Bird crap etching even after recent sealant and wax?!

[Kamakaz1961]

Autoglym did a study about 5 years ago regarding bird poop etching. Their conclusion was that the etching is not a chemical process. They concluded that the etching happens when the crap lands on a hot sun heated panel. The sudden cooling under the bird crap causes the heated paint to mold to the texture of the bird crap as it cools down. That is why you can end up with bird crap etching that has peaks that are higher than the surrounding paint. So the most important factor is how hot the car panel was when it happened. This explains all your stories about why you had instances when no etching happened at all despite residing on the paint for a long time.

When you think about the etching process this way, it should be easier to understand that a sealant wouldn't be able to stop this since it a temperature fluctuation phenomenon.

Thank you for this input. I do agree with this post. When my car had the bird bomb for 2 days the weather was actually cool and we have June Gloom in So Cal. No sun just grey clouds for about a week. I do agree if the hood or whatever is hot the reaction is more pronounced.

This is completely off topic, however, might make some sense to what happened. My co-worker had a rock chip in her windshield. I told her to open all the windows a little as the chip could spread under the heat and sun. She of course did not listen to me and lo-and-behold...her windshield had a line crack about 12 - 14 inches...she needs to replace the windshield. She could have had the windshield chip filled and repaired for $25.

But my point being...sun and heat can cause damage. Oh well, my 2 cents worth!!

[conman1395]

Thank you for this input. I do agree with this post. When my car had the bird bomb for 2 days the weather was actually cool and we have June Gloom in So Cal. No sun just grey clouds for about a week. I do agree if the hood or whatever is hot the reaction is more pronounced.

This is completely off topic, however, might make some sense to what happened. My co-worker had a rock chip in her windshield. I told her to open all the windows a little as the chip could spread under the heat and sun. She of course did not listen to me and lo-and-behold...her windshield had a line crack about 12 - 14 inches...she needs to replace the windshield. She could have had the windshield chip filled and repaired for $25.

But my point being...sun and heat can cause damage. Oh well, my 2 cents worth!!

I'd never even heard or thought about that before. Good to know!

[jmsc]

@ 140BPM:

I'm shocked that you do not have a spray bottle of IPA or QD or WW plus 1-2 mf towels in your car for BB's. I got hit with some a few years ago but now I carry a small bottle of Ultima+ and/or QD. I cleanup as fast and best as I can then drive off home for a hosing or to a power wash facility. Can handle a few clearcoat scratches but not etching. I even carry a temperature laser meter (from APR-OCT) to read the panel temp, just for my own edification.

Is your paint cc or single-stage?

[Mike Phillips]

I'll add this to the discussion... just some of my own experience...


How long does it take for a bird dropping to etch paint?



One thing for sure... if possible... remove a bird dropping as fast as possbile...

[MI Mike]

My 2 cents.
Why worry about bird bombs, love bugs, etc.
Have Dupont, PPG, etc formulate their clear coats to handle this. Problem solved.
No needs for sealants, etc. Resale value would increase.

[conman1395]

My 2 cents.
Why worry about bird bombs, love bugs, etc.
Have Dupont, PPG, etc formulate their clear coats to handle this. Problem solved.
No needs for sealants, etc. Resale value would increase.

Uric acid is able to even etch glass. I don't think it would be very cost effective to formulate paint that is able to withstand it. Keep in mind when clear coats first came out there were issues with it expanding and contracting with temperature differences and early clear coat failure.

It's not as simple as putting something down that is resistant to bird droppings, you also need something that can be used on the substrates which paint is applied to.

[140BPM]

@ 140BPM:

I'm shocked that you do not have a spray bottle of IPA or QD or WW plus 1-2 mf towels in your car for BB's. I got hit with some a few years ago but now I carry a small bottle of Ultima+ and/or QD. I cleanup as fast and best as I can then drive off home for a hosing or to a power wash facility. Can handle a few clearcoat scratches but not etching. I even carry a temperature laser meter (from APR-OCT) to read the panel temp, just for my own edification.

Is your paint cc or single-stage?

I usually do carry all that around but took it out a few weeks ago while detailing the interior and forgot to put it back in. Besides, I doubt the 20 min delay in getting it off would've mattered... It was most likely there for hours already at that point. I was at work and don't have the luxury of parking directly outside my office window.

And it is factory paint, Nissan magnetic black.

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[140BPM]

I'll add this to the discussion... just some of my own experience...


How long does it take for a bird dropping to etch paint?



One thing for sure... if possible... remove a bird dropping as fast as possbile...

Thanks for linking that Mike! Don't know how I missed it while searching earlier. Good read.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for linking that Mike! Don't know how I missed it while searching earlier.

Good read.

Thank you. Taping off and only buffing out one half of a black car was a real pain. Bringing the car back to Meguiar's and then buffing out the other side was also a real paint. I've probably done about a dozen of these types of demonstrations and they're always a lot of work. But when done correctly and in the right display environment they can really wow the crowd!

[hogie]

It sounds like you got hit by mulberry filled crap! That stuff etched my wrx paint quick. It was also waxed.

Most of the time white bird crap doesn't do squat even after being on the car for a while