channelv

I unknowingly parked next to a sprinkler at my friend's apartment, and when i woke up, it was splattered all over the hood with this nasty brownish hard water. After washing it, i still couldnt get those nasty watermarks off the hood!! i tried scrubbing lightly with a terrycloth but it didnt do a thing! Its like it either etched into my hood or through my several layers of zaino. should i just put wax over it? please help!!

Zed 2.0

Clar bar, IHG or Meguiars Deep Crystal Polish.. if that doesn't remove it, you may be in trouble. I've heard people in here recommend vinegar for hard water stains, but I haven't tried it personally. If you want to get really serious, you could try something like CLR cleaner, although I'm willing to bet that its scary bad for clear coats.

RickM

....I agree with Chupacabra's suggestion of trying a mild glaze first, then maybe a clay bar if the glaze doesn't work. Start with the mildest/least aggressive approach first and work your way up only if necessary. Warm vinegar does work on hard water stains when there's high lime content in the water (the common definition of "hard" water). If you already have some vinegar in the house, it's worth a try since it'll cost you nothing except a little time. Use a 100% cotton cloth saturated in it. Let the warm vinegar sit on the stains for for a minute or two, since you're basically waiting for a chemical reaction that dissolves the mineral deposits. Then wipe lightly. If you notice an improvement, keep wiping until the stain is completely gone. With vinegar there's no need for "elbow grease" because the vinegar is doing the work. Vinegar will not harm the paint, but wash and wax the area after treatment. But like i said at the outset, this won't do you much good if the mineral content isn't chiefly lime.

Vince Krey

Aargh, the dread rusty water - I would be tempted to use a diluted Iron-Out solution and do a test spot. Hell, the chick who cuts my hair hi-lited it. Two weeks later, hi-lites disappearing, thanks to iron in my water. I'm tempted to try Iron-Out in my hair! Haha, sound like a freakin' girl...Hey, I just remembered - I had water spots on my windows and Bar Keeper's Friend did a good job at removing them.

Ketch

The OEM approved method and system is available for you to see at www.autoint.com

Look under OEM/TSB Section and the Technical Bulletins by Ford and others.

These are how to safely remove any iron contamination, neutralize acid rain spots before polishing, etc.

There are all so some photos and explainations under the Tech Tips Section that may aid you in understanding the concern.<ul><li><a href="http://www.autoint.com">http://www.autoint.com</a</li></ul>