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View Full Version : It might be acid raining. Advice?



4dsux
07-23-2009, 07:28 PM
Been a bit of a lurker here, but I guess it's time to pop that posting cherry.

There's a forest fire close to me causing lots of smoke in the area causing ash to settle on the car (no garage). It's started to rain and I've been rinsing the car to dilute the rain in case it is acidic. I know my paint is susceptible to staining because of a bird splat stain that never came out. I did wax about a month ago, but I read that doesn't help. It's foretasted to rain overnight and the next 2 days, and it's a little tough to stand outside with a hose for that long.

How bad might this be?
If I wash the car before it returns to 30c+ weather, is that good enough?
Is there anything else I should be doing to help prevent damage?

Going a little nuts here, its my baby out there. Thanks in advance.

A4 1.8tqm
07-23-2009, 07:58 PM
I don't know how the smoke/ash affects the acidity of rain, but rinsing off the dirty rain sounds like a good idea, you definitely don't want it to dry on the car. The bird bomb probably etched into the clear coat and will need to be polished out.

I would suggest a couple coats of a good sealant, like the Klasse twins. Topped with a couple coats of a durable wax, like Collinite #915 maybe? I haven't used any Collinite wax's maybe someone else can chime in on that.

ryandamartini
07-23-2009, 08:18 PM
clean, wax, and find something to put over your car temporarily. a cheap cover or something ?

A4 1.8tqm
07-23-2009, 09:16 PM
Just thought of this, put up one of those quick shade tents. I got a crappy one for $20-30 at Fred Meyers or Walmart a few years back, it didn't last. If you have the money I recommend getting a good one though, ~$100. I use one to shade the 3/4 of my car that is in full sun for morning washes. Just be sure to anchor it to the ground if its windy in your area!!