Water etched windows and paint help requested.

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rover

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View attachment 75504View attachment 75505I purchased a LR4 with severe water etched windows and paint. Because the car is white the spots are not that noticeable to the average person but they irritate me. My windows though are pretty terrible as well as any trim. I have tried to fix the windows with vinegar, 0000 steel wool etc. nothing worked. On the paint I have tried claying as well as pinnacle swirl remover on my flex 3401. Nothing. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
 
Try CarPro Descale to remove the deposits.

CARPRO Descale 500 ml

For trim, I’d recommend picking up P21S Paintwork Cleanser which is a very mild polish and use with foam wax applicators.

P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser car polish - This pre-wax cleaner and polish is a German blend of quality ingredients that will make wax
6 Pack Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicators

For paint, you may need to go to a stronger polish or even a compound if real bad. I’ve tried most of the major polishes and my favorite medium compound is Griot’s Fast Correcting Cream and their Perfecting Cream gets good reviews. I like the Uro-Tec and Uro-Fiber pads on my CBeast, which is the nickname for the cordless version related to the Flex 3401.

Griots Garage BOSS Perfecting Cream
Griots Garage Fast Correcting Cream
 
Try what was suggested and if it doesn't work..use a rayon glass pad with some Ceriglass. As for your paint, use a mirofiber cutting pad and a good cutting compound such as 3D, Sonax or Griot.
 
Water spots CAN ( not always ) get so bad they need to be wet sanded ( on the paint of course )
First hand exp. speaking
You might try spot polishing first with a small rotary if you have one-- dab something like M205 or shock cut on the spot and just work that very small area, then of course finish the whole area with the polish you would normally use
 
My wife’s minivan had real bad spotting on the passenger side and hood. Had to break out a Rupes blue wool coarse pad and Griot’s Fast Correction Cream but that finally did the trick. Uro-Tec UtoFiber pad would also work.
 
Thanks everyone. I’m overwhelmed with the responses. I truly appreciate you all reaching out. I’ll keep you all posted.
 
What type of microfiber cutting pad would you recommend for my flex 3401?
 
I used to like microfiber (Meguiars Fone and Cut pads) but I really like wool now and use them on my cordless Flex fixed rotation (CBeast). I like the Rupes blue and yellow wool pads and those are probably the pads I use most now. Others seem to speak highly of the Uro-Fiber pads and I plan to try those one day as I do like the Uro-Tec foam pads. With wool/fiber pads, you can’t do as many passes without cleaning out the pads or the fibers will get matted and not do as much work. And while a normal pad brush will work with fiber pads, a quick blast of compressed air from an air hose nozzle works even better for cleaning the pads out really quick.
 
Oh. Can you not use the flex 3401 with a microfiber pad? Do I need to purchase a different polisher?
 
rover said:
Oh. Can you not use the flex 3401 with a microfiber pad? Do I need to purchase a different polisher?
Click to expand...

I use microfiber and wool pads with my CBeast without issue. The Flex 3401 is the original Beast and then there is a cordless version (XCE 8-125) of the Beast that are both very similar such as 8mm of forced rotation. So you could absolutely use a microfiber pad on a Flex 3401. Whether you use a certain pad or type of pad is more user preference between foam, microfiber, wool, etc. then there are different shapes, thickness, hardness, etc.

Here is a/the thread on the Flex forced-rotation polishers for more info. Written by Mike Phillips who was the forum manager and lead trainer for many years at Autogeek.
The FLEX BEAST, Supa BEAST & CBEAST - 8mm Gear-Driven Orbital Polishers
 
rover said:
Oh. Can you not use the flex 3401 with a microfiber pad? Do I need to purchase a different polisher?
Click to expand...
Yes you CAN use microfiber pads on a gear driven machine. It might just not be the best choice.

Just keep in mind that microfiber pads were really designed to get the max amount of cut from a free spinning da. Mf pads also create more heat than wool. So using a mf pad on a gear driven machine which has more power than a free spinning tool, will heat up the mf pads even faster. Which in turn will cause the pads to wear down faster, and also while more common with a rotary, if not done properly could heat up the clear as well.

Also what tyoe of pads do you currently have for your beast machine? What type of abrasives as well?
Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
 
3D Eraser Gel. One window at a time. Apply liberally, let dwell for 30 seconds. THEN use it combined with 0000 steel wool. Rinse thoroughly. Check for spots. Any remaining can be removed using the 0000 dry. Just be sure to wash and rinse the window and any areas below completely to remove dusting from the steel wool.
 
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