Can't remove road paint (I think) off a car - please help

[lawrenceSA]

Hi all

So last night a prospective customer arrived at my place with a VW Golf 6 Gti that is only a few months old. It is Reflex Silver.

He told me that he was driving along a road where they were doing some roadworks and road painting, and thinks that he got some on his car. He said he had been to everyone he can think of to help, and is now desperate. Various body shops told him it was a urethane based paint that has now eaten through his clear and he needs a re-spray.

I inspected the spots and the first thing I noticed is that it does not look like it was road paint that was driven over as the spray pattern just seems wrong.... usually it sprays up from the wheel area, into the arches, and up the sides of the car. This is different - it is mainly on the passenger side front fender, some down the passenger side, a little on the roof and rear end.... almost like it was blown onto the car:dunno:

So anyway it definitely feels like these spots are ON the paint, not in it.... they are raised from the surrounding paint. I whipped out some Clay Magic Fine clay..... nothing....stepped it up to Clay Magic medium clay.... again NOTHING....

Then I tried AF Oblitarate....nada..... white vinegar.... nope.....WD40....still nothing.

I would dearly love to help this guy out as he has almost resigned himself to the fact that a full respray is his only solution....

Obviously the predicament I am in is that I have no idea what the spots are caused from or what products to use to try and remove them and am looking for some suggestions to try that I have not yet tried.

The spots are dark grey in appearance, and were it not for the odd pattern in which they appear on the car, I would have agreed that it was road paint.

He has also tried making contact with the company who were performing the work on the roads at the time - they obviously denied all knowledge or accountability swearing blind it could never have been any of their products.

Any and all advice would be mostly sincerely appreciated.

 

[jpegs13]

If it's typical thermo-plastic road paint, try a blow dryer or heat gun to soften it, then it should just come off with a plastic razor blade. The remaining goop can be removed with mineral spirits.
Good luck!

 

[lawrenceSA]

If it's typical thermo-plastic road paint, try a blow dryer or heat gun to soften it, then it should just come off with a plastic razor blade. The remaining goop can be removed with mineral spirits.
Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback. I am going to purchase some plastic razors now. In terms of using mineral spirits, this is something I have not yet done before.

What is the correct process to be used? Is there anything I should be aware of, and do's/don't's etc?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Bob shared a product just for this in this thread...


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...67127-white-road-paint-removal-need-help.html


And anytime I want to find threads on removing road paint I do a forum search using the word,

Xenit

And you pull all kinds of topical threads up...


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...street-paint-my-car-no-idea-how-take-off.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/67293-heavy-tar-road-paint-wheel-wells.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/63184-road-paint.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/36914-road-paint-suggestions.html





I'd never promise this would work for you but it worked for me on DOT paint.


DOT or Department of Transportation highway paint is incredibly durable, think about it... they design it so you and I can drive on it 24 hours a day, 356 days a year and in all weather conditions. This paint is made to take a pounding.

The only chemical product I've had success with to remove this type of paint without melting your car's paint or scouring it from having to rub on it with a Scotchbrite pad is Stoner's XENIT.

Stoner XENIT Natural Citrus Mold Cleaner

Stoner XENIT Natural Citrus Mold Cleaner removes resins, carbon deposits, silicones, and contaminants from molds. You’ll never again be frustrated trying to remove tough gunk and grime in your home, office, garage or car. Natural citrus XENIT by Stoner removes tacky, grimy dirt so well, in most cases you can simply “wipe it away.”

XENIT is a natural precision mold cleaner used as a degreaser in the plastics and rubber molding industries. It contains Citrus 66, a highly refine extract of citrus fruit. This powerful ingredient removes greasy soil and stains that can't be removed by soap and water.

Use XENIT to quickly permanent marker, crayon and lipstick “accidents” in the car and around the home. It removes release agents, resins, carbon deposits, and other contaminants left in mold cavities.

XENIT contains more than five, different, high performance cleaners. Unlike most water-based citrus cleaners that are designed to lift and carry dirt, XENIT is formulated to break down the complex molecules found in sticky materials.

This MicroActive cleaning action gives XENIT unequaled abilities to loosen and dissolve difficult grime like tar, grease, gum and adhesives. It even removes dried latex paint if accidentally dripped on carpet, flooring, or furniture. XENIT removes shoe scuffs and heel marks from from vinyl panels and greasy dirt from fabrics and upholstery.

Save yourself hours of agony trying to remove sticky stuff with standard cleaners. Avoid wasted time spent laboring with inferior water-based products. XENIT is formulated to evaporate and dry completely, leaving behind no sticky residues or streaky soaps.

I have removed DOT paint off of car paint using this product. To do this, I whetted a folded microfiber towel and sprayed one side of the towel till it was very damp with the product. Then held this against the overspray paint on a body panel. This traps the XENIT citrus oils against the paint so they can go to work.

If you simply spray it on, gravity will cause the majority of it to flow downward.

You can do both, spray it on and hold a dampened microfiber towel with this product against the paint and then after a few minutes, rub the area using the same dampened towel.

I'm not going to guarantee it will work for you but it did work for me.

Of course, polish and wax the affected area afterwards goes without saying...

 

[lawrenceSA]

Hi Mike

Thank you so much for your advice.

It is so difficult being so far across the water from you guys with such a limited access to detailing products over here

I would love to try the Xenit but I imagine the shipping costs to SA will be multiple times the cost of the product and it just seems so difficult to justify.

Oh well, time to see if I can find it locally, or if the prospective customer would be willing to pick up the costs for something that is after all, not guaranteed to solve his problem....

Edited to add: just saw now on the store that it cannot be shipped via air anyway

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hi Mike

Thank you so much for your advice.

It is so difficult being so far across the water from you guys with such a limited access to detailing products over here

I would love to try the Xenit but I imagine the shipping costs to SA will be multiple times the cost of the product and it just seems so difficult to justify.

Oh well, time to see if I can find it locally, or if the prospective customer would be willing to pick up the costs for something that is after all, not guaranteed to solve his problem....

Edited to add: just saw now on the store that it cannot be shipped via air anyway

The links I shared mention other products and methods people have deal with this easy, be sure to scan through them.

Also...


Sometimes it's better to "Cherry Pick", that is know when to turn a job down. I talk about this in Renny's book.


Show Car Shine Detailing Book Combo




:xyxthumbs:

 

[lawrenceSA]

Thanks again Mike

In terms of the use of mineral spirits, is there a correct way to do this? I don't want to cause any damage in the process and thus if application methods or dwell times etc are important to take note of, I would dearly appreciate some guidance.

Feed back please

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks again Mike

In terms of the use of mineral spirits, is there a correct way to do this? I don't want to cause any damage in the process and thus if application methods or dwell times etc are important to take note of, I would dearly appreciate some guidance.

Feed back please

Mineral Spirits won't harm a factory basecoat clearcoat finish. I'm not sure it will work as it's actually a very safe solvent.


Keep us updated especially if you find something that works as hundreds, if not thousands of people will read this thread into the future, so you follow-up, if you're successful is important.


:dblthumb2:

 

[FUNX650]

Mineral Spirits won't harm a factory basecoat clearcoat finish.
I'm not sure it will work as it's actually a very safe solvent.

Xenit should also be quite "paint-safe"...IMO

From its MSDS:

2. Composition/Information On Ingredients

Component...................................CAS #
-NJ Trade Secret Registry............80100382-5094P
-NJ Trade Secret Registry............80100382-5125P

-Citrus Distillates.......................5989-27-5 .......(d-limonene)

-Dimethyl Carbinol......................67-63-0 .........(I.P.A.)

-Ester.......................................108419-34-7 ...(Acetic Acid...Think Vinegar)

-Propellant................................124-38-9 ........(Carbon dioxide)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Makes for another: case in point...where I wish that the synonyms for chemicals were standardized...
It would be so less for everyone.

For crying out loud:
Why couldn't they just say: "Contains I.P.A."?!?!

Bob

 

[megacabcummins]

I used Goof Off on my truck, I tested it on the lower panels first just to make sure it wouldn't hurt anything and it worked fine. It didn't seem to hurt the paint but I am sure it stripped any wax that was there right off, would probably strip coatings off too... But I was desperate, yellow road paint covering the whole side of a white truck isn't good. If you decide to try it, test it on unseen paint firt just to make sure it will NOT harm your finish, it didn't hurt mine but you can never tell.

 

[FUNX650]

I used Goof Off on my truck...

Which one of the Goof-Off products did you use?
Thanks.



Bob

 

[VR8]

I've had good luck with Motsenbocker's products. They have several different kinds of paint removers. The key is to be patient, let the product dwell on the paint, and then use a microfiber or plastic razor blade to remove.

