Removing water spots on the black-top i3

[BigKetchup]

I have dried up silhouettes of what was previously water drops on my hood, roof, etc. I've seen some recommendations but can you recommend something that worked for your car?

Thanks!

[MKH]

What are you washing your car with? I use Wolfgang Concours Series WG-3700 Uber Rinse Less Wash, and the two-bucket wash method. The polymers in the wash protect and seal the surface and prevents water spotting. And with the two bucket method and rinse-less wash, you are washing and drying the car in sections, so no water is left on the car to dry and spot anyway. A final quick treatment with a good detailing spritz sealant further protects the hood and in particular the carbon fiber roof panel, which can be prone to sun/chemical damage. I use the Wolfgang Concours spritz sealant. Yeah, sounds like a ad for the stuff, but got sold on the Wolfgang brand after seeing several owners at high-end car shows using it prepping their cars. If the owner of a half-million dollar Lamborghini is using it....

[Fisher99]

If the water spots are light, just claybar it and then use a good polymer sealant. I use Rejex on all of my vehicles, but there are lots of great products out there. If the water spots are really heavy you might need to use a cleaner or very fine polishing compound.

[BigKetchup]

Wow, all these cleaning products. I end up havivg no clue what to use.

[Fisher99]

Wow, all these cleaning products. I end up havivg no clue what to use.

Don't over think it. Just pick any of the brand name product lines and go with it. Meguires, Mothers, Chemical Guys, Griot's, are just a few examples. You really can't make a bad choice with any of them. Your only mistake would be using conventional car wax instead of using a polymer sealant or one of the ceramic or graphene sealants. As I said, I use Rejex and love it, but any of the better known brands will do just fine. I'd start by purchasing a claybar kit and seeing whether that gets rid of the water spots. It probably will, but even if it doesn't you will want to claybar before using a sealant anyway. Aside from a good sealant, claybaring is probably one of the most important things you can do for your paint. I have used both the Mothers claybar kit and Griot's kit and both work equally well.

[BigKetchup]

That seems straightforward but what about general detailing? Like when should I polish, wax, use compound? When should I avoid using these product?

Also, I have a six-inch orbital buffer but what kind of brush heads should I use for each application?

Let me know if you can help with this. I didn't think it would be so complicated.

[Fisher99]

The basics aren't complicated. Claybar and then use a good sealant. How often? Depends upon the product you use and the conditions your car finds itself in (e.g., Garaged or not? Harsh sun or moderate climate? Harsh winter weather and salty roads?). But you will generally know when it's time for another round of claybar and sealant when you wash the car and the water no longer quickly beads/sheets/runs off. For my garaged cars I usually claybar and Rejex once a year, although I have gone up to 2 years for one of my lesser used garaged vehicles. For my i3 that spends its life outside I generally do this once a year for the main body and twice a year for the flat (hood and roof) surfaces. Your mileage may vary, but again, you'll know when it's time to redo. After I claybar and Rejex my car I can drive on the highway in a rainstorm and the car doesn't even appear to get wet the water comes off so fast.

If you really want to get into detailing I'd suggest that you start by watching some of the many great videos out there. Here are a couple good resources:

https://www.griotsgarage.com/category/h ... to+wash.do

https://www.chemicalguys.com/blogcontent?fdid=blog