irenesbob

A bird crapped on the trunk lid and rear fender of my new 2010 A5. It probably happened Wed or Thurs but I just discovered it today. I washed the chunks off, they came off pretty easily. However, I am left with a scar that looks like acid etching. I tried removing that with bug and tar remover. That did nothing; luckily it did not harm the surrounding paint. Likewise, after using a scratch and swirl remover I have used successfully many times before. The two small areas left (one about 1/8” by ¼” and the other maybe 3/8” by ½”) look like they are acid burns – the color is still there but the surface is a little rough and non-shiny. I am thinking of trying to wax the area hoping that will hide the problem, but do not want to put too much stuff on the surface.
Any ideas what would help? The color is Night Blue Pearl. At a distance it is hard to notice even now, but it really annoys me. This car is only 8 weeks old and has less than 1,500 miles. I have had birds crap on cars before, but it has always come off fairly easily.
Will a detail shop or body shop be able to correct this short of a paint job?
I searched this topic on Aw and only found suggestions to wash it off ASAP. I am way beyond that.
Help!!

crazy1

I had the same issue with a brand new a4 back in the day. Bird crapped on her and I don't know what that bird had eaten but it messed the paint up exactly like you were saying. I took the car to a guy that does auto body repair and he actually used an airbrush to spray the clear coat back into the spots....and then he used final cut and buffed the paint out just like he painted the car new. cost $235 but it fixed those scars perfect. I had 2 that were between a quarter size and a half dollar.


Go check out your local auto body repair

jefman

try a (I don't remember the exact name) lime and scale remover. Carefully apply it with a rag and rinse right away with water. The one I used had hydrogen chloride in it. Then you can wax it.

irenesbob

Sounds really scary to me. Scale Away has hydrogen chloride in it but the warnings, etc. scare the hell out of me. I think I might chicken out and have it professionally done on a $53,000 car I have made just two payments on.

Old Dog

Sounds scary to me too. Why risk making a bad situation worse.

PS: Bob, have a look at your thread in the Detailing Forum for my detailer's response.

irenesbob

I am satisfied for the moment with my simple efforts to eliminate and/or minimize the appearance of bird crap scars. I used my “As Seen on TV” GS27 using Q-Tip swabs, carefully limiting it as much as I could to the area with the dull, slightly etched grain. I did this 6 times and decided to stop at that point since it was working pretty well and I was afraid I’d be removing paint and/or clearcoat. I then washed the entire trunk and rear fenders and hand dried them. An hour or so later when the area appeared totally dry I put on 7 applications of paste wax, also using Q-Tips and a microfiber towel to remove the haze. Each successive layer of wax made the slight imperfection go away even more. When I was completely done I took a rest, then washed and dried the entire car. I took a half hour or so spin on the highway and stopped at a nearby mall to do some needed shopping. It was only after coming out of the supermarket that I dared to approach the rear of the A6 and see what it looked like. Quite honestly I was amazed at how little was left to indicate there had been what looked like a nightmare just yesterday. As I was putting everything into the trunk a neighbor happened by. He was very interested in my new car and checked out the interior and exterior, commenting on how very clean, shiny and imperfection-free it was. Naturally I said nothing of the bird crap. I felt really good; now, let’s hope it stays that way.

Old Dog

Hey! Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks . Way to go Bob .

SHUDS4

I had the same thing happen to my black A6 about 3 weeks ago. I had 2 bird crap spots on my hood and on my right fender and didn't see them until a few days after they must have landed. The 90+ degree heat helped it set in nicely and i was able to remove the crap and haze with bug/tar remover and about 5 rounds of a carnuba wax. It still leaves the acid burn through the clear coat, but it never got to the primer. I'll have to try your solution and see how it comes out.

am_ver

Use detailing Clay. It will remove the etching on the paint without damaging the paint. remember to wash and clean the car before using the car. Also use a lot of lube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI