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Petrol Stains and Stone Chips - pete&hisgolf
Hi

Firstly a confession: I haven't washed my car for 3 months so I admit most of what follows falls largely into the 'self inflicted' category of problems.

1. The paintwork on my, metallic silver, Mazda has a kind of brown stain below the petrol cap - presumably this is from spilt petrol. Can any backroomers recommend any products that will clear this off? Washing with Auto Glym car shampoo hasn't worked.

2. I have chipped paintwork on the rear wheel arch and scuff marks on the rear bumper (which I think is plastic). The chip mark was caused by me scraping off what looked like a speck of rust or tar with my thumbnail - the paint came off with it.

I have a manufacturers touch-up stick which according to the instructions should not be used in temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius. I'm concerned that the chip will go rusty if I wait until summer. Does anyone have any suggestions for both the chip and the scuffed bumper? I've heard of firms like 'chips away' but wouldn't want to use one without a personal recommendation, so if anyone could recommend a good company in the Sheffield area I would be very grateful.

Thanks in advance

Pete
Petrol Stains and Stone Chips - Dynamic Dave
1. The paintwork on my, metallic silver, Mazda has a
kind of brown stain below the petrol cap - presumably this
is from spilt petrol. Can any backroomers recommend any products
that will clear this off?


Plenty of elbow grease and car polish/wax. Failing that, a light rubbing over with metallic t-cut, followed by more polish/wax.

2. I have chipped paintwork on the rear wheel arch...
I have a manufacturers touch-up stick which should not be
used in temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius.


Take stick indoors for a while to warm it up. When you think it's warm enough, use a hair drier to warm the body panel, and then apply the touch up paint.

I'm concerned that the chip will go rusty if I wait
until summer.


You could always apply a little bit of waxoil to the chip, and then clean off in the summer and then touch it up.
Petrol Stains and Stone Chips - oldgit
Brown petrol stains on carburettors (remember those?) used to come off readily using IMS (industrial methylated spirits), Surgical spirit or 'Meths' from the chemist may also remove the stains (this is essentially Ethanol, Methanol, Pyridine and a dyestuff to deter drinking it), but remember these stains were removed from unpainted raw metal-bodied carbs and not paintwork! Anything you try, that I've mentioned, should be tried with caution and not with too much hard rubbing. Also remember that metallics have two coats. A coloured basecoat and a transparent topcoat.
Nick
(Retired, Analytical Paint Chemist)
Petrol Stains and Stone Chips - Blue {P}
I'd say that ordinary Autoglymn Super Resin Polish would remove the stain, probably.

As for the chip, ChipsAway are fairly good, they fixed the paintwork on my gran's old Corolla t a fair standard, they didn't spray, just filled in the chips, but that was because the dealer was paying for the cheapest possible job!

I'd be careful using the touch up stick, use a very fine brush, preferably not the one that is supplied, it is too big, build the paint up in several layers rather than trying to do it in one go.

If you mess up the painting then you've not lost anything, you can still get the area sprayed by Chips Away or someone like that.

Blue
Petrol Stains and Stone Chips - pete&hisgolf
Blue Oval, Old Git & Dynamic Dave

Thanks very much for the suggestions - several ideas that I hadn't considered. Searching the forum and wider internet I've also come across good reports of Meguires products so I may give them a call and see what they recommend for the stain removal.

Thanks again

Pete
Petrol Stains and Stone Chips - patently
Try a tar remover for the petrol stain - but re-polish the area afterwards as the tar remover will take everything off.