What is iron fallout on a car?
Also calledIndustrial fall out/rail dust, Industrial fallout, Lime Marking, Rail Dust
Tiny orange or brown specks on the paint are usually iron particles sitting in the surface, not rust in your paint. They are tiny bits of iron that landed on the car and rust where they sit. They come from brake dust, railway lines and industry. They show most on white and light cars.
What kind of repair does it need?
An iron remover dissolves the specks, then a clay bar lifts what is left. If you catch it in reasonable time, the paint underneath is fine. Specks left too long can pit the clear coat. Pitted paint is sanded and polished, or painted.
Caught in reasonable time, this is a wash and nothing more. Left too long, each particle keeps rusting where it sits and works its way down.
What to do next
Any detailer can do this in an afternoon. If anyone quotes you paint repair for orange specks on a bonnet, get a second opinion. Unless the specks have been there for years, it is a wash job, not a paint job.
Sources
- Sherwin-Williams Automotivepaint maker
Small rust colored bumps or specks in the surface of the paint film.
- PPG Industries (US/Canada, 2019)paint maker
Minor defects can be polished off, often times a clay bar will suffice
- OCD Car Careproduct seller
The most common way to remove topical bonded contamination is with a clay bar or a synthetic clay substitute.
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