VTHokieTL

So I've had my new black TL for 2.5 weeks. In this time, I've had to at least dust the car once every 2 days because my parking garage is so filthy. They are putting up new building next to mine and the garages connect. Dirt everywhere.

So this morning I go down to my car to see a stick, clumpy, grey substance all over my roof, driver side, rear window and trunk. The best I can describe it is that it's concrete "droppings". At least that's what I think it is. Looks like the concrete on the roof of my garage is dripping onto my car!

Now a couple of questions:

- Is my paint going to be permanently damaged by this?
- How do I take this off without scratching up my car?

I'm going to wait to see what you guys think before I go crazy on the builder's @ss.

ONAGER

try to wet it down and just wipe it off (lots of water) if it hasnt dried it should come off fairly easy, if it has dried its going to be a bitch to remove.... talk to the builder its their responsibility to avoid this.... why should you suffer... do it soon however and document everything (time, place, supervisors name) the sooner the better, so they cant deny liability

JoganJani

Take lot of pictures from all side.

To remove try to lift it up without letting it slid or wipe on the paint further.

J RIDE 81

Man I would be pissed too. I don't think it would ruin your paint depending on how much it will stick, but just to cover your @$$ make sure you take a lot of pictures like stated above. You need as much proof as possible.

SoldonTL

If the dust is in fact cement dust DO NOT WIPE IT WITH A DAMP RAG. Cement when it gets wet will etch the paint. When you wipe it with a damp rag it would be the same as using fine grit sandpaper. I would wash it off with as much water as you can and then wash it. In the future you may even want to consider some type of cover. I park mine in a garage and it seems dumb to have to do it but hopefully it will be a temporary solution.......Good Luck

Tennisjon2002

Buy a car cover and bitch at the builder

04AcuraTL

let it dry...if u let it dry the paint surface is too smooth..it cant stick to it..once it is dry i'tll be jus like takin a rock off the was just sitting there..pull it straight..hope this helps

triggle

Sorry to hear about this sort of thing. I can't advise you on removal but I suggest you contact the builder before you try removal to show him. Let him know he's going to pay if it needs repair. Convincing him it was his concrete after you've removed it may be difficult even with pics to back you up. Take a voice recorder with you and keep an even keel let him know this is not to be taken lightly.

I believe there is lye in concrete and that can't be good for the paint. Inspect very closly using a magnifier to make sure the areas are not etched. You don't want spots 2 years from now.

Good luck.

jbtcole

You've already heard some great advice: take pix and document the situation; scream at the builder; 3) get a cover-- even if it's a cheap one to use temporarily; and, don't wait. Those bldg contractors don't care. One thing to add... call the dealer or a body shop and inquire what to do about the cement dust.

If it damages the paint and the builder won't do anything about it, contact your insurance agent. Good luck!

JetJock

Car covers are great for these types of problems. I use mine indoors when my car is clean and I want to keep it that way. Don't put a cover on a dirty car or you'll risk scraching the paint. Use lots of soap and water and that crud should come off fine, but be carefull and don't rub the finish until the debris is softened with the water and soap, then carefully wipe it down with a good quality mitt, and keep rinsing the mitt in clean water as you wipe down the car. Good Luck!!

SouthernBoy

To VTHokieTL;

If it's what I suspect it is, get it off quickly and carefully. Hopefully, you have a good coat of wax on your TL.

Where I work (in Fair Lakes), I park under cover in the lower lot. During rain storms, there appears to be a concrete-like residue that leaks from the upper, open deck down to the lower deck through the expansion joints. I see a lot of vehicles on the lower level with this stuff on their bodies and someone just told me this week that a few people in our office have paint damage because of it. I get in so early (like before 5:30 AM) that I have my pick of the choices parking spots and believe me, this is one of the deciding factors. The spot I most always get protects my doors from dings and my car's paint from drippings.

VTHokieTL

Thanks for the advice everyone. I tried today to get in touch with the builder, calling every number I could think of (even emergency ones). No one has picked up the phone or return my calls.

Sounds like it will be Monday before I can do anything. In the mean time, should I get a car cover and put it on top of the current mess to prevent any new drippings?

BTW, I have an assigned spot, so I can't move the car. It's actually a nice spot now, except for this. The builder was so negligent in building the underground garage that the county made them stop all work on the condos about a year ago and put them back to work in the garage for an extra 3 months! Even after this, my spot was no more than 7'2" wide. I had to complain for a long time, and then they finally moved the guy in the spot next to me, so I basically have two spots for my car

All of this from a so called LUXURY condo building

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

dont no anything bout the 'droppings' but for the dust, i always used the california dust 'catcher' or smthing, can be bought at walmart for a mere 6 bucks and its really good.

VTHokieTL

- Update -

I took my car to a professional cleaner today. Not good

Here are some before pics

Before 1
Before 2
Before 3
Before 4
Before 5

Here are some after pics

After 1
After 2


The condo builder is of course denying any responsibility. But someone working for the builder told me that there are 7 cases of this. I'd like for them to explain that. Time to kick some builder @ss!

