Questions for car lovers

The paint on my car is in a sorry state. I like to know if any of you could tell me how to clean it up a little. I tried a few kinds of cleaners and polishes, but became even worse.
I followed the instructions on the bottle to the letter, including cool and dry surface in shade.
I used:
Turtle Wax
Nu Finish
Pre Wax Cleaner
Rubbing compound
The first photo is the Card Hood with a spot on it that I don't know where it came from. After an oil change, some mechanic left the tank cap off, on top of my battery, rather than sealing the tank and too much oil had spilled on my engine. I took my car back for them to clean the engine and a few days later I saw this shiny spot where all the surrounding paint had worn out. They denied it.
The second one is the whole hood where the paint has been worn out and someone recommended rubbing compound and it became worse.
The third one is the rubber on top of my bumper where I accidentally dropped a piece of glue.

it's hosed.

you may need that professionally buffed. they'll strip it down to the raw paint and add a new coat of polish at many full service car washes or body shops. that is, if it's worth it to you.

you could also buy/rent a buffer, but i wouldn't trust myself with one for that job.

edit: didn't see the glue one...
my guess, from looking at it is that the glue most likely softened the plastic. i think you're going to have to live with that one.

It looks to me like you just left the turtle wax on a little too long. maybe im wrong...

I assume weather is hot where you are (unlike Ireland), so you would have to get it off quicker.


Oil will not to any harm to your engine.



Try using petrol on the spot where "the paint is worn out" it may not be... it may just be oil reacting with the paint?

eric said:

it's hosed.

you may need that professionally buffed. they'll strip it down to the raw paint and add a new coat of polish at many full service car washes or body shops. that is, if it's worth it to you.

you could also buy/rent a buffer, but i wouldn't trust myself with one for that job.

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During the warranty period, I ended up getting a huge bird poop mark on the hood that ate the paint up. Honda honored the warranty and repainted the hood. The car is only 7 years old and I started noticing this worn out look in about 3 years or so, only got worse and worse.
I don't mind paying, but I have some doubts that it will work.
After knowing that it is not the factory paint, do you still think that buffing would work?

yes. as long as there is paint on the hood (and most likley a clear coat that's messed up, they'll buff down as much as they need to, which should not be through the entire paint layer, maybe not even through the whole clear coat layer, then either apply new clear coat or wax.

I would have it professionally detailed and buffed out. If you can't afford to have it professionally done or can't find a reputable detailer, you might want to consider using a clay bar on it. Clay bars can work wonders if the problem is simply surface contamination. If the layers of clear coat have been damaged or eaten away, no amount of buffing will help it. I should also add that rubbing compound is an abrasive - it WILL remove layers of paint if buffed incorrectly or excessively. It should only be used by a professional.

It's very difficult to ascertain with any degree of certainty exactly what the problem is based on pictures alone. I highly recommend you take it to a detailer and at least get their opinion and an estimate (do not an auto body or paint shop - they'll want to paint it as it means $$$ in their pockets).

That paint needs vitamin E.

iRock said:

It looks to me like you just left the turtle wax on a little too long. maybe im wrong...

I assume weather is hot where you are (unlike Ireland), so you would have to get it off quicker.


Oil will not to any harm to your engine.

Try using petrol on the spot where "the paint is worn out" it may not be... it may just be oil reacting with the paint?

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The weather is very hot here, but I wax my car late in the evening, in the shade with engine cool all day.

Oil did not harm the engine, but it was smoking by the time my husband noticed it. So, it had to be cleaned up and I made the mechanic clean it.

I agree with the oil reacting with the paint and keeping it shiny only in that spot. When I first noticed the spot, rest of the hood was not this bad, but the spot stayed perfect and rest went to pot.

MacHeadCase said:

That paint needs vitamin E.

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lol MacHeadCase

eric said:

it's hosed.

you may need that professionally buffed. they'll strip it down to the raw paint and add a new coat of polish at many full service car washes or body shops. that is, if it's worth it to you.

you could also buy/rent a buffer, but i wouldn't trust myself with one for that job.

edit: didn't see the glue one...
my guess, from looking at it is that the glue most likely softened the plastic. i think you're going to have to live with that one.

