was washing the Rogue today...gave it a really good scrubbing. oh, 2008 Silver Ice...

Started noticing little spots, pencil lead size & smaller, of rust. Yes, rust. Very noticeable once I started looking. All over the car, on the doors, roof front fenders and on the plastic bumpers and mirror covers too!

Used some 3M liquid rubbing compound/scratch remover and it took them all away. But what a way to kill an afternoon.Followed up with a nice healthy Turtle Waxing.Not looking forward to doing that every few months.



On the other hand, the Rogue SPARKLES now...mirror shine...looks better than the day I bought it.

And it's supposed to rain tomorrow.

The rust dots are formed by tiny particles of iron. Sometimes these are deposited on the paint when the vehicle is transported by rail car.... this is known as 'Rail Dust'.

Other times it comes from the brake rotors or rusty steel wheels (very common in snowy climates).

Yes, it's very noticeable on white and other light colors, ie silver. Your only defence if it reoccurs is cleaning with a clay bar and waxing.

RubenTheRogue wrote:was washing the Rogue today...gave it a really good scrubbing. oh, 2008 Silver Ice...

Started noticing little spots, pencil lead size & smaller, of rust. Yes, rust. Very noticeable once I started looking. All over the car, on the doors, roof front fenders and on the plastic bumpers and mirror covers too!.

Howdy Ruben... I don't know what you could of gotten into but your little spots aren't rust.

Rust is a commonly used term to describe iron oxide. Rust is also term used to describe iron in its corrosive state. ­For iron to become iron oxide (or rust), three things are required: 1) iron, 2)water and 3) oxygen.

While water and oxygen are a given... the iron is not. The "plastic bumpers" and "plastic mirrors" on your Rogue are neither iron or made of metal and therefore they can't rust.

As philipa_240sx indicated the likely cause is rail dust. However, since it sounds like the spots were on everything facing into the wind as you drive it could also be you were either following someone losing transmission fluid or maybe hydraulic oil from a truck. Both are caustic to paint finishes and could appear as an orange stain. Also some bugs guts have also been known to etch a paints finish if left on the surface for an extended period.

Anyway... if it was only on your fenders I might be concerned... but on plastic body parts... it can only be rail dust or some other staining compound.

My Altima used to get the 'rust specs' on the lower part of the doors and bumpers during everyday driving. Normal washing didn't remove them, but regular cleaning with a clay bar did. Leave them for too long, and they embed themselves into the paint and it takes more work to get them out.

philipa_240sx wrote:My Altima used to get the 'rust specs' on the lower part of the doors and bumpers during everyday driving. Normal washing didn't remove them, but regular cleaning with a clay bar did. Leave them for too long, and they embed themselves into the paint and it takes more work to get them out.

Hi philipa_240sx... I feel like I've been living under a rock. Your reply is the third reference to using a clay bar I've read about this week and I have no idea what they are. (well... I'm guessing its some form of rubbing coumpound you hold like a bar of soap) Anyway... guess I need to Google it.

I've always done everything with a tin of rubbing compound. (Hmmm guess that must be old school)

Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit:

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/...G1016

I have that maguire's clay bar system for my BMW...why did these "spots" attack the silver Rogue and not my silver 330i?Whatever they were, they were embedded into the paint and it took some real pressure to work them out.

It could be the differences in the paint finish... BMW vs. Nissan. Recently BMW has come under criticism too for their paint finishes though... same complaints as Nissan's. They chip and scratch easily. Older Bimmers might be a different story though.

Automotive paint has gone through quite a transformation in recent years due to ever tightening environmental regulations. It seems the newer water borne finishes just don't hold up the same as some of the older tried-and-true solvent based paints.

A relative of mine had a very expensive Benz ML320 SUV... in white. The rust specks embedded in the paint were unbelievable! Many times worse than my Altima and I could not get them out. The only way to fix them would be to take it to a professional detailer and have them buff them out with compound. Definitely not a DIY job as you had to buff enough to remove the rust, but not remove too many layers of paint!

I noticed the same specs on my Silver Ice Rogue also this weekend when washing/waxing. Again, I had them on the plastic bumper and the bottom of the doors, so I would assume that it is also the rail rust previously mentioned. I'm going to try a clay bar in the near future; I'll post how it turns out.

philipa