Hey guys, I have an '08 MCS and I noticed this weekend when I detailed my car that there were some water stains on the stripes. I tried buffing them out with a microfiber cloth and some quick detail spray, but they didn't come out.

Is it normal for the stripes to stain like this? What is the best way to get these stains out? It just looks like rain water dried on there, but it's only in one or two spots.

Thanks

 

First,spray a little QD on the spots, then take a microfiber with some QD on it and lay it on the spots, letting it soak a minute or so, this should lift the spots, then wipe. If that does not work try some white vinegar. Do the same thing.

Mark

 

Hmm, leaving QD or vinegar on there won't discolor or damage the stripes? Why are the spots so hard to get out in the first place? This is not an issue anywhere else on the car.

 

have you waxed the car yet? if not that could be the reason. to lift the spots you could always use clay.

 

The QD will not be an issue. Skip the vinegar, or just wipe it on, don't soak it.

Does your MINI have wax on it?

Mark

 

No wax, unless it was done at the factory or dealer and I don't think they waxed it. I didn't either as the clear bra is gonna be going on soon. So I'm just gonna spray the spots and spray the microfiber cloth and then soak it for a minute?

 

Yup, let the QD soak in a few minutes, then wipe. Also WD40 will probably get rid of them, and will do no harm. Same thing, let it soak a bit.

Mark

 

I've got an '06 Cooper S with the silver bonnet stripes. Well, over the past couple years, the stripes have gotten some light stains from birds, water spots, and road crap from being on a car carrier. Anyone have any ideas how to make the stripe nice and bright and clean looking again?

 

I've got vinyl bonnet stripes and I've covered them with clear vinyl for color protection. I've got bird dropping spots after cleaning and need to remove them, any help??

 

I have merged 3 recent bonnet strip cleaning threads into one, and renamed it, How to clean bonnet stripes. The info will tend to be the same to help all the thread starters deal with their strip problems.

This is not a poll, now I need to figure out how to un-poll it

Mark

 

I use Swirl and my PC on my stripes at every detail. In between, ScratchX on my finger will remove stubborn spots. Careful if you have chrome and/or printed pin stripes since polish will wear them away enough to loose the color. When I had white stripes with black pins I quickly learned to tape up the black pins before polishing.

 

What is Swirl and PC?

 

Swirl:
http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...2-691513519620

PC:
http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...1-122521261403

Mark

 

What Mark said. Sorry for the jargon.

 

Just an update: I sprayed QD on the stripes and some onto a MF cloth. I placed the MF cloth over the affected area & I waited a couple of minutes and then tried to wipe it off. It didn't work

It turns out they are not water stains...they are stains from the factory windishield washer fluid. Apparently, the jets weep after I drive home and park in the garage and the weeping fluid runs down the stripes onto the bonnet and dries and stains. Not cool

I'm going to the dealer on Monday and I'm going to ask them to fix this. Hopefully they've heard of this problem. Given that this is the factory washerfluid, what should I use to get the stains out?

 

OK there is a recall for the squirters weeping ... they install check valves in the lines , I've heard of several minis getting their stripes replaced because of the stains ...contact your dealer ...
I'd try a dab of 3M adhesive remover (white and red bottle)it lifts most stains from my vinyl (10 years old)

 

That stinks!!! Our p/h cabriolet washers weeped and left about 2'' of paint damage. Tried clay, compound, heavy polish and medium polish with a rotary polisher using cutting and polishing pads -- and still they would not leave. Are you certain there is a recall on this? Do i just make an appointment and show them the paint damage?? thx for your help...mike

 

Positive on the recall ... I've not heard of PAINT damage just bonnet stripes... Call YOUR dealer as dealers vary on things

 

Yep, this happened in first gen models too. The dealer will cover any damage under warranty.

 

I don't get it...if this is an issue on the first gen. models as well as the 2007 R56 models, why wouldn't they put in the check valves a the factory?

 

dunno ... it makes sense , I'm assuming they redesigned the R56 and figured it was fixed without the checks

 

I appreciate all your comments. Is there a specific website that i can access to have something in hand when i speak to dealer? ( just thinking that if bmw KNOWS there is a problem and haven't fixed it at factory level --- i just want to be safe at the dealer level!! )
I guess it's all related to bottom line...why doesn't bmw spend the $5 or so (?) and the few minutes to install -- at factory level and keep owners happy than sweep this under the rug and hope it doesn't get bigger?? i figure from '01,'02 - to present there must be more than us 5,6 owners with this problem? just venting thanks for confirmation and i will look for bmw recalls and will be going to dealer with our 05 cabriolet with 22k...thx mike

 

from reading some of the threads, it's an issue on R56 MCS models right from the start. People said they were supposed to be fixed on late '07 R56 models as well as '08 models, but that's not the case.

 

I honestly think it's the actual fluid. I know people think I'm whacko when I say this, but I had the issue on my 06 from the very beginning. So I flushed out all the fluid that came in the car (just ran the washers til they ran dry), then filled the tank with water and ran the washers again til they ran dry, and then filled with off-the-shelf fluid.

I never had the valve installed, and it's never happened since.

 

I tend to agree with ML. I had the issue straight out of the box - it was actually present when I took delivery. I flushed with plain water and refilled with water and 303 tablets and have not seen any further evidence of a leak.