Brown spots?

[us6krums]

Starting on my last car, it's a 2005 Armada with grey paint. Passenger side door I have a couple chips that will be left but have most of the scratches out except a couple (never been touched in 100K miles). At the bottom of the door, I have these brown spots.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_04973.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_04964.jpg

I can feel them as I run my hand over them. I have clayed this section and did about 5 sections passes with Opt Hyper Compund and a MF pad with a 7424XP on speed 4. Nothing coming out yet.

Best advice? Keep going on the compound? Something else?

Thanks!

[Drum]

I would try and wet sand.....very lightly... I'm no expert though.

[tuscarora dave]

Have you tried any chemicals to get those spots off? Do they feel like they're above the level of the paint or more like they're etched into the paint? Save wetsanding as a last resort.

[statusdetailing]

Looks like tree sap, but that wouldn't make sense on the lower panels. Probably just something nasty you picked up while driving. Wet sanding is almost always a bad choice. You need a good solvent and if that doesn't work you will need to compound with a rotary and a wool pad. The porter cable isn't going to cut it.

[us6krums]

I haven't tried any chemicals, one thing I don't have yet. Would this be a paint cleaner? New to all this, so what does a paint cleaner do and what is the best to get? Or a solvent? Definitely feels like they are on top of the paint, but then again if they are etched in, how would the difference feel? I can feel the bumps as I run my hand across.

[Setec Astronomy]

Do you have some rubbing alcohol in the bathroom (isopropyl or IPA)? You could try that first, or maybe you have some mineral spirits in the basement, or some WD-40...those are all things that should be safe for your paint and may work.

Oh, and get a piece of cardboard to put your towels and rest the side of your buffing pad on, especially if you're going to post reflection shots on the internet :p

[Meticulous-Detail]

^^^ Good advice. WD40, IPA and 3M Adhesive Remover work wonders for me on stains, grime, tar and sap.

[Flash Gordon]

Looks like Artilary Fungus

[mwoolfso]

Based on what you are saying it seems more like artillery fungus than anything else. I would try compounding at speed 5 on the PCXP for a short period of time on one of the larger spots and see if that helps.

Another thought.... if these spots are all perfectly round then a fungus is more likely than just accumulated dirt and spotting.

[us6krums]

Do you have some rubbing alcohol in the bathroom (isopropyl or IPA)? You could try that first, or maybe you have some mineral spirits in the basement, or some WD-40...those are all things that should be safe for your paint and may work.

Oh, and get a piece of cardboard to put your towels and rest the side of your buffing pad on, especially if you're going to post reflection shots on the internet :p

:xyxthumbs: Yeah, usually I put them somewhere else, but that towel was done and that buffing pad failed (as posted on another topic) so there was no point saving it! Cardboard is a good idea. And I'll try some rubbing alcohol and WD-40...

[us6krums]

Just an update. What the is artillery fungus? How do you get that on there? Thanks for the ideas, IPA and some elbow grease (about 2 min on each spot) removed all the brown spots from the paint. There is some on the plastic running boards below the door and they are proving harder to remove. Same? IPA on that as well or can I damage the finish on the plastic. Love the help from this site!

[FUNX650]

What the is artillery fungus? How do you get that on there?

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/artilleryfungus.pdf

:)

Bob

[Meticulous-Detail]

Just an update. What the is artillery fungus? How do you get that on there? Thanks for the ideas, IPA and some elbow grease (about 2 min on each spot) removed all the brown spots from the paint. There is some on the plastic running boards below the door and they are proving harder to remove. Same? IPA on that as well or can I damage the finish on the plastic. Love the help from this site!

IPA and 3M Adhesive will turn plastic trim white. I would try APC and a detail brush with medium bristles.

[rmagnus]

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/artilleryfungus.pdf

:)

Bob

Learn something new every day. Man thats' just nasty.

us6krums Glad to hear it cleaned up chemically.