Bird shit etched paint

[santos.]

A couple months ago I had to leave my car parked outside at the airport for a few days, and returned to find a bird had shat right on my trunk. After washing I noticed an acid etching stain in the clear coat, and chalked it up to it sitting for a few days in the sun and forced myself to get over it (on the trunk after all).

But then today another winged shitting terror nailed my hood, dead center, roughly six inches wide. I washed and waxed it as soon as possible, maybe a couple hours max. But to my dismay even this was too long, and I have yet another etched reminder tagged on my car, this time in a more noticeable place.





Haven't owned a black car in a while, but I don't remember the paint being this weak. I have ordered some Meguiar's M105/205 and will attempt to polish it out, but I don't love the idea of thinning the paint. This is probably my best option though, right? Have you guys noticed quick etching as well? How do you combat it?

[the4siswickid]

A couple months ago I had to leave my car parked outside at the airport for a few days, and returned to find a bird had shat right on my trunk. After washing I noticed an acid etching stain in the clear coat, and chalked it up to it sitting for a few days in the sun and forced myself to get over it (on the trunk after all).

But then today another winged shitting terror nailed my hood, dead center, roughly six inches wide. I washed and waxed it as soon as possible, maybe a couple hours max. But to my dismay even this was too long, and I have yet another etched reminder tagged on my car, this time in a more noticeable place.





Haven't owned a black car in a while, but I don't remember the paint being this weak. I have ordered some Meguiar's M105/205 and will attempt to polish it out, but I don't love the idea of thinning the paint. This is probably my best option though, right? Have you guys noticed quick etching as well? How do you combat it?

The best wax I have ever used - two coats of Rejex and then multiple coats of Adams spray detail whenever there is any dust, between washes (Adams contains carnauba). Every 2 mos or so, I'll apply another coat of Mothers pure carnauba (if garaged, and every mos if not) to protect the original Rejex finish. I haven't had an etching in forever. I have traded in two vehicles with this technique and have actually had to convince the dealer that they weren't repainted because they were 4mil thicker than factory paint!

That being said, I'm about to try CarPro Ceramic finish in place of Rejex - two coats. The rest of my treatment being the same. We will see of this holds up even better.

But for the money, Rejex is the best! Easy application, too.

[dangerxtrem]

I agree that our paint is rather weak... Even just a few hours of bird poop it usually starts to etch through my clear coat :(


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[santos.]

The best wax I have ever used - two coats of Rejex and then multiple coats of Adams spray detail whenever there is any dust, between washes (Adams contains carnauba). Every 2 mos or so, I'll apply another coat of Mothers pure carnauba (if garaged, and every mos if not) to protect the original Rejex finish. I haven't had an etching in forever. I have traded in two vehicles with this technique and have actually had to convince the dealer that they weren't repainted because they were 4mil thicker than factory paint!

That being said, I'm about to try CarPro Ceramic finish in place of Rejex - two coats. The rest of my treatment being the same. We will see of this holds up even better.

But for the money, Rejex is the best! Easy application, too.

Interesting, thanks. I assumed if it could etch clear coat a layer of wax wouldn't stand a chance. I actually did wax it last week, but apparently not all waxes are created equally. Will have to up my game.

I agree that our paint is rather weak... Even just a few hours of bird poop it usually starts to etch through my clear coat :(

Have you done anything about them?

[will13k7]

some compounding and polishing should get it out, it did for me.

[audistealth]

I currently use NXT 2.0 and have had success with it in the past. It's not one of the exotic waxes, but it's good IMO.

[raudiace4]

Audi paint blows. Absolutely BLOWS.

[Audibot]

some compounding and polishing should get it out, it did for me.

Ditto. I had a wicked etching on my hood from a bird turd in about 100 degree sun. I ended up being able to polish it out with a bit more aggressive polish (not quite to compounding level though) and you wouldn't know it had happened.

[santos.]

I guess it's safe enough to assume that a bird won't strike the same place twice, but how many times can you compound/polish before worrying about perforating the clear coat?

[will13k7]

I guess it's safe enough to assume that a bird won't strike the same place twice, but how many times can you compound/polish before worrying about perforating the clear coat?

it depends, but if you do that once a year, supposedly you don't need to worry about it. you can always get the paint measured to see how much clear coat you have left if you get worried.

