Had a big surprise today after I washed my car

[weekend warrior]

My stays outside...I coated my car about 3 -4 weeks ago....the first time I washed it after that there were no water spots...I live in Florida and been getting rain almost every afternoon the last 3 weeks...so today I washed it again and sure as crap water spots on the hood...very disappointed ...I guess the only way not to get water spots in get a cover or maybe wipe the car down after it stops raining...sorry Mike for posting this...you have to be tired reading about water spots....want to say the rain water beads like crazy and stands on the hood a long time

[Mike Phillips]

sorry Mike for posting this...you have to be tired reading about water spots....

I don't get tired or warn out over reading about water spots but after almost 20 years of answering questions about this problem I finally wrote an article that puts the focus on the real problem.


What's in the water?

want to say the rain water beads like crazy and stands on the hood a long time

That's my experience too only I don't see the spots on my cars. My cars get Florida rain and whatever is in the air-pollution in the Stuart, Florida area, which I tend to think is vey low.

[Mike Phillips]

My stays outside...I coated my car about 3 -4 weeks ago....the first time I washed it after that there were no water spots...

Question?

After washing it, did you dry it with some kind of chamois?

[Mike Phillips]

My stays outside...I coated my car about 3 -4 weeks ago....


I live in Florida and been getting rain almost every afternoon the last 3 weeks...so today I washed it again and sure as crap water spots on the hood...very disappointed ...

So are you saying the RAIN WATER that keeps landing on your ceramic coated car is leaving spots?

Is this correct?

And it's because you're not drying the rain water off the car. Correct?

want to say the rain water beads like crazy and stands on the hood a long time

So water beading is crazy good but spots are created from rain water?


And - according to this thread, you used the new BLACKFIRE Black Edition?

Finished coating my car - Happy I did it!

I used blackfire pro ceramic coating black edition..

it was easy to use

Just want to make sure I'm understanding accuratly.

[weekend warrior]

Hi Mike...I dry the car with a soft microfiber towel...yes I did use Blackfire pro black edition...what happens as you know it rains a lot at times...even if it rains during the night...I take a walk around 10 in the morning and beads of rain are still on the car....the funny thing it seems like only the hood gets spots ..and yes I don't wipe the car off in the morning...I do have a cover but its hard for me to put it on..and I am more than happy with blackfire black edition coating...

[weekend warrior]

LOL guess what its raining now LOL...

[John U]

Warrior,

You might want a wax that "sheets" instead of beading.

I want wax that sheets water!

See post #11

[Desertnate]

I agree. When I used Collinite 845, water spots after a rain were pretty common, but I could wash them off most of the time. Now that I use coatings which sheet water far better, most of the rain rolls right off and very little water is left behind. I don't get any spotting from rain, but a good blast from a sprinkler with all the minerals in the water will leave spots.

[weekend warrior]

My original problem was the sprinkler system but I purchased a sprinkler shield and that solved that problem...I live across the street from the ocean...I wonder if salt in the air is not helping?

[Desertnate]

That could be part of the problem. In Mike's post, he talks about stuff in the water and in the air which mixes with the rain to cause spots. To go along with that, stuff in the air which lands on the surface of your car first and then later mixes with the rain will cause the same issues.

At the height of spring pollen season in my area, it isn't uncommon to see cars covered in yellow polka-dots after a good rain because the pollen gets caught up in the rain droplets on the surface. The water evaporates and leaves an consolidated "pile" of pollen behind. That same thing could be happening with the salt in the air and the salt accumulating on the surface of your car.

I didn't live as close as you do to the ocean, but while living in Hawaii my vehicles were always covered in salt film I had to wash off.