well water ---spots galore
 

Besides using a filter on my hose and trying to dry my car asap after rinsing-does anyone know how to avoid or eliminate water spots??? I cannot dry the car fast enough to prevent them. It looks terrible on the black cherry color-help!:confused:

All I can recommend is washing in the shade. The water "spots" that are hard to remove are actually etchings from sunlight being magnified by the water droplets. Other water spots are mineral deposits, which usually wipe off easily if you catch them quickly.

wash your car in the evening or after it has cooled down and isn't that sunny. Get yourself 2 large waffle weave microfiber drying towels. These are incredibly absorbent, you can just wring them out and keep drying. Take one and dry the whole car down real quick. Then take the other and some detail spray like meguiars quik detailer, and spray a bit on as your dry each area. it will leave you with a flawless, spotless,streak free shine. (assuming that you have no spots under your wax/sealant)

the drying with quikdetailer i was shown by the guy who did my clearbra install, and it really works out great!

like stated. you can't wash it in the sun. I know ONR helps soften water further and I am left with little to no water spots. But that is a different type of washing method where you dry the car right after cleaning a section. Try some of the "no water/rinse" washes out there that can be a very effective tool for those who don't have garages/ shade to utilize.
I'll be sending you a PM on this... :)

Have you tried taking the nozzle off the hose and pour water on your z, creating a sheeting action? After this you will have small drops of water that you can pat dry.

you don't need a garage or any shade if you wash it in the evening. everyone has evening. this time of year, in north carolina, i wouldn't wash before 7:00-7:30. by the time you are done, it should be pretty well into dusk.

thanks!!!
 

thank you guys for your quick replies- I will try the suggestions and hopefully my Z will no longer be spotted. it was driving me NUTZ :eek:

Try pouring/rinse buckets of "warm house water" over your car immediately after rinsing with the hose. You'll need extra buckets that are "ready to pour"!
Well water, going thru the water heater, should/may/hopefully eliminate some of the chemicals in the well water!

It's called the Sham-Wow, my friends..!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm03Dgu_yXA

There's the Mr. Clean Car Wash deal and it has a filtered misting rinse that is fantastic for rinsing without water spots.

Sham-Wow is a FAIL

I wash my car in my garage but if I could not..............

CRSpotless.com - Wash, Rinse, and Walk Away

How much are you willing to invest? :tiphat:

I used to use the Mr. Clean Car Wash nozzle and it was actually pretty good about not leaving spots as long as you kept a fresh filter in it. But I could only get about 5 washes out of it before its indicator changed brown telling me I needed to replace the filter. For what I was spending on a year's worth of those disposable filters I bought one of these:
Garden Hose Water Softener Canister

$48 for the water softner canister and another $21 for the filter insert.

Another $5 worth of water softner pellets from the supermarket allows you to recharge the filter insert for about 20 years or so.

You just put it between two lengths of hose and works like a charm.

:iagree:Waste of money, they don't work as advertised.

:iagree:

leafblower ftw

wow! yes-i keep buying filters-pain in the buttttt. I only use the Mr.Clean apparatus and put Wolfgang shampoo in it. But I still am getting the spots. I am going to follow a few of the helpful hints given here. this water softener might be the charm! thanks!

leafblower does not throw any dust? I have one in my toolshed that just sits there-ha maybe i will try it!

sham wow guy
 

he is a trip-:bowrofl:

the guys at my detailer use a leafblower, but they wash inside, so not really any dust.

i have a leaf blower sitting in my tool shed-i could move the car to the grass(tough Bermuda grass) and try it. That plus the other tips might be the trick-since my neighbor's use Dawn or whatever to wash their vehicles-they are going to think I am nuts but i dont care. NO SPOTS! :icon17:

that is what i need-a detailer! but can i trust them with my new baby...:icon14:

ok-$300-3000 for this mug....but looks like quality stuff. HHmmmmm

depends where you go. Look at their website if they have one. look at the types of cars they do. You'd rather go to a place that does very high end cars because they are probably better, if someone with a lambo/ferrari trusts them with their car, than you can certainly trust them with your Z. Where as if you go to joe shmoes place, and the highest end car he does is a VW Golf, you might want to reconsider.
The Junkman, a user on here, has a bunch of videos on youtube of how to do various parts of detailing and they are really good. If you have the right tools, products, and know how, you can do it yourself.

No do not use Dawn! It will remove your wax! Unless your planing on re waxing!

SD,
I have well water also and I get spots unless I use the spigot that the water softener passes thru.

Do you have a softener?

Simple and it works, No drying to be done.
at your local autoparts store or Target
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

I get spots really easy on mine as well due to the water where I live. After washing I blow dry the car (cleaned leaf blower) and wipe it down with Adam's waterless wash…….no spots

i dont use Dawn
 

:ugh2: I don't use Dawn-my ignorant neighbors do on their vehicles lol. I would not let any of them TOUCH my car.

yeah-i watched a video on swirl marks-eek . I live in Chapel Hill NC --but maybe there is a detailer in Raleigh that does high end cars. If it is too far from the hospital where I work-I will just do it myself. Might be fun anyway....:excited:

no but I am planning on getting a filter that goes on the garden hose. it is a pain to have well water-hard well water, that is.

:tiphat: yes-i got this and put Wolfgang car shampoo in it. I still get spots-filters turn dark pretty quickly.

Sounds like the leaf blower is the way to go. I actually have one in my tool shed that has never been used. I will get it out this weekend-I am ready to rock and roll!

Metro vac n blow is a great auto detailing tool. vacuum and a blower and pretty powerful to.

I am looking at polishers too-do you use one? What kind if you do?

Sounds like your'e getting pretty serious:

check out:
Adam's Complete Dual-Action Car Polisher Kit

Since they are vendors there is a discount you can get as well.

honestly man with wax and polish I would do it by hand. If you are using a machine make sure you are using a "Machine Polish" opposed to a hand/normal polish I would start by looking at the Adam's website link on the forum, they have a variety of both. I would recommend a "Machine Polish" and one of the machines recommended by them, there is many videos from them with demos, tips and recommendations for product uses. GL!:tup:


It becomes very addictive I find the more I get into detailing my Z!



Post above is basically the same didn't update as I wrote my post!

start with a porter cable IMHO. As that is what I did and the new one has godo amount of power and versatility. There is a really good kit from Autogeek.net, and has everything you could need, this is about the same that I use and would recommend to you. Also Meguire's G110 V2 polisher is very good. Mix it with some new Hydrotech pads and good microfiber towels and your set up for perfection. PM if you want to discuss these more.

Dual Action Orbital Polishers and pads: Porter Cable 7424 : Porter Cable 7424XP: Lake Country Buffing Foam Pads

yeah the leafblower is a great way to dry the car.. and you can blow all the water out of the tought cracks so it doesnt run down later and leave spots, then hit ur car with polish and wax and ur good

I wash my car before I leave the firehouse on occasion, but the leaf blower there walked away. So I drive down the highway at about 80mph and that does the trick. I'm afraid towels will leave swirls