[stoked_S4]

Audi paint is very thin. I heard new paints are not as strong compared to 4-5 years ago due to environmental reasons.

I always carry a small bottle of water and paper towels. Bunch up and soak some towel and let it sit on bird shit for 30-45 seconds and then scoop it up gently and never wipe side to side. Keep scooping and using clean part of the towel. Reapply if needed. It saved many spots on the car but does not help many days of poop sitting on paint especially baked under the sun.

[sirsycott]

my car is opticoated, and I laugh now cause i never get etching
ive literally leave it on for a few days to bake and there's no traces after

[The.Wizard]

Similar to the post above ^^^ Having had several black cars over the years the dreaded bird strikes are a nightmare. What I can suggest is get the paint deep cleaned the buffed over with some suitable polish..Scholl Concepts is good but what ever you prefer.
The key after restoration is to have a ceramic coating applied like CQuartz Finest or as mentioned above Opticoat, it really does give another level of real protection to the clearcoat.
Not so sure you can buy it retail as it's a professional product and preparation is key. These products help prevent light swirling too.

P.s I've been told that birds shit on shiny cars while generally flying over because of the reflections are similar to water. I personally think the little barstewards are reincarnated chavs..

Edit: a link for your information
http://www.elitefinishdetailing.com/paint-protection/

[PSUGOLD]

Mine had the same thing, used Maguires Ultimate Compound and it took care of it.

[squashman]

Audi paint is very thin. I heard new paints are not as strong compared to 4-5 years ago due to environmental reasons.

I always carry a small bottle of water and paper towels. Bunch up and soak some towel and let it sit on bird shit for 30-45 seconds and then scoop it up gently and never wipe side to side. Keep scooping and using clean part of the towel. Reapply if needed. It saved many spots on the car but does not help many days of poop sitting on paint especially baked under the sun.

Paper towels should get nowhere near a car's paint! MF towels + detailing spray only! Paper towels, despite no rubbing/side-to-side, will leave behind tiny swirls or light scratches in the clear. Not something that can't be power polished out, but why even create the issue?

[SwankPeRFection]

Paper towels should get nowhere near a car's paint! MF towels + detailing spray only! Paper towels, despite no rubbing/side-to-side, will leave behind tiny swirls or light scratches in the clear. Not something that can't be power polished out, but why even create the issue?

Actually, this depends on the paper towel and the same holds true if using it for glasses (vision/sun). Some don't have fibers in them that can scratch while some do, so it's not quite a black and white statement as you put it.

[squashman]

Actually, this depends on the paper towel and the same holds true if using it for glasses (vision/sun). Some don't have fibers in them that can scratch while some do, so it's not quite a black and white statement as you put it.

The darkest shade of grey and the slightest shade of off-white. General rule of thumb, don't go near your car's paint with paper towels. Are you going to research the fibre content and it's potential scratch characteristics? Quality MF towels are a guess-free way of cleaning up the paint.

[The.Wizard]

I use baby wipes if I'm out and about. If the bird shit has dried on I squeeze some liquid from the baby wipe on it and let it soak for a minute or two. Then I pick the shit off with the baby wipe..note: I never rub it, bird shit has grit in it so be warned. Same goes If the bird shit is wet or freshly bombed..lol

[santos.]

I'm impressed to hear that there are products out there that can protect from this, may have to get one if repairing these grows old. Or just sit outside with a pellet gun.

Will report back with results from the Meguiar'a M105/M205 though. Thanks guys.

[SwankPeRFection]

I'm impressed to hear that there are products out there that can protect from this, may have to get one if repairing these grows old. Or just sit outside with a pellet gun.

Will report back with results from the Meguiar'a M105/M205 though. Thanks guys.

From what I hear, AMG paint is pretty durable too. I have no idea why Audi is so cheap with paint. It seems like every brand of car that I like ends up having cheap ass paint.

[Pilfer]

I'm not impressed with Audis paint either. My Subaru had much less road rash over three years of driving compared to my Audi at less than two years


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[Red87]

Mine had the same thing, used Maguires Ultimate Compound and it took care of it.

Seconding this. Ultimate Compound takes etching out pretty good. Needs a bit of elbow work or a DA polisher, but it will come out no problem.

[infinkc]

I bought some Adams paint correcting polish and a 4" pad and adapter for a drill. Waiting for it in the mail, going to try this setup for some deep scratches and poop etches. My flex wouldn't take it out with member a fg400 polish.

