Nuked by a bird

D

dkwrnr

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bird "bombs"

can someone offer a solution to removing dried-on bird droppings (large) off red 2001 Honda paint?
Very frustrated, have not found ANYTHING that works, so far.
thanks in advance.
 
I guess it depends on how long it has been there. Bird bombs are extremely hard on your paint. Birds don't have kidneys to filter out the acids and they don't have bladders to hold it all in, so when you get a bird bomb on your car it is pretty nasty stuff. The white part is basically their urine which is the most acidic part. The other crunchies are the poop. The way bird's digestive systems work it turns most of what they eat into the white stuff.

So, when you get this stuff on your car it imediately starts wrecking havoc on your paint. The acid can etch the clear coat in a way that you will never get the spot off. It is very important to get bird bombs off your car as soon as you possibly can. The scratches you get from wiping them off with a baby wipe or the squeegie at the gas station are minor compared to the damage the bird bomb could cause if you leave it there.

If it has been there so long that washing with soapy water doesn't take it off then you might not be looking at the bird poop anymore. It might be etching in the paint you are seeing now. Can you provide a little more information about what kind of damage you are seeing? Is it the actual bird bomb that you can't get off? Usually soaking it with some soap will loosen it up and make it easier to clean up. Pictures are always helpful too.

This concludes today's lesson in Bird Bombs 101. lol
 
the bulk of the 'bomb' has been washed off, but now it is what appears as a splatter, it looks hazy, not completely whiteish, kind of a blurred red that is not shiny anymore. If you slide your hand across, it feels smooth, just barely able to detect the edges. As I said, its large, about the size of a spread out hand, also threads dripped down across the grille openings. No way to get photos as yet.
 
Sounds like it has either etched the paint or stained the paint. Pictures will help when you get a chance to take them. The acids can soak into the paint and create a real problem in getting it clean again. There are products out there to help clean that kind of thing up, but they are typically sold in industrial quanities and not as easy to get your hands on if you don't need it in gallons.

Have you tried a paint cleaner or polish? If so then what brands have you used?
 
have not tried a paint cleaner, tried a polishing compound by Turtle wax, or Dupont, (cant recall the label) it was a light compound anyway, had no effect.
 
can someone please help with cleaners or soultions to remove/repair a BAD bird dropping stain on a 2001 red Honda. have a hazy stain the size of an outstretched hand (I know, its huge) we live in Az. and need to get this thing off NOW. it already has been on for a week, but NOTHING I tried (soap/water, bug scrubber, bug&tar remover, light polishing, simple green) seems to make a difference. am ready to try WD40, vinegar, goo-gone....but am afraid to do permanent damage. please help
 
vinegar removes minor water spots when new. Wd-40 is safe for paint and will remove adhesive and bugs. Nothing is serious enough to get the etching out that was left by the doo-doo however, you will need to polish. You will probably need a harsher polish (Optimum Hyper, SSR 2.5 or 3.0) in order to remove the damaged clearcoat.
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
vinegar removes minor water spots when new. Wd-40 is safe for paint and will remove adhesive and bugs. Nothing is serious enough to get the etching out that was left by the doo-doo however, you will need to polish. You will probably need a harsher polish (Optimum Hyper, SSR 2.5 or 3.0) in order to remove the damaged clearcoat.
Click to expand...

"Remove the damaged clearcoat?" That doesn't sound good. What does that mean?

rambo (birdbombed today)
 
rambo said:
"Remove the damaged clearcoat?" That doesn't sound good. What does that mean?

rambo (birdbombed today)
Click to expand...

Essentially you need to polish (abrade) the surface in order to truly remove the etching. You will be removing a very minor or minute area of clearcoat. Always try something lighter first, Poorboys Bug and Tar works well, but if the mark is still there then a polish is the next step.
 
How long before the bird poop would begin to cause etching ?
 
joe.p said:
How long before the bird poop would begin to cause etching ?
Click to expand...

thats a hard question, as it could be almost immediately. I find that keeping a car well maintained and use of QD'ers helps to keep etching to a minimum. I would ALWAYS remove bug and birdie doo-doo asap. Keep a small micro, a small sprayer with QD like Showtime in a baggie in the trunk. I havent had alot of damage in years, but I am knocking on wood. It seems to be more of what the birds eat.
 
I guess i answerd my own question. I went outside to wash the car today and had a small area on the hood that etched. The poop was there nearly a week but it may have begin to etch before then. Yeah i know better.I normally clean it up right away. Blast away at me just don't poop..
 
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