ok. i've read a few other threads about people having small rust spots. i too have a few very tiny rust spots on my silver RA. so i went to the dealer the other day to pick up my galant windshield washer nozzles and i asked a guy about these tiny rust spots. he came out and looked at the car and told me that these rust spots arent even in the paint. he said they're rail rust from being shipped that got stuck on the clear coat and baked in from the sun. he told me they needed to do something w/ clay to fix it and that they would need the car for a day. and they told me that this is also covered under our warranty.

i was just wondering if this sounds like a legit reason for the rust spots and if anyone else was told that about their rust spots.

 

just as long as they say its under warranty and theyll fix it, you should be happy

 

Covered under warranty, you're getting it taken care of = who care if the guy made something up...

 

The guy was right about the rail dust. Tiny specks of iron from railways get stuck in your wax/clear coat and then oxidize (rust). What you have to do is, every little while, use clay on the car. Not ordinary clay, go to an auto shop and ask for detailing clay or a clay bar. Mothers makes one and I think mecguires does as well. What you do is, they usually come with spray lubricant. Wash the car WELL, rinse it WELL and then pull under some shade. Make the clay into a "patty" and spray a few foot area of the car with the lubricant. Move the clay bar back and forth, it will pick out all the crap embedded in your paint. Once the whole car is done, rinse it again and if you need, polish/wax etc. My explaination was vague, do a google search for "car detailing with clay" or something similar.
The way you know there is stuff in your paint is after you wash and rinse the car, while it is still wet, run your hand along some panels. ANYTHING less than mirror smooth means there is crap stuck in the paint, you need to clay.

 

Even without the rust spots, giving your car the clay bar treatment before polishing/waxing is a must! It pulls all the crap out of your paint and makes it look a LOT better!

 

thanks guys, i was unaware of this and the whole rail rust thing kinda made me think "why didnt i notice this before, like the day i picked the car up?" cuz i definitely looked it over before i drove it off the lot. but now i know, thanks a lot!

 

The oxidation of the dust in the paint takes a while...
The dust was imbedded in your paint when you bought it, but it was not visible... When the dust begins to oxidate that's when the "tiny rust spots" are visible...

Otter, I'm going to have to try the clay bar now that warm weather's coming in Chi... Thanks for the suggestion!!!

 

eyo alkalinetrio124..u think we have those kind of dealerships here in chi-city?? lol i have rust too..stupid snow..i wish i had a garage..lol haha..we should take a trip to the dealership mna..haha..

 

Exactly, don't EVER polish or wax without claying first (IMO). I know many people do, but if you want to keep your paint under the wax clean, you HAVE to wax. No amount of scrubbing pulls off everything.
Here's a question, if someone knows, what's something good to use to remove old wax before putting a new coat on? I heard using dawn dishwashing detergent gets the wax off, this a good idea?

 

i had the same problem just take it to the dealer and they will take care of it btw
where do you get a clay bar at

 

Any good auto parts store should have them. I went to one today and they had the mecguire's bar and the mother's bar. Clay bars are getting more common by the year. IMO I wouldn't take it to the dealer, they may do something stupid like buff the "rust" off. Claying won't damage anything (use enough spray/keep the paint wet) and it really is slick at removing things. Works on wheels and windows too. But I wouldn't do it on wheels unless it is an old, full clay bar. One other thing, no matter HOW clean the ground is under you, DO NOT reuse a bar you dropped, no matter how sure you are that you got everything out. A tiny speck of dirt will scratch everything up.

 

Yeah, dish soap will get your wax off. Only issue is that it'll leave residue on your car. You have to rinse the car really thoroughly to get it all off. Whatever bit that might be left on after that will be taken care of when you go over it with clay and then a polish.

Reminder to you all, never wash your car with dish soap unless you are intentionally trying to remove your wax (in order to replace it.) Use detergents made for washing cars, they'll leave your wax intact.

Also want to emphasize what captian150 just said about dropping clay bars - if you drop yours, do NOT reuse it!!!!!! It will cut up your paint! If you're clumsy, buy two clay bars so you have one as backup.

 

^^^^ Do I really need to use a polish? Yeah I have black, but no swirl marks (yet I was thinking of washing with dishwashing soap, rinsing (well), claying then wax. Sound good for paint still in good shape?

 

Polish is mostly for looks, wax is for protection. If your paint looks good, I don't think there is a need for polish.

 

Since you and I are just coming out of winter, I'd give your paint the full treatment. Here's what I personally do (after wash/clay) -

Once a year (spring) - use a liquid paint cleaner, such as what Maguire's offers, and I think Zaino has one, too. This will remove any oddities in your paint from the winter (discolorations and such). I don't recommend doing this more than once per year.

2-3 times per year - polish the entire car. Smoothes everything out and makes it look all perdy

About every 2 months - apply a fresh coat of wax so everything stays pretty

Normal car polish won't get rid of swirl marks, usually. To get rid of those you need a fine cut polish (this is what those swirl-removing polishes are.) These usually need to be applied by a buffer, too.