[The.Wizard]

From what I hear, AMG paint is pretty durable too. I have no idea why Audi is so cheap with paint. It seems like every brand of car that I like ends up having cheap ass paint.

Audi group paint is one of the hardest out there. Apart from a clear vinyl wrap on your paint nothing will really protect paint from bird ship if it's left on for a long period of time.

[mact3333]

a porter and cable random orbital polisher is a must....got rid of the worst swirl marks I have ever seen when I bought my phantom blk 2011 S4 used.

[PCHS4]

Ever since lead based paint was eliminated all paint sucks.

My car is black and I carry around Mother's detail spray in my trunk with micro-fiber towels. But if I don't get to it before the bird shit dries, it will etch. I just leave it be until I take it in for my regular detail job. At that point the detailer removes it. I am not convinced it's a good idea to over polish paint, like every time there is a small blemish.

[jmcS4]

"Winged Shitting Terror". Highlight I this thread

[Luna's S4]

Audi paint blows. Absolutely BLOWS.

^ It happened once and have a constant reminder. Now find water & towels, and rinse ASAP. Damn you beautiful birds!

[Crucible35]

Mine had the same thing, used Maguires Ultimate Compound and it took care of it.

^^^^^This is exactly what I use and it has worked flawlessly with all the etching on my paint and I park outdoors full time.

[santos.]

For the guys who have repaired with compound, do you do the whole car or just the area in question? I'm doing it by hand so was planning on limiting it to the etched areas, but maybe that's a bad idea because it will cause unevenness in the clear coat...

[santos.]

Interesting development...

It rained all week, so today I finally got around to washing the car. Got the M105/205 from Amazon and was ready to get my polish on, but after the wash I realized I could no longer see the etch! It is literally gone, even upon inspection with an LED flashlight.



I haven't done anything since the video above, besides driving in the rain all week. Anyone ever heard of this? Did the etch rehydrate? It's completely undetectable, as well as the trunk spots from before, I realized. I guess I should be relieved, but I can't find any info explaining it so I'm perplexed more than anything.

[LYKUNO]

Well that was a fortunate outcome! Maybe the stain was just a hard deposit that was ultimately softened and washed away by the continuous rain.

The recent threads on bird doo-doo remind me of this old Ford KA commercial ...

[santos.]

Hah, that was great!

After it happened I couldn't feel the mark at all, really seemed like it was "inside" the clear coat rather than a deposit.

[TexasDfwS4]

The commercial was priceless!

[achilleas101]

P.s I've been told that birds shit on shiny cars while generally flying over because of the reflections are similar to water. I personally think the little barstewards are reincarnated chavs..

[will13k7]

Anyone ever heard of this? Did the etch rehydrate? It's completely undetectable, as well as the trunk spots from before, I realized. I guess I should be relieved, but I can't find any info explaining it so I'm perplexed more than anything.

This happened to me, right after I got the etch out that was bothering me for months, I got another gift, this time though, I remove it right away, but it still left a mark. A few days later, I washed the car, and it was gone. I think it just etched the wax/sealant, my guess anyways.

[autoluxe]

Audi paint is actually really good. Its very hard, not soft like the paint on most Japanese cars. The only paint from Audi that I have seen on the softer side is the Estoril Blue. For some reason that paint swirls and scratches like crazy.

[stactum]

Try QUIXX
it's mainly for scratches but it should be able to solve your problem.

[Dr GP]

It doesn't matter who makes the paint, if it is not protected well enough , bird $hit will etch the paint. I have found in using Liquid Glass for 29 yrs ,it is the best and longest lasting protection you can get. BUT, one coat will not do. You need 3 coats of it on the roof ,hood and trunk . You can do the entire car as well with 3 coats. After applying 3 coats , a single coat every 6 months will continue to protect. However, I usually do the hood trunk and roof every 3 months.LG is also great for hiding swirl marks and small scratches in the clear coat. It contains no abrasives.

[Dr Chill]

I had this happen when our car was a few weeks old, on the freshly CQuartz Finest coated trunk, and it etched through the coating to the clear coat in about 6 hours. I had paint correction done the next day and a new coat of CQuartz Finest applied. I initially couldn't find any evidence of the damage, but months later I noticed in the proper light and angle, the clear coat is still messed up where the the stank bird poop hit it. I HATE BIRDS.