Is this a bad idea - dealing with water spots between waxes
 

I am a new owner of a black RX-8. It's an awesome car and I am really happy with it. However, I am suffering the white water spot issue when washing the car like many others here have experienced. I have had black vehicles before, but for some reason the RX-8 shows these spots much worse than others. Those of you with black ones know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, when I am waxing the car, this is no big deal, since the process of waxing the car just takes care of it. The problem is when I'm not waxing and just want to wash the car.

What I tried the last time was to simply dry the car using a slew of microfiber towels. I would inevitably get white dry spots on the car as I did this, and I would just use the microfiber towel to buff the spots out as I went. They came out fairly easily, without hard rubbing, but I was definitely buffing them out.

My thinking is this: If I don't keep the wax level up I could damage the clear coat by buffing the car this way even with a microfiber towel. However as long as I make sure the car is regularly waxed, my buffing as I dry is really doing nothing except potentially taking off a bit of wax and I am not hurting anything.

I had good results with this method last weekend and didn't notice any swirl marks or damage upon close inspection today. However, I don't really have any idea whether this is actually a bad idea or not, because I have no idea how durable the wax is or whether this could damage the clearcoat.

I am currently using Maguire's wax. I figure my usual schedule will be wax, wash wash, then wax again, waxing the car about every 2 months. The car is generally garage-kept both at work and at home so I am pretty confident that I am not letting the car go too long between waxes.

What do you guys think? Is this process dangerous or not? I suppose I could start using detail spray over the entire car after I washed it, but if this works and doesn't hurt anything, I'd rather skip that extra step.

hmm, maybe you should use Mr. Clean's jet dry product? I think it's your "hard" water that's creating all the water spots and I think Mr Clean uses a filter that filters out deposites in the water. That or you could try usuing eagle one wax as you dry when you wipe dry your car with towels?

Detailing spray that is compatible with your wax/polish is the way to go. Once the entire car is waxed/polished, you'll just need to touch up the specific water spots with the detail spray.

If you know anything about detailing, especially for a black car, dry buffing is like Russian roulette. You might get away with it on occasion, but one day you'll look at the car and it will be one giant swirl. Always best to wet the water spots with a waterless detail spray and avoid having to de-swirl later.

I always rinse my car after washing using very low water flow with no nozzle. This makes the water sheet and 75% of it runs off. Then I get out the leaf blower ( 205 mph @ Home Depot for $60 ) and blow it dry. I am done in about 10 minutes and never have to touch the car. No fine scratches or swirls. I then use Zaino detailing spray. I also always try to wash the car in the shade or in the evening just before dark. I figure the less that I rub on the paint the less chance of swirl marks. The leaf blower is the only way to go! Good luck!!

Black on any car shows waterspot and swirls more easily. I will never buy another black car.

Amen! Detail spray is the way to go. It acts as a lubricant and makes it harder to scratch the car. It also allows you to use less pressure when buffing. I use Zaino but I'm sure the Meguirs detail spray works just as well. I even use it to remove bugs between washes with good results. It's fast and it's safe.

If it is an extremely stubborn water spot, dilute some distilled white vinegar 50/50 with water and use a rag to wipe over them.

For me I use the Z6 detail spray. It handles my most troublesome water spots. It even has polish in it. If Z6 or Z2/Z5 can't get rid of the water spots, then Z1 takes care of them instantly. :D

Thanks guys. Lots of good info here. I just bought the Maguiers detail spray. I also got one of those california water blades which I saw people talking about on some of the other threads to try and minimize the problem. I'm going to try all this stuff out this weekend. Since I got this car, my box for "car care stuff" is now twice as big as it was before. I guess that's a "hidden cost of ownership" -- the damn car is so good looking I want it spotlessly clean always and I don't dare take it to the automatic car wash. Black is a pain to take of, but it does look so good on the 8.

I have the black as well, and have always been fairly fanatical about my cars.

The waterblade and the detail spray are DEFINITELY the way to go. I'm not sure what the climate is like where you live, but if it's anything like the heat here in South Carolina, make sure you're using a good polymer wax and not a carnuba. The carnuba looks great, but breaks down in the heat and also has a tendency to show more water spots.

I'll occasionally use a carnuba topper in the winter because it just looks a tad better, but other than that, it's all polymers.

Good luck.

*EDIT* - To answer your implied question of why the 8 seems to show water spots worse than other cars, it's likely because of the great curves on the 8's body. More reflections/refractions = easier to spot surface imperfections.

Ok. I'm done being a know-it-all. :D

Another more expensive way to fix it (albeit permanent) is to get an inline water filter for your hose. This will take out the imperfections in the water and no more waterspots.

For a more economical way, I agree with everyone else with the detail spray (I use Meguiars) and the microfiber.

I also have a black 8 and ran into the same problem with water spots. The best workaround I've found is going to a do-it-yourself car wash. Under the covered parking, I use high pressure rinse, high pressure soap back to the high pressure rinse and then finish with the spot free rinse. After that, I quickly dry using a couple microfiber towels and I'm done.

Note: I never, ever, ever use the soap brush.

I think the biggest benefit of this method has been the ability to keep the car cool by having a covered structure at the car wash. After the car has been washed, the water beads don't evaporate as quickly, leaving more than enough time to remove all water before it can leave spots.

You may want to check and see if they use fresh water at all times. A lot of the DIY car washes recycle the water. God only knows what you might be spraying on your car and eating your polish/wax away.

The water blade is great, and I've used it a lot with good success. However, recently I've started doing the "take the nozzle off the hose so the water sheets off" trick KyBlu mentioned and it works great. Now, I no longer need the water blade. Just sheet the water off with the nozzle-less hose, then dry the remaining water off with a waffle weave microfiber towel. For me, this method is just a little more reassuring than hearing that horrible squeal as the water blade goes over the paint.

Washing a black RX-8
 

I think most of it has been covered, black is really a pain. Hoever, it looks the best when very clean!

I am not sure what part of the country your in but I am in AZ and we have incredibly hard water. Yes I tried the Mr. Clean thing but it does not work that well and you will go through filters in only one or two washes. So I do what most of the others have suggested:

Keep the surface cool
Wash with low pressure
Leaf blower, works great and saves time, and really reduces the water spots!
Good towels, I also like the micro fiber
Use the detailing spray

I use Zaino like most of the others on the forum, hard to beat!

This stuff works very well too.

I like the idea on the leaf blower, but I have to admit I am a bit wary of it, mainly because of where I wash my car. It is a narrow driveway with big trees on one side. However it seems to me that this is more than just a unique problem for me. Aren't all you guys worried about the leaf blower picking up little rocks, pebbles, twigs and whatever that might be laying around near the car? My leaf blower is incredibly powerful and could easily throw something like that up against my paint with enough force to chip the paint. If I was confident that there were no possible paint-chipping projectiles on the ground 15 feet in every direction from the car, I think this would be the best way to go because you aren't actually touching the car with anything but air, but to get my driveway area surgically clean like that would be impossible. Do you guys sweep the area where you wash the car very carefully before trying this?

I stand close enough to the car that I mostly am blowing the air down...not sideways, so picking up stuff from the ground and blowing it toward the car isn't an issue.

I agree w/ sunstroke about the hard water here in Az. I never thought of a water filter... As for the leaf blower, I wasn't sure at first but it works.
I hold the blower at an angle blowing down on the car so it dosen't pick up any missles. Also its is dry too, so we have to get the car dried fast or spots show up.
D@mn things ! :mad: