Magnesium Chloride on New Black Audi

**lkaten** · 02-28-2020, 08:48 AM

Just picked up a brand new Audi, Orca Black Metallic, a few days ago. Within a couple days, after a snow, got drenched on the highway by a truck de-icing the road. Now I have spots all over my car that don't come off with washing. My plan was to put a coat of Wolfgang DGPS as soon as I can get to it. Am I stuck with having to polish the whole car now before applying sealant? Also, wondering about my chrome...how do I get the Magnesium Chloride off of that? Am I OK using the Wolfgang DGPS as my protectant? I'd like to deal with the swirls and micro scratches too. Lastly, seems like the department of transportation should take some responsibility for trashing peoples paint. I appreciate the de-iced roads...but surely this costs me (and lots of people) quite a bit of money in dealing with the damage. Has anybody had experience in getting reimbursement for this?

Thanks

Mike Phillips · 02-28-2020, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by lkaten

Lastly, seems like the department of transportation should take some responsibility for trashing peoples paint.

I appreciate the de-iced roads...but surely this costs me (and lots of people) quite a bit of money in dealing with the damage.

Has anybody had experience in getting reimbursement for this?

Thanks

Here's how I've been positioning what happened to you for years.

If you or I had a private company where we sprayed streets, roads and highways with Magnesium Chloride... when it caused damage to someone's car - they would sue us. When the government does it... there's no recourse.

My advice to people that live in areas where the practice of Magnesium Chloride is used to de-ice roads is to have a BEATER CAR to drive during the winter and SAVE you nice car for good weather.

Just throwing that out there. So glad to live in South Florida.

Mike Phillips · 02-28-2020, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by lkaten

Just picked up a brand new Audi, Orca Black Metallic, a few days ago.

Within a couple days, after a snow, got drenched on the highway by a truck de-icing the road. Now I have spots all over my car that don't come off with washing. My plan was to put a coat of Wolfgang DGPS as soon as I can get to it.

Am I stuck with having to polish the whole car now before applying sealant?

If washing is not removing the SPOTS or my guess is a better word would be STAINS as in stains in the paint, then "yes" you will have to polish the paint to remove them. Maybe use Skynet and search for some possible product that will chemically neutralize the stain and thus remove it? My guess is this must be a problem for tens of thousands of people over the years and for this reason, is it possible someone has a product to solve this type of problem.

Kind of like the company RoMix makes the product Back-Set to remove concrete off of car paint.

Originally Posted by lkaten

Also, wondering about my chrome...how do I get the Magnesium Chloride off of that?

My guess is, what you're calling chrome is probably ANODIZED ALUMINUM TRIM. This would be the trim around the windows. I think there is chrome in the grill too, again - without a picture of the car I'm just guessing.

The ONLY time I've ever FIXED stained anodized trim is with a a cleaner/wax and the RUPES Nano in ROTARY MODE with a microfiber pad. I demonstrated this was here,

Pictures: Autogeek Open House Detail Day - Saturday, January 4th, 2020

I never was able to post pictures but it was a classic Mercedes-Benz that had stained aluminum trim.

The RUPES Nano is about $600.00 and then you'll need the BF One Step and a 1" microfiber pad.

If it is in fact chrome, then any non-abrasive metal polish or quality cleaner/wax should work. There's also this product that I like, use and recommend for plastic chrome, will work on all chrome, like the name implies.

Mothers California Gold All-Chrome Cleaner

Originally Posted by lkaten

Am I OK using the Wolfgang DGPS as my protectant?

The Wolfgang sealant is very good for what it is but I don't know if it will STOP the etching effects of Magnesium Chloride. Maybe a ceramic coating would? For the record, Iv'e never personally had to deal with Magnesium Chloride. I have not lived where it is used.

Originally Posted by lkaten

I'd like to deal with the swirls and micro scratches too.

Do you own a polisher?

Hope the above helps, best I can do....

**Bill D** · 02-28-2020, 09:29 AM

Stories like this make me feel very fortunate to live here too.

Perhaps washing the car with a decontamination product and claying where needed may help. Otherwise yeah, probably going to have to polish. If the car already has marring, you’ll need to polish any way.

