.
I also had a white 2001 IS300 for 8 years - and never noticed this either. Is this an issue with dark cars.
Any advice to fix would be appreciated. I've been reading some other forums and junkmans posts and have some hope.
04-09-12, 05:24 AM
#14
Lead Lap
You want to use "Dawn". Just get the basic blue soap....not any that have lotions or easy on your hands or any of that stuff. You can get a bottle for probably $2. It's not recommended to use Dawn for every wash, but occasionally you need to use it to strip all the old wax and dirt off so that you can prep the car to be polished/waxed/clayed...etc.
It doesn't look to be etched. I had a bird do that to my Black Sapphire 3GS a couple of weeks after I got it and it sat in the hot sun all day while I was at work. Needless to say the clearcoat was etched and no amount of Dawn or wax or anything was going to fix it....short of wet sanding it.
It doesn't look to be etched. I had a bird do that to my Black Sapphire 3GS a couple of weeks after I got it and it sat in the hot sun all day while I was at work. Needless to say the clearcoat was etched and no amount of Dawn or wax or anything was going to fix it....short of wet sanding it.
04-09-12, 05:41 AM
#15
but I seriously doubt you need to wet sand this.
A light cutting pad (green colored pad) with a less aggressive polish (even a Menzerna Power Finish or Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 or Optimum Hyper Spray Polish) used with a Porter cable or another DA should suffice. Just remember to start with the least aggressive method first. Wet sanding may really be overkill.
Some articles that I found helpful:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...part-2/#polish <-- this has 4 pages in the article - just in case you want to read thru'
(no, I'm not affiliated with DI, but they do seem to have good/useful suggestions)
If you are not comfortable doing this on your own, take it to any reputable detailer and they will be able to get rid of this really easily (and while they are at it, maybe have them apply a sealant on as well). After I had my new GS detailed (wash/claybar/polish/seal), I had the same detailer take care of numerous swirls/smudges on my older car. It was amazing how quickly those vanished under his PC with really mild polishes. Well worth the $. I'm sure you'll find some really good detailers over in your area as well.
Last edited by jj14; 04-09-12 at 05:45 AM.