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Here is where the glue is.

eric said:

yes. as long as there is paint on the hood (and most likley a clear coat that's messed up, they'll buff down as much as they need to, which should not be through the entire paint layer, maybe not even through the whole clear coat layer, then either apply new clear coat or wax.

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I think it is wort doing it. It costs $150 for the entire car, inside and out and it looks new. We had done it for my husband's car and the neighbor's wanted to know if we had bought a new car. His truck is 18 years old and he gets notes left in his windshield from people leaving their phone numbers to inquire if we would sell it. We don't have a for sale sign on it, either.

johntalin said:

Here is where the glue is.

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Nail polish remover can easily clean up super (or Krazy) glue. You might want to test it on an inconspicuous place on the plastic to make sure that it won't do any more damage before you treat the glue spot.

johntalin said:

I think it is wort doing it. It costs $150 for the entire car, inside and out and it looks new. We had done it for my husband's car and the neighbor's wanted to know if we had bought a new car. His truck is 18 years old and he gets notes left in his windshield from people leaving their phone numbers to inquire if we would sell it. We don't have a for sale sign on it, either.

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A good detailer should be able to tell you for certain whether it's worth salvaging ahead of time. Don't just make an appointment, have them take a look and ask their opinion first.

cwa107 said:

I would have it professionally detailed and buffed out. If you can't afford to have it professionally done or can't find a reputable detailer, you might want to consider using a clay bar on it. Clay bars can work wonders if the problem is simply surface contamination. If the layers of clear coat have been damaged or eaten away, no amount of buffing will help it. I should also add that rubbing compound is an abrasive - it WILL remove layers of paint if buffed incorrectly or excessively. It should only be used by a professional.

It's very difficult to ascertain with any degree of certainty exactly what the problem is based on pictures alone. I highly recommend you take it to a detailer and at least get their opinion and an estimate (do not an auto body or paint shop - they'll want to paint it as it means $$$ in their pockets).

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There is a very reputable place near by. I think I will take it there to get their opinion. They have been pretty honest with me before.

The only thing you can probably do about the glue is find a solvent for it, but that may eat away at the rubber too. Check the label about what surfaces it's safe for.

As for the paint, take it to a detailer and have them check it. Even if they say they can fix it, have them do a small spot and show you the results to see if they work before paying for the whole car.

If that doesn't work and as long as there's good paint underneath, a paint shop can sand the surface and put a fresh coat of clearcoat on it. Some place cheap can easily do it and make it look good again at a minimal cost because they won't ( or shouldn't) need to remove any panels; just tape, sand and shoot.

Don't listen to one person's negative attitude about paint/body shops. Just check for a good reputable one. Despite common belief, there are some good people left in the world.

nail polish remover may also ruin the plasic cover (test as cwa suggests). what kind of glue was it?

fleurya said:

Don't listen to one person's negative attitude about paint/body shops. Just check for a good reputable one. Despite common belief, there are some good people left in the world.

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I don't have a negative opinion of body shops. I've seen a lot of excellent work - it's just that a good detailer, will happily try to restore the finish. A body shop will be more inclined to repaint the car. The difference is akin to going to a plastic surgeon to treat a blemish before trying a dermatologist.

cwa107 said:

Nail polish remover can easily clean up super (or Krazy) glue. You might want to test it on an inconspicuous place on the plastic to make sure that it won't do any more damage before you treat the glue spot.

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I used ammonia and that's about it.
I have made messes out of things that would have been better left alone. The bumper plastic gets stained very easy as you can see from the rest of it.
Since it is so stained already, I guess it would not hurt to try an inconspicuous place, like underneath it.

Hi JT...love the new avatar by the way...didn't know you husband was that attractive;D
I love my car and love giving it a wash and polish regularly. However you cars looks like you need professional help. You can do more harm that good with clay bars, buffers etc. Oh and by the way, nail polish remover is for nails not cars.
Spend the dollars and you won't regret it.

johntalin said:

I used ammonia and that's about it.
I have made messes out of things that would have been better left alone. The bumper plastic gets stained very easy as you can see from the rest of it.
Since it is so stained already, I guess it would not hurt to try an inconspicuous place, like underneath it.

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Mother's makes a product called Back to Black that does a good job on things like this, even when they're badly oxidized. It doesn't last forever, but it's pretty easy to apply after a car wash to help it look new again.