Don't let car get splashed with salt water!

Oh darn. My Prius got splashed all along the driver's side yesterday by some jerk who drove by on my left side. While going down a driveway to park at Sausalito harbor / boat piers, came across standing water. I was going really slow then the lone car behind me drove by full steam, splashing my car.

After sailing, Looked at car and thought ... how strange the water spots are awfully white. ... Well, yeah, because spots must be from salt water.

And after detailing next day, all day, the spots are only made harder to see, but they are still there ... in spades. All along the driver's side.

I washed, clayed the car and used Meguiar's paint cleaner which diminishes the spots, but does not eliminate them.

If you ever suspect being near standing salt water, any strange water, turn around, do a 180. You don't want that stuff on your car.

 

I thought it was high tide that washed across that part of the road, but not sure. Had 4 others in car eager to sail. Something bad was in that water.

If it had been rinsed off right away, I'd be ok. But sitting with that splash water in afternoon sun etched it below surface of the paint.

I even tried Meguiar's step2 polish applied by hand - did not remove the spot traces. And that polish is really hard to buff off, so used step1 Meg's paint cleaner, then waxed. Paint cleaner is fairly mild liquid.

 

Sounds like mr. Clean Autodry might work well because the kit comes with a water filter.

 

Good chance it was 'boat pier' water. That water must be terrible stuff. It's not flowing water, mostly sits there. Who knows what the boats put in it too.

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After car got splashed, then parked, we actually went to the store for snacks to take sailing ....

that would have been an ideal time to get a couple gallons of distilled water, any water to pour down the whole side of the car to get that bad water off.

Hindsight is 20/20 though.

My car now has 'type II' water spots according to a Meguiar's article, which means below surface water spots. IOW, very hard to remove. I won't take the car to a professional to see how much finish they must take off to remove the hundreds of tiny spots. Too risky IMO.

Bright side is spots are very hard to see, only if kneel down and catch 'em in certain light.

 

The link below is a Meguiar's article describing Type I (above surface) and II (below surface) water spots on a car -

How To Remove Water Spots - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

I've had Type I water spots after drying my car. Rewashing or clay bar will remove those.

Flash back to last Monday, the day after the harbor water drying on my paint all afternoon/overnight ....

I had washed and dried the car, worked claybar on roof. After I clarbarred the driver's door, a little panic set in as I could still see hundreds of tiny water spots. I knew things were bad.

So, off to the store. I got Meguiar's commonly found 'step 1 paint cleaner' which preps car for polish. This did not remove spots. I tried some Meg's step 2 polish by hand ... this did not remove spots.

If you read the Meg's article, you'll see how below surface water spots, IMO, is real paint damage to a certain degree. At that point, you'd have to decide if you'd want to 'remove enough finish' (and maybe some or all of your clear coat) to eliminate water spots.

I won't be messing with the finish any more. The spots are furtunately hard to see, yet I know how to see them, and I'll see them when I'm washing / detailing the car.

Bottom line - wherever you are, if you get 'strange' water splashed on your car, especially on a hot, sunny day, get a gallon or so of distilled water and rinse that stuff off very soon.

 

Only 7,500 miles and it's garaged every night. The spots did happen from the splash near the boat piers.

 

It could have been water from some storage tank for all I know. There was defintely some etching going on. The spots are along entire driver's side of car, so couldn't imagine using rubbing compound for that large area.

Good thing is the spots are so faint I can only see them in low light. And must look very hard for them at certain angle - they don't show up all at once along side of car, no way.

Cannot see them in broad daylight. No depression to the spots that I can see.