What is bird dropping etching on car paint?
Also calledAcid marks, Bird Drop Etchings, Bird Droppings
A ring or outline still there after the dropping washed off is etching. Bird droppings contain acids that eat into the clear coat and leave their shape behind. The mark is the damage, not the mess.
What kind of repair does it need?
A machine polish. The clear coat is cut down to the bottom of the mark and levelled. Shallow etching comes out fully. Worse damage needs painting.
How long it sat decides it. Caught early, it is a polish on one area. Left long enough to bite past what the clear coat can give, the panel is painted instead.
What to do next
Book a detailer, and do not wait, especially in summer. Ask them to tell you whether it came out fully or only improved. Next time, get droppings off within a day. Lay a wet paper towel on them for a few minutes first.
Sources
- Standoxpaint maker
Stanining can be removed by polishing local area, or refinishing if damage is more severe
- Spies Hecker (Axalta)paint maker
Depending on the type of damage, the remedy ranges from polishing to a complete respray
- OCD Car Careproduct seller
Many light bird etchings are removed via machine polishing, a.k.a. paint correction.
- PPG GBpaint maker
Dewax the affected area, flat lightly, compound and polish, repeating if necessary
- Sherwin-Williams Automotivepaint maker
Sand and featheredge damaged areas to remove chips, then refinish
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