Hopefully doing this will get everything cleaned up. I know if I continued to live up north I would’ve gotten a beater car.

**lkaten** · 02-28-2020, 11:12 AM

Note...the blue spot is just a camera artifact.

Magnesium Chloride on New Black Audi-img_7047-jpg

Magnesium Chloride on New Black Audi-img_7785-jpg

Magnesium Chloride on New Black Audi-img_4360-jpg

Thanks Mike,

I appreciate your reply. I do have a Porter Cable 7424 XP. I tried using it in the past but felt I wasn't very good with it and haven't had as much time for detailing as I would like...so I typically apply by hand.

Maybe it's time to get it out and get used to using it. I'd also like to get rid of all the swirl marks that are already on the paint from the dealer.

If I were to take care of my problem myself, what products would you recommend?

Also, if I were to try and apply a ceramic coating, do you think it would be a mistake for somebody with my lack of experience to try it for the first time on my black paint?

Thanks

**Avant** · 02-28-2020, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by lkaten

Note...the blue spot is just a camera artifact.

Thanks Mike,
I appreciate your reply. I do have a Porter Cable 7424 XP. I tried using it in the past but felt I wasn't very good with it and haven't had as much time for detailing as I would like...so I typically apply by hand. Maybe it's time to get it out and get used to using it. I'd also like to get rid of all the swirl marks that are already on the paint from the dealer. If I were to take care of my problem myself, what products would you recommend? Also, if I were to try and apply a ceramic coating, do you think it would be a mistake for somebody with my lack of experience to try it for the first time on my black paint?
Thanks

I've had similar spotting/etching on my black Audi after driving on a mag-chloride treated highway. The good news is that they can be removed by machine polish much like hard water spots, at least that has been my experience. Not sure about the aluminum trim pieces.

Porter cable should be able to handle it, you may need an aggressive pad/polish combo - what do you have now?

**acuRAS82** · 02-28-2020, 03:29 PM

Where is magnesium chloride used, or is it literally just the salt rocks that are used across most northern US states? I’ve never had an issue with these types of stains. The salt stains in NY, CT and PA wash off pretty easily, including from our black Q5.

**lkaten** · 02-28-2020, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by acuRAS82

Where is magnesium chloride used, or is it literally just the salt rocks that are used across most northern US states? I’ve never had an issue with these types of stains. The salt stains in NY, CT and PA wash off pretty easily, including from our black Q5.

I'm in Colorado. I think they use a mix which includes magnesium and calcium chlorides.

**lkaten** · 02-28-2020, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Avant

I've had similar spotting/etching on my black Audi after driving on a mag-chloride treated highway. The good news is that they can be removed by machine polish much like hard water spots, at least that has been my experience. Not sure about the aluminum trim pieces.

Porter cable should be able to handle it, you may need an aggressive pad/polish combo - what do you have now?

I have a Porter Cable 7242 XP. I'm not very experienced with it yet, but it seems like it's time to get it out.

Mike Phillips · 02-28-2020, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by lkaten

Thanks Mike,

I appreciate your reply. I do have a Porter Cable 7424 XP. I tried using it in the past but felt I wasn't very good with it and haven't had as much time for detailing as I would like...so I typically apply by hand.

Maybe it's time to get it out and get used to using it. I'd also like to get rid of all the swirl marks that are already on the paint from the dealer.

Practice on a less important car than your baby.

Originally Posted by lkaten

If I were to take care of my problem myself, what products would you recommend?

If you want to keep it real simple, even Bubba-Proof, get some BLACKFIRE One Step and some foam polishing pads. Super simple, works great.

Originally Posted by lkaten

Also, if I were to try and apply a ceramic coating, do you think it would be a mistake for somebody with my lack of experience to try it for the first time on my black paint?

If you want to go the coating route, the hardest part of beginners is not applying, or "installing" the coating, it's chemically stripping the paint. Also - you can't use a one-step cleaner/wax if you're going to use a coating, you'll have to use a dedicated polish.

Here's what I would recommend at this time; the Pinnacle Black Label Paint Coating is super easy to use.

What do you have for polishes?