[elbman]

Just purchased a CPO 335 in Jet Black. It has some water spots in the clear coat, and I figured no problem cleaned the vehicle and got out the Flex with first a White and then an Orange Pad with SIP (which has solved the issue on past vehicles). Scratches seem to have gone away for the most part, but water spot deposits all over the hood, top and trunk still.

In reading thru it seems the popular choice is the meguires 105/205 starting with a surbuf pad then to a white pad; followed by sealant of choice? (I have been using FMJ but it seems people like the BFWD on this finish)

Any other suggestions I may have missed?

[jopa489]

That sounds like a good combination. I still like FMJ quite a bit on JB, but BFWD is also very good. FMJ doesn't have the durability of BFWD, but aside from that you can't go wrong with either.

[elbman]

Thanks for the reply.

My main concern is getting the existing water spots while keeping as much of the clear coat as possible. It's all regular maintenance after that.

I normally top the FMJ with P21s pure carnuba; after a couple of days, and every two months and reseal every 6 months. I realize its an older product, but it has always served its purpose; that being said I am not above moving to something else especially if it saves time or lasts longer.

Would the BFWD give me a longer period between resealing, and it doesn't appear you have to wait to apply the carnuba like the FMJ?

[MuttGrunt]

Congrat's on the new black ride!

First thing's first: are the water spots from mineral deposits that are still there (you'll be able to feel them slightly), or are they from etching (damage to the clear-coat itself that feels completely smooth like the rest of the paint)?

If there's still mineral deposits, use a dedicated water-spot remover. If it's from etching, take into account that the damage might not be fix-able depending on how deep the damage goes.

I agree that you should polish carefully to preserve as much clear-coat as possible for future polishing sessions.

In addition, don't buy another product. FMJ is a great sealant (durable enough, ultra-slick, easy to use, etc) and you'll find it is extremely close to the likes of Blackfire, PowerLock, DGPS3.0, etc.... trust me, I have and use all of them.
With any of these sealants, you'll want to wait prior to a coat of wax and they're all prone to streaking, re-haze, etc if more coats are applied too soon, if you apply the product too thick, or you don't allow the residue to set long enough.

[elbman]

They aren't surface deposits; they are actual etchings, one if the drawbacks to a used vehicle.
(50% off new MSRP makes up for the weekend it should take to resolve it)

I had become pretty familiar with what worked to fix it on past Mercedes vehicles; this seems to require a little different combination of materials based on the paint and clear coat. I've done a bit of reading up on it across various forums and wanted to confirm what I had come across with others familiar with this paint and the trial and error they had already done.

Until someone can give me a valid reason, or the bottle gets empty I plan on using the FMJ / P21s I have been using. If it isn't broke......

[ede92]

I am sure the previous owner did not adequately care for the paint. So what is there is there. Just keep it Zaino'd or use someting to prevent etching going forward...