Water spots on car with ceramic coating

[XSR]

I took my car for ceramic coating last year in December. A bird #### all over my car so I immediately hosed down my car. Now there’s water spots all over my car. I’ve tried rubbing them out with a MF towel but it doesn’t seem to work.

Should I try a vinegar? Clay bar? Would it damage the coating?

[opie]

I took my car for ceramic coating last year in December. A bird #### all over my car so I immediately hosed down my car. Now there’s water spots all over my car. I’ve tried rubbing them out with a MF towel but it doesn’t seem to work.

Should I try a vinegar? Clay bar? Would it damage the coating?Do not use cay bar! Lol. Are the etched? If you rewash will they come off? Normally if there are waterspots from water drying on surface they wash off for me. If not then try carpro decale.

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[Desertnate]

When you hosed off the car, did you dry it right afterwards? Not drying it is a recipe for problem. When you wiped it with a MF towel, was it dry? If it was, I'm not surprised nothing came off.

If the water spots haven't sat there for very long, often a MF towel and a little QD or waterless wash like ECH2O will remove them. However, if the car is dirty, I'd wash it and then see if that removed the spots and then start working on removal with products like a water spot remover or something else the smart folks here might recommend.

[Epilogts]

I'd bring your car back to the place that did your coating and see what they recommend first... It's likely etched into the coating and nothing is going to revive it aside from a polish and to reapply the coating, if you take it to them first they may give you some discount on a fix :dunno: If they don't offer to help you out I'd try something like CarPro Descale (https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-descale-500ml.html) over vinegar.

Best of luck, but coatings can be prone to water-spotting who ever installed it should have made you aware.

[opie]

I think a picture of said spots to get a better gauge of what your dealing with.

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[PouncingPanzer]

The main reason I'll never have a coating system on my cars again. The coatings came out of winter looking like crap from what I guessed was the nasty water with deicing agents sitting on it. Apartment life with no wash facilities were my main blame as I couldn't keep that car as clean as I would've liked. That said, very disappointed in the coatings inability to resist water staining/spotting/etching. One of those moments that made me ask "What is the point?". Sadley, for me, both instances required polishing to correct.

CarPro UK and Ceramic Pro were the two systems that spotted up for me.

[Rsurfer]

I'd bring your car back to the place that did your coating and see what they recommend first... It's likely etched into the coating and nothing is going to revive it aside from a polish and to reapply the coating, if you take it to them first they may give you some discount on a fix :dunno: If they don't offer to help you out I'd try something like CarPro Descale (https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-descale-500ml.html) over vinegar.

Best of luck, but coatings can be prone to water-spotting who ever installed it should have made you aware.

:iagree:Descale should work.

[Desertnate]

The main reason I'll never have a coating system on my cars again. The coatings came out of winter looking like crap from what I guessed was the nasty water with deicing agents sitting on it. Apartment life with no wash facilities were my main blame as I couldn't keep that car as clean as I would've liked. That said, very disappointed in the coatings inability to resist water staining/spotting/etching. One of those moments that made me ask "What is the point?". Sadley, for me, both instances required polishing to correct.

CarPro UK and Ceramic Pro were the two systems that spotted up for me.

When I see accounts like this I wonder what I've done differently.

I've used CQ UK, CQ Ti, CanCoat, and now Pure EVO, with really no spotting issues at all. The only problem with spotting I've encountered was on a vehicle with CQ UK and the coating was well past the 2-year point and I just scratched it up to a dying coating.

Both of my daughter's cars sat/sit outside 24/7 while they are at college and even then I never had spotting. Since they only got washed about once every 3~4 months I did have water behavior issues on the horizontal surfaces, but never spotting.

[PouncingPanzer]

When I see accounts like this I wonder what I've done differently.

I've used CQ UK, CQ Ti, CanCoat, and now Pure EVO, with really no spotting issues at all. The only problem with spotting I've encountered was on a vehicle with CQ UK and the coating was well past the 2-year point and I just scratched it up to a dying coating.

Both of my daughter's cars sat/sit outside 24/7 while they are at college and even then I never had spotting. Since they only got washed about once every 3~4 months I did have water behavior issues on the horizontal surfaces, but never spotting.

Trust me, I would absolutely love to know the finer details of the different experiences. I know not all states use the liquid calcium chloride deicing agents like we do in Ohio so that is why I attributed it to that, as I also got etching on my glass, too. Everywhere the wipers didn't clear anyways. The deicer is corrosive as hell as one can imagine, it must be harsh for any LSP. Obviously enough people have success with coatings, as the craze is still upon us in full force. If it wasn't a good thing, it would've died off by now.

I'm gonna stick with my story of being unable to wash the deicer off my car as the likely cause to my etching. Being in an unheated parking garage I was also unwilling to just rinse and leave and risk ice forming in places it doesn't belong. It was a lose-lose for me. So grateful to be a homeowner now lolol.

[Desertnate]

Ah. OK. I didn't mean it as a derogatory comment, but I also missed the de-icing in your comment too.

That may have a lot to do with it. Around here I think they still use the older sodium and potassium based rock salt, and that doesn't seem to be quite as corrosive as the magnesium based stuff. The down side is it doesn't work as well in much lower temps.

[The Guz]

I took my car for ceramic coating last year in December. A bird #### all over my car so I immediately hosed down my car. Now there’s water spots all over my car. I’ve tried rubbing them out with a MF towel but it doesn’t seem to work.

Should I try a vinegar? Clay bar? Would it damage the coating?

Yikes that is asking for trouble regardless if the car has a coating on it or not. The same will happen with a wax or sealant. Live an learn to never just rinse without drying or just washing. You could have also used a rinseless wash on the affected area.

As other have mentioned try Descale or a waterspot remover. If they don't come off well you are going to have to polish and reapply the coating.

[Coatingsarecrack]

When I see accounts like this I wonder what I've done differently.

I've used CQ UK, CQ Ti, CanCoat, and now Pure EVO, with really no spotting issues at all. The only problem with spotting I've encountered was on a vehicle with CQ UK and the coating was well past the 2-year point and I just scratched it up to a dying coating.

Both of my daughter's cars sat/sit outside 24/7 while they are at college and even then I never had spotting. Since they only got washed about once every 3~4 months I did have water behavior issues on the horizontal surfaces, but never spotting.

Being outside in rain isn’t the problem. It’s tap water. Have you got hit by a sprinkler or let hose water dry on the car?


I said it before when people debate the efficacy of products. It’s probably not person or product but environment.

You may have softer water or others may have harsher rain.

My favorite when somebody from California and someone from Michigan debate rinseless washes in winter…… completely different environments and level of grime…


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[dgage]

My parents live in an apartment and all the cars near there have BAD water spots due to sprinklers.

[Rsurfer]

My parents live in an apartment and all the cars near there have BAD water spots due to sprinklers.

A can over the heads or completely turn them off is your only hope.

[The Guz]

My parents live in an apartment and all the cars near there have BAD water spots due to sprinklers.

This will spot any form of protection and not just coatings.