Grit Spots Showing On Pearl White Paint

[Dave R.]

I've had my Gen III 2012 Prius from new (since September 12). The last one was black, so I had a change and this time went for the pearl white paint finish.

I've never really been one for washing the car, but decided that I really ought to look after this one - after all, any stains are likely to show up, and it's a lease car, so I have to pay an insurance excess if there's any damage etc, at the end of the lease..... so it gets cleaned every couple of weeks.

However - with the car not 6 months and 15,000 miles old, the paintwork on the doors is peppered with lots of tiny black dots. I guess that some are tar spots, but others are more like particles of grit embedded in the paint.

I'm sure the old black Prius didn't have this problem (you can feel the specks on the door if you wipe down with your hand). Have I just been unlucky and driven through a recently tarred road (not really aware of having done so.... and the speckling seems to be getting worse over time) or is it that the latest paint finishes are very soft and prone to pick up grit?

Anyone else having a similar problem with the white paint?

Any suggestions on how to clean these off (without wrecking the paint)?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Autoglym tar remover is excellent and doesn't damage paint. Recommend using the tar remover and washing off afterwards just to be on the safe side. Halfords sell it.

[Dave R.]

Autoglym tar remover is excellent and doesn't damage paint. Recommend using the tar remover and washing off afterwards just to be on the safe side. Halfords sell it.

Thanks - I was thinking "tar remover" as I was writing the post.... I'll give it a whirl and report back.

[timberwolf]

You'll also get grit embedded into the clear coat. I suspect it is too cold if you are cleaning the car outdoors to do anything more than wash it at the moment, but then I was never anything more than an amateur at detailing (it took me a while to remember the name they call "washing a car" )

To remove grit, there is clay and a lubricant, but once you've done that as I understand it, you've stripped away some the protection on the paint such as wax (if you've got any left from when you bought it?).

I've bought stuff from this site before although if I recall correctly I bought my detailing clay from a well known high street store. I can't say I've more than dabbled with it.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detailing-clay/cat_9.html

Might be worth considering a professional to detail your car, it is hours of work.

[Duffryn]

Perhaps get the Dealers' advice before doing too much to it - it's only 6 months old after all, and you don't want to do anything to jeopardise the paint warranty.

[Chris Dance]

Our Prius has a Pearl White finish and we have had no problems with it. I suspect you have some tar spots. I had some tar spots on the drivers side door last summer. I removed them with a good car polish. If you are uncertain about the "grit spots" on your car go to your dealer as previously suggested.

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

As mentioned previously, using a clay bar along with the right lubricant will remove all of these 'spots' for you.

I can personally recommend the Meguairs Smooth Surface clay Kit. You can pick one of these up from your local well known high street store for around £26, or slightly cheaper on the likes of Amazon (currently £23.48). The kit contains everything you need really, including a decent microfibre cloth. The process goes as follows:

Wash Car

Dry Car

Use clay bar on car in conjunction with the detailing spray (lubricant to stop the clay bar marring the surface)

Wipe off any residual lubricant with the microfibre cloth

Polish the car (I use the autoglym super resin polish as it contains 'fillers' that help to mask any light scratches)

Wax the car (you can use the wax supplied or a wax of your choice)

There are lots of video's around to take you through it all - I was a little nervous the first time, but you'll soon lose those inhibitions. The video link below may help you for starters:

http://www.meguiars.co.uk/video-demos/844

Just remember to keep folding the clay in on itself to keep the surface you are using on the car clean - I can't tell you how please you will be with the results. Also, only do a small area at a time - don't try and do a whole panel at once. A good rule of thumb I use is that I do 1/4 of the surface area of the bonnet at a time, and no more than that. Just run your hand over the panel before you start, feel the grittiness, then do the same once you've used the clay bar........smooth as silk!

If you need to know anything else, just ask and I'll do my best to help you.

[rotty]

The Mrs Gen III Prius is being handed back to the lease company on Friday as she's retiring from work. So as the weather was nice today I thought I'd better make sure the car was clean and up to scratch otherwise we'd get whacked for charges.

Lower halves of all the doors, bonnet, the front bumper and the rear bumper behind the wheels were all covered in black and brown hard tar spots which seemed to be welded to the paint. An hour with a clay bar and detailing spray and the car was immaculate again. It never fails to amaze me how the clay just pulls the crud out of the paint - much better than using a chemical and oddly more satisfying, especially getting that silky smooth finish back again.

Much more annoyingly is that some !Removed! must have 'touched' her nearside bumper going in or out of a parking space (probably at her work) and has just knocked a small 5mm chip right out of the sharp corner on the bumper - hugely noticeable black mark on a perfectly clean Pearl White car now so will have to have a bash with the touch-up paint and cocktail stick.