 

[CCC4me]

I too have had luck with mineral spirits then Goof Off when the mineral spirits didn't cut it. Recently I tried urethane reducer when neither of the above worked and was pleased.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/67838-paint-reducer-body-solvent.html

If you end up this far in the succession of products, just get PLENTY of disposable shop rags and go for it (after your test spot, of course).

 

[swinters]

I too have had luck with mineral spirits then Goof Off when the mineral spirits didn't cut it. Recently I tried urethane reducer when neither of the above worked and was pleased.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/67838-paint-reducer-body-solvent.html

If you end up this far in the succession of products, just get PLENTY of disposable shop rags and go for it (after your test spot, of course).

I'll probably hear plenty on this but I've had good luck with carburetor cleaner, though you have to be careful. I spray a bit of it on an old piece of rag and wipe the paint off. You don't want to rub too long or soak the finish. The first time I used it was when we were living in Germany on a job assignment and someone tagged our '87 Chevy van with a permanent marker and spray paint (they did about 10 cars in a parking lot, including ours). My wife came home in tears. I pulled it up to the garage and tried paint solvent and several other things, then tried carb cleaner on the glass and the paint and marker both wiped right off. I decided to try on a small area on the paint and that worked too so cleaned the rest with it. I then cleaned it up with light rubbing compound, followed by a good coat of wax. We eventually gave the van to our son, who still has it as a second vehicle, and the paint still looks great.

 

[WAXOFF]

Home | Go Clean Products Check this web site.

 

[BillE]

I'll probably hear plenty on this but I've had good luck with carburetor cleaner, though you have to be careful. I spray a bit of it on an old piece of rag and wipe the paint off. You don't want to rub too long or soak the finish. The first time I used it was when we were living in Germany on a job assignment and someone tagged our '87 Chevy van with a permanent marker and spray paint (they did about 10 cars in a parking lot, including ours). My wife came home in tears. I pulled it up to the garage and tried paint solvent and several other things, then tried carb cleaner on the glass and the paint and marker both wiped right off. I decided to try on a small area on the paint and that worked too so cleaned the rest with it. I then cleaned it up with light rubbing compound, followed by a good coat of wax. We eventually gave the van to our son, who still has it as a second vehicle, and the paint still looks great.

Only a question...Wonder how (and what) brake cleaner would do? At first glance, I wouldn't want to try. But then, I would be leery of trying carb cleaner also (but that did seem to be OK).

Bill

 

[FUNX650]

Only a question...Wonder how (and what) brake cleaner would do? At first glance, I wouldn't want to try. But then, I would be leery of trying carb cleaner also (but that did seem to be OK).

Bill

Even with all of the EPA's VOC restrictions...
Some of the brake/carb cleaners you can purchase today are chlorinated...think dry cleaning fluids like PERC's.

Used them all the time for their intended purposes.
Never on paint. At least SS paint systems back then.

That was long before the knowledge that they were not too good for ones health was realized...
Some folks have really suffered when exposed to the poisonous gas emitted when PERC's are highly heated.

Nowadays I would just use an ex's vehicle-paint for any brake/carb-cleaner "Test Spot"...non-chlorinated, or not.



Bob

 

[CWallace]

3m adhesive remover works well for road paint

 

[megacabcummins]

Which one of the Goof-Off products did you use?
Thanks.



Bob

It was the original Goof Off heavy duty if my memory is correct.

 

[Kevin Cullen]

Only a question...Wonder how (and what) brake cleaner would do? At first glance, I wouldn't want to try. But then, I would be leery of trying carb cleaner also (but that did seem to be OK).

Bill

Even with all of the EPA's VOC restrictions...
Some of the brake/carb cleaners you can purchase today are chlorinated...think dry cleaning fluids like PERC's.

Used them all the time for their intended purposes.
Never on paint. At least SS paint systems back then.

That was long before the knowledge that they were not too good for ones health was realized...
Some folks have really suffered when exposed to the poisonous gas emitted when PERC's are highly heated.

Nowadays I would just use an ex's vehicle-paint for any brake/carb-cleaner "Test Spot"...non-chlorinated, or not.



Bob

Be mindful of CRC Brakleen around anything plastic. It will dry it out, crack it and eventually destroy it. On un-coated aluminum it will dull it instantly. For it's intended purpose of removing grease and oils off brake rotors it works great.

On a side note if you have a unwanted bee's nest somewhere, go in with two cans a sprayin at the nest and there will be NO survivors! Even hit the bees or wasps in the air and it drops them like stones.:laughing: