little orange spots

[callisto9]

so, i took curby to the cleaners today. kinda nice out! i didn't use the brush (thankyouverymuch), but used the hose and then dried him by hand. when i was drying him with a cloth, i noticed all these little orange / rust colored dots (really, really small), mostly around the fenders and wheel well.

1) what are these?
2) what's the best way to remove?

there were a ton of them and some where on the door, too. they would come off if i scratched them with a fingernail. they aren't really noticable until you're really close.

thanks in advance.

[Lnzbug]

Were they painting lane lines on any road you drove on? That's my guess WITHOUT PICS!

[callisto9]

nope. they look like little little little rust-colored spots, but they aren't rust. i've had them on silver cars before.

[from Margaritaville...]

Has a neighbor been painting their fence a "redwood" color? I imagine that your car is wearing some windborne overspray...

[Oyveychris]

Sometimes I get those on my car, but they are more like bumps. I get them when I park outside under the tree in my driveway...

[callisto9]

Has a neighbor been painting their fence a "redwood" color? I imagine that your car is wearing some windborne overspray...
nope. my previous silver car would get them, too. the stuff is always around the wheel well / fender area...generally. let me try and get a picture...

[callisto9]

another:

[Oyveychris]

Could it be rust? I know sometimes when mine sits for a couple of days the disc brakes get a lil rust on them. Maybe that's what's happening here, and the rust is being thrown off? Okay, I admit that was a little far fetched, but still....

[bugsy98nb]

Could it be rust? I know sometimes when mine sits for a couple of days the disc brakes get a lil rust on them. Maybe that's what's happening here, and the rust is being thrown off? Okay, I admit that was a little far fetched, but still....
Id have to say no if its on the fender , HELLO its plastic :) .. hehe . erin sure its not Tree sap ? My old BUgsy got the lil orange spots if he was parked under the maple tree .. then again if its only on the fenders, Maybe some road Grim ?? :confused:

[Oyveychris]

I know they are plastic:rolleyes: , What I was trying to say is that maybe the rust is being flung off the rotors when the brakes are applied...

[bugsy98nb]

I know they are plastic:rolleyes: , What I was trying to say is that maybe the rust is being flung off the rotors when the brakes are applied...
Oh oops :D

[callisto9]

I know they are plastic:rolleyes: , What I was trying to say is that maybe the rust is being flung off the rotors when the brakes are applied...

this is what i am thinking.

[iScott]

I'm going with the sapp theory. If not that, then some sort of pollen; perhaps overspray.

[callisto9]

i don't think it's sap. my guess is something coming off the brakes. my brakes are rusty colored like that. and it's only around the wheels. it's not like it's on top of my car or anything.

now, what do i use to remove it?!

[iScott]

I am by no means an expert on automobiles. But I'm quite sure that brake rotar rust goes away the first time you apply your brakes. Even then, I still don't see how it could be flung to the top side of your fenders. And even if it was flung off I don't see how it could stick to your car. Crazy stuff.

I say just pay close attention to your surroundings when you park and see if anything could be causing it. Good luck.

[callisto9]

hmmmm. i don't know. i know i saw it on my previous silver car, too. if it was sap, you'd think it would be all over the car.

anywho, what product do i use to remove it? i will be clay-barring the car in a few weeks - do you think that will do it?

[Toad]

I'd probably try polish and a buffing machine (makies it a ba-jillion times easier on your compared to hand rubbing). If you polish your fender,s your gonna want ot do the whole car, it will look amazing.

[callisto9]

I'd probably try polish and a buffing machine (makies it a ba-jillion times easier on your compared to hand rubbing). If you polish your fender,s your gonna want ot do the whole car, it will look amazing.

where can i find said buffing machine and how much will it cost?

[iScott]

Toad... are you referring to something like a hi-speed wax or to a rubbing compound? If you're good and careful, a hi-speed can really bring out a killer shine. I don't have much experience with rubbing compound or clay bar.

I'm sure you can find a good buffer at any auto parts store for about 20-30 dollars.

[Bef]

Probably road dirt/tar/etc. Use a good cleaning wax to get it off... Always works for me!

[Lnzbug]

I think they're freckles! Have you been parking in the sun lately? :)

[MATTSBUG]

i have had the same spots on my car...i was wondering if maybe the metallic flex in the paint rusted??? that may be far fetched, but thats what i thought was happening...because they do come off if you scrub hard i think... ;)

[Toad]

Toad... are you referring to something like a hi-speed wax or to a rubbing compound? If you're good and careful, a hi-speed can really bring out a killer shine. I don't have much experience with rubbing compound or clay bar.

I'm sure you can find a good buffer at any auto parts store for about 20-30 dollars. Last year i bought a cheesy autozone random orbit buffer to use. It totally spolied me and now i really want a nice orbital buffer, but those things are pricey as heck. And i havent used rubbing compound yet, i used regular meguires polish and nxt wax with it and i loved how much faster i could wax the car.

[blackonblack]

They are what we use to call raildust. They are metal particals that are airborn and land on your paint and oxidize or rust. Usually environmental fallout. The best way to remove them it with a clay bar. Buffer could loosen them and scratch the paint. They are in fact metal particals.

[iScott]

Wow. Is something like that due to an industrailized area? Or a really smog and pollution infested pot like Atlanta?

[Lnzbug]

She DOES live KINDA close to a nuke plant.

[callisto9]

She DOES live KINDA close to a nuke plant.

i do?

blackonblack - let me ask you this: if this IS raildust, how come it's only around my wheels?

i think i'd like to call them freckles.

[blackonblack]

If only around wheels and not on top surfaces of vehicle, it is probably from the brake rotors/pads. They do put off small particals as they wear. Would have the same effect.

Raildust got it's name from the iron particals that settle on vehicles when they are shipped by rail. It was caused by the metal dust caused by the train wheels contacting the rails. Brake rotor material would/could cause the same effect.

("Wow. Is something like that due to an industrailized area? Or a really smog and pollution infested pot like Atlanta?") Cities with heavy industry/pollution also see more of this.

[callisto9]

If only around wheels and not on top surfaces of vehicle, it is probably from the brake rotors/pads. They due put off small particals as they wear. Would have the same effect.

this is what i think it is, due to the area it's located.

[Lnzbug]

not REAL close but closer than I do :)

[callisto9]

not REAL close but closer than I do :) what are we talking about here?

[Lnzbug]

what are we talking about here?
How close you live to the nuke plant on the great Mississippi. OK forget it ,it was a bad joke.

[callisto9]

How close you live to the nuke plant on the great Mississippi. OK forget it ,it was a bad joke. :)

[CyberGypsy]

I Have them too...they same thing happened to me. mine do not come off

[callisto9]

I Have them too...they same thing happened to me. mine do not come off shoot! i am determined to find something that will remove them. i am waiting for nicer weather though.

[Oyveychris]

Clay bar and determination!:D

[callisto9]

Clay bar and determination!:D this is what i am thinking...

[BUG]

I had the same spots all over my '98 Golf which unfortunately is white !...at least it was white. It took ungodly hours to scrub these spots off with a claybar. Keep in mind that the car is not spoiled like my bug though and desperately needed a waxing. It might be easier to remove them from a car that's been recently waxed. They are definately rust spots and the worst were on the rear, but virtually every section of the car had them. What a pain ! On a positive note, I used NXT wax afterwards and my '98 looks like a '06 it's so darn shiney. I can't say enough about the product. I also recently used Nanowax on the bug and it looks phenominal. Deepest shine I've ever seen on a car and my baby is a '99.

[callisto9]

just an update to this thread.

it was upper 50s (!!!) today so i took curby to the car wash. as i was spraying him down, i noticed TONS more orange spots all over the car. :( hundreds, really. some of them were even getting bigger. you had to be about 1 foot from the car, but both sides were covered in them.

i finished cleaning him and drove home. i was kinda depressed since i figured it was the beginning of rust or something.

since it was still nice out, i grabbed my mother's claybar and though i'd give it a shot. and they came out! very easily, too! i am soooo happy this worked! i wasn't able to get all of them since our front yard is a disaster right now, but i'm so glad i found a solution that didn't involve sanding or major body work. :D

thanks mother's claybar! :heart:

[LadybugEwa]

I'd try using the cleaner wax (Mother's - comes with claybar) as often as possible. That way the spots have less chance of adhering to the paint.

[callisto9]

I'd try using the cleaner wax (Mother's - comes with claybar) as often as possible. That way the spots have less chance of adhering to the paint. i know. :o when i bought my house last year, my car maintenance took a backseat to home improvements.

i'll be giving curby a full cleaning this spring. :D

[Lnzbug]

just an update to this thread.

it was upper 50s (!!!) today so i took curby to the car wash. as i was spraying him down, i noticed TONS more orange spots all over the car. :( hundreds, really. some of them were even getting bigger. you had to be about 1 foot from the car, but both sides were covered in them.

i finished cleaning him and drove home. i was kinda depressed since i figured it was the beginning of rust or something.

since it was still nice out, i grabbed my mother's claybar and though i'd give it a shot. and they came out! very easily, too! i am soooo happy this worked! i wasn't able to get all of them since our front yard is a disaster right now, but i'm so glad i found a solution that didn't involve sanding or major body work. :D

thanks mother's claybar! :heart:
I'm sooo happy it wasn't the begining of rust. When I read that you grabbed your mothers claybar I thought it was your Mom's:rolleyes: I'm such a ditz sometimes :D

[callisto9]

I'm sooo happy it wasn't the begining of rust. When I read that you grabbed your mothers claybar I thought it was your Mom's:rolleyes: I'm such a ditz sometimes :D

:lol: but i still love you.