J RIDE 81

Damn, I can't believe it's that bad. G'Luck I hope those guys pay up!

cM3go

time to get a car cover

SoldonTL

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!! I got pissed just looking at the pictures. From what I can see from the pictures it is damage from the lye type substance in the cement. Take a sample if you can. A claim in small claims court (no lawyer needed) should do it. All builders have to post a bond before beginning work. Also make contact with the contractors employer( your building owner) and make them aware if you have not done so. Man I am still pissed at that person..................Good Luck!!!!!

sebounet2005

If it's concrete nothing can make it dissapear except chlorydric acid, that i don't suggest you to use on your car



. May be just a hard polishing, wax, conpound etc... may be help. I don't think the concrete went under the clear coat.
Did you try something like bug and tar remover

DarkWraith33

OH man... Dood.... Wow... That's awful.

There's no way they will be able to get out of paying to have your car painted. No chance... Please keep us updated as things progress. Very interested.

Sorry about that damage...

As your car will be getting painted, consider taking the $ they give you, kick in some more and get the entire car painted a custom color. You would have a 1 of a kind?!?! Blessing in disguise??? Just a thought.

azobairi

Sorry to hear about your car, man!

I'm having trouble with the pictures loading so I cant tell if it needs repainting. If it does, I would highly recommend Falls Church Auto Body. Ask for Bobby...

BTW, if you dont mind disclosing, which condominium is this? I'm guessing this is somewhere in the Ballston/Clarendon area?

ONAGER

oh my god that sucks so bad... it was worse then i thought...

almost looks like concrete runoff/washout... try to find the other owners that have this issue, collect as much info as you possibly can. contact your work and explain. they might be liable as well since they are assigned spaces and they are responsible for who is doing the work. and keep contact with the builder, if you dont get satisfaction, you may need to take legal action... if you have other owners you will have a pretty good case.... document everything.... the car cleaning, dates times, EVERYTHING the more the merrier....

JPSMAN

The condo builder is of course denying any responsibility. But someone working for the builder told me that there are 7 cases of this. I'd like for them to explain that. Time to kick some builder @ss! [/QUOTE]


Who was the builder?

TBone2004

gotta agree with DarkWraith33 - this is bad. Been there with a previous car - also black. It is runoff - rain above floor(s) dripping through the concrete. Our old building had to pay to paint people's cars. Will NOT buff out.

Sorry man.

D_Nyholm

I used to detail cars when I was younger. First of all, those people did a horrible job!!! There was a customer of ours that had that stuff on his car every week. In order to get it off, we had to use a strong cleaner/degreaser (Zep all purpose cleaner is similar to what we used). It would take a decent amount of elbow grease to get it off, and once it came off, there were MANY scratches. I think it was lime from the concrete/rock used in the concrete leeching through and dripping on his car from a leaky pipe or underground sprinkler. I would go to a inconspicuous(sp) spot, spray some strong cleaner on it and rub it HARD to try to get it off. If it works, then you can move onto the rest of it, compound the area to remove the deep scratches.

Dr.Murdock

Wow, that shit sucks. If the builder ends up not paying for it, make him eat fresh concrete as if it were porage being bed to a child.

Eagles76

I had the same exact problem with my garage. Go to Home Depot and buy some Lime Away. Took it right off my TL without causing any damage.

Do not try Rubbing Compund or anything like that.

Lime Away did the trick. Very easy.

Good luck.

TBone2004

how does that happen on a waxed car? Does it eat through like bird crap does?

robertmiller

I had the EXACT smae thing happen to my car in the underground garage where I live. The cement gets wet, and then drips on the car. I had to have the entire car WET SANDED at a body shop to fix (came out good). I was fontunate enough to get the Landlord to PAY for the cleaning ($125),...however I found out later that this type of damage is covered in your homeowners / renters insurance. You may want to investigate that.

mickey3c

Whenever you wet sand you are actually taking some clearcoat off the car... Yes very little, but you are. You might not ever have any issues paint/finish wise, but just keep this in mind. The landlord got off cheap with the 125.

I had something like that happen on my 01 CL. I did the same thing and it worked fine with no problems.

dstackle

I had the same problem, just not as extensive as you (mine was on the trunk). With all the rain in So Cal lately, it's happened a few times. What worked for me was Limeaway. I put it on a cloth, wiped it on the spot for about 5 seconds then wiped off. It took off the spots but didn't seem to damange the paint at all.

Before Limeaway I tried paint cleaner (the Meguire stuff) and scratch X. Both did some good, but would not take it off.

Msnowdon

I had this happen to my CL when I was parked at LAX, that stuff never came off, and the only option was to paint the car.

As for the builder, you should read your CCR's and see what it says about damage to personal vehicles in garages.

I have in my portfolio at work lots of underground garages, and it is clear in the Community Policy's we don't cover damage like this.

Michael

CCns24

This may be a looong shot, but try oven cleaner. I got some paint on my car a few years back when the county was painting roads (you know that gritty paint they use for roads). Well anyway, a detailer buddy of mine said to use over cleaner. It took some time and patience, but it did work.

robertmiller

I have also used "M1 Remover" from Home Depot. It's sort of like a paint remover but works GREAT on the car's finish (Yes,..it's perfectly safe). I even talked to my body shop guy,..they use it all the time to clean off paint overspray !!