Need Help. Something got on my paint

[dkat]

Hi all, I need some help if possible. I had my 1M in a local BMW specialty repair shop for some work. I picked up the car & drove it home/put in garage.
I decided to wash it over the weekend and discovered 2 vertical drip marks on the drivers side rear quarter panel. I tried everything to get it out. It is deep in the paint or clear coat. I took it to my detailer and he thinks it needs to be wet sanded & resprayed. The owner of the repair shop claims it did not happen there. I cannot say for sure it happened there but I can think of no other place it could. Does anyone know what might have dripped? it has a blue tinge to it
It may shed some light on how to get it out. The car is pristine and a respray I think may hurt the value down the line. I really do not want to go that route if possible. Any insight or suggestion would be appreciated.

[Rekraps]

Kind of a Who done it mystery.

If it is embedded into the paint, its a chemical, which mean no bird or road spray did this. From the looks of it, I say someone walked by your car with an open can or jar of something, which splashed on it.

Repair shop is the most likely cause.

Try a light polishing compound.

[dkat]

Originally Posted by Rekraps

Kind of a Who done it mystery.

If it is embedded into the paint, its a chemical, which mean no bird or road spray did this. From the looks of it, I say someone walked by your car with an open can or jar of something, which splashed on it.

Repair shop is the most likely cause.

Try a light polishing compound.

Tried compound, then tried clay bar No luck. To me, it look like it dripped from above. My car could have been under another car on a lift.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by dkat

Tried compound, then tried clay bar No luck. To me, it look like it dripped from above. My car could have been under another car on a lift.

I had something similar happen to me with my AW 1M. It was the same buy in splashes. Mine happened at dealer and at first they said they didn't do it but they took pictures when the car came in. So luckily they had those and then finally admitted some chemical splashed in paint. Same as you nothing we tried would take it off. Finally they repainted it but when they did mine they repainted the whole side so it matched. Of course I only had about 10k miles when happened. It definitely is some chemical that dropped off. Was the car stored under a lift? I don't see how you can prove it without pictures of it before taking it in. Sorry that stinks. You will have to see a body shop.

[Esteban]

I would try a good auto detailer and see what they have to say. Some have been known to work wonders on painted surfaces.

[135 TING]

I would try thinner, but that kind of looks like battery acid. Usually it starts like that then eats through the paint. Eventually will have to get repainted if that's what it is.

[Esteban]

Whoops, just noticed that the OP said he took his car to a detailer. Someone needs to work on their reading comprehension (me). lol

[nachob]

Originally Posted by dkat

The car is pristine and a respray I think may hurt the value down the line.

As I mentioned I was in the same place my car HAD been pristine before the damage and now the calculus begins. I kept agonizing also. Repaint or keep stain. Which as worse for resale also crossed my mind. In the end, I decided i hated looking at the stains, so I had them repaint. The car has already taken a resale hit, so the next step do you want to live it with it like this for perhaps a slightly higher resale value? Again, completely symptathizing with you had the exact same dilemma which is worse. Finally, asked the dealer to use one of the best BMW certified body shops in town and I kept pictures of the damage. Eventually when I sold my car and told all perspective buyers about the repaint and lowered my price. I had the lowest priced 1M in the country in 2015 on autotrader. Some dealer buyer bought it and put it up for sale and unlike me did not disclose the repaint to the new buyer. When she bought it I reached out to tell her to keep my name and number if she ever sold in the future and left my info with the dealer. At some point she bought the car and when she took it to her dealer they found that the body shop had not reconnected some connector and told her the car had been repaired. She was very upset and the dealer contacted me and asked about the repaint. I told her it was not crashed or damaged at all and sent her pictures of the paint stains along with the receipt from the dealer. So yes, one way or another you have taken a hit on the value but with documentation, you can lessen that hit. Most people want original paint but the bigger reason is they don't know the extent of possible damage when repainted. Yours is 100% cosmetic and of all the types of damage, the least noxious to value.

My suggestion is the damage is done and you have nothing to lose now. you will need to repaint the whole side to make it match correctly, so you can try to remove it by any other means and as long as you don't dent it, you will most likely end up with that. Again, I am really sorry, I have been in this exact spot where you get two bad choices.

[dkat]

Originally Posted by nachob

As I mentioned I was in the same place my car HAD been pristine before the damage and now the calculus begins. I kept agonizing also. Repaint or keep stain. Which as worse for resale also crossed my mind. In the end, I decided i hated looking at the stains, so I had them repaint. The car has already taken a resale hit, so the next step do you want to live it with it like this for perhaps a slightly higher resale value? Again, completely symptathizing with you had the exact same dilemma which is worse. Finally, asked the dealer to use one of the best BMW certified body shops in town and I kept pictures of the damage. Eventually when I sold my car and told all perspective buyers about the repaint and lowered my price. I had the lowest priced 1M in the country in 2015 on autotrader. Some dealer buyer bought it and put it up for sale and unlike me did not disclose the repaint to the new buyer. When she bought it I reached out to tell her to keep my name and number if she ever sold in the future and left my info with the dealer. At some point she bought the car and when she took it to her dealer they found that the body shop had not reconnected some connector and told her the car had been repaired. She was very upset and the dealer contacted me and asked about the repaint. I told her it was not crashed or damaged at all and sent her pictures of the paint stains along with the receipt from the dealer. So yes, one way or another you have taken a hit on the value but with documentation, you can lessen that hit. Most people want original paint but the bigger reason is they don't know the extent of possible damage when repainted. Yours is 100% cosmetic and of all the types of damage, the least noxious to value.

My suggestion is the damage is done and you have nothing to lose now. you will need to repaint the whole side to make it match correctly, so you can try to remove it by any other means and as long as you don't dent it, you will most likely end up with that. Again, I am really sorry, I have been in this exact spot where you get two bad choices.

Thanks for the input. I plan on going to 2 very high body shops in my area that primarily work on exotics & classics. 2 opinions are better than one.
I loathe bringing my cars anywhere for any type of work, I find things on them (dirty seats, a scratch on the interior trim) more times than I care to.
I will report back once a solution is found

[NorthernDancer]

possibly brake fluid from car above?

[nachob]

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

possibly brake fluid from car above?

That's what I think too.

[ayao]

OP - I sympathize with your frustrating situation. Best wishes for a speedy resolution that is satisfactory.

[etr2016]

I would absolutely get the input of a few detailers before getting it repainted. My parents new Lexus got tapped in a parking lot and the dealer insisted the bumper needed to be repainted. Took the car to a top rated local detailed and $50 later we left without any signs of it. They had to wetsand it.

Even if i was told it wouldn't work I would still try. Getting it repainted would be an absolute last resort.

[BadakVT]

Originally Posted by etr2016

I would absolutely get the input of a few detailers before getting it repainted. My parents new Lexus got tapped in a parking lot and the dealer insisted the bumper needed to be repainted. Took the car to a top rated local detailed and $50 later we left without any signs of it. They had to wetsand it.

Even if i was told it wouldn't work I would still try. Getting it repainted would be an absolute last resort.

Good advice, if the chemical has not etched the clear coat all the way to the basecoat, good chance you'll still be able to wetsand or even compound it out with a denim pad.

[dkat]

Originally Posted by nachob

That's what I think too.

That was my initial though. Brake Fluid.

[Esteban]

Wondering if this was resolved?

[dkat]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Wondering if this was resolved?

Yes, I brought to a high-end body shop. He said he would try "something"
Drove it into the garage and when he returned. It was gone. No new paint, no apparent damage to finish. So grateful.
Lesson learned. If you leave your baby with someone. do a FULL inspection before and after.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by dkat

Yes, I brought to a high-end body shop. He said he would try "something"
Drove it into the garage and when he returned. It was gone. No new paint, no apparent damage to finish. So grateful.
Lesson learned. If you leave your baby with someone. do a FULL inspection before and after.

That's good news. What'd he do? Wet sand? Polishing compound? Maybe some new top secret proprietary method that if he told you, then he'd have to kill you. lol

[etr2016]

That's awesome! There is such a difference between body shops. If a bird poops on your car I swear 10% of them will say "repaint it."

[nachob]

Originally Posted by etr2016

That's awesome! There is such a difference between body shops. If a bird poops on your car I swear 10% of them will say "repaint it."

Ha. Yes. My insurance company recently sent me a letter that because of satellite imagery my roof needs to be inspected..... by someone that sells new roofs! Gee wonder what they'll say.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by nachob

Ha. Yes. My insurance company recently sent me a letter that because of satellite imagery my roof needs to be inspected..... by someone that sells new roofs! Gee wonder what they'll say.

Hopefully they'll be honest and tell you the truth, but we know you can't always count on that. I had a roofer come this summer to inspect and he told me I've got another 5 to 7 years. Was happy to hear that. Current roof is around 25 years old.

Good luck!

[nachob]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Hopefully they'll be honest and tell you the truth, but we know you can't always count on that. I had a roofer come this summer to inspect and he told me I've got another 5 to 7 years. Was happy to hear that. Current roof is around 25 years old.

Good luck!

Dang wish we were closer. That's awesome.