My new TSX has a gritty, sandpaper feel to the hood and the a-pillars. I tried some yellow carnuba, but that didn't help. However, if I rub a tiny patch patiently with my thumb, it eventually comes clean. Is it possibe there's some sort of shipping protection that the dealer didn't remove? Or maybe the car was accidently misted with glue or something! Any suggestions for dealing with this appreciated...

Puzzled, in Reston, VA

 

Try washing first with a sheepskin washmitt and a carwash soap, it may remove the residue. If not, then you should use a clay bar. There is a "How To Clay" thread in the Car Care FAQ by exceldetail. You should also look at post #5 of this thread regarding initail care of a new vehicle.

 

Thanks for the link, appreciated, very good information!

Neither car shampoo, 30% isopropyl alcohol, nor yellow carnuba touches it, so I'm thinking that claying is next. But this is so very rough and sandy, and such a big area, that's going to be a challenge with the clay!

 

Don't let the surface dry up. Do one area at a time and keep the surface well lubed with either a clay lube or carwash soap. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Did you not notice this when you picked up your car from the dealer,......just curious? It kinda sounds like its the stuff the dealer is supposed to remove before you take delivery, but I thought it was easier to remove than what it sounds like is on your car. I guess it might be something else maybe.


Hey Danny, you are the link King on this forum. You always are busting out links to the articles and other threads in wash and wax lol.

 

I have the bumps too, mostly where it would be hard to use a polisher. Worst is around the rear license plate. Carnuba did nothing, moving on to claybar. Not to worry, must be residue from the shipping plastic. My dealer prep was awful, but doing nothing is better than making a mess...

 

This is really mysterious, it's extremely rough and dry -- you can hear it from ten feet away when you rub your hand across the hood or passenger side a-pillar. The manager at a good body shop says that "something has happened here" but that he wouldn't touch it. But he says that the metal all looks perfect, and there's not much evidence of repairs. Said it was some sort of an overspray. But he did find tiny traces of metallic paint dust on the right shock tower and a fair amount of white orbital polisher / wet sander dust on the right passenger door latch. Salesman at dealership says that nothing was done as far as he knows, but I figure someone there knows...

 

My advice would be to take it back to the dealer and tell them you want the problem fixed properly. If you know that you didnt do anything to the car and that it came from the dealer like that, it should be their responsibility to fix the problem. It does sound like they forgot to remove the stuff they put on the car for shipping/while its at the dealer. This is not a glue or anything that holds plastic down,..........its a sort of rough material the dealer must wash off (I think with a pressure washer). It could be something else of course, but that is what it sounds like to me.

 

Just wondering, did you try claying already? Carnauba wax will do nothing but seal the stuff in. You'll want something abrassive such as the clay bar or polishing it to remove the contaminants.

 

p.s., no -- didn't notice it when I picked it up from the dealer ten days ago -- with four miles on it. The car looked fine and I didn't actually feel the hood/paint. When I first washed it, then I immediately knew something was strange, the hood felt almost sandy.

Have an appointment at the dealer wiith the salesman and paint man this afternoon, we'll see. Was reluctant to clay it -- seems like it would take forever compared to what I've done in the past -- will ask this pm, thanks.

Also, could I clay the front chrome and the headlight covers??

 

Dealer's service manager identified the stuff as a mixture of cosmoline and glue, from the factory, and showed me another car, an RL, just the same as mine.

I spent an hour checking out the exhibit at a nearby photography school, and came back to what appears to be a near-perfect car. No more goop on the hood, or the A-pillars, sides, headlights, front chrome... I'll know for sure after I've washed and waxed it of course.

Thanks to everyone here for the ideas and support!

 

Glad you went to the dealer and they resolved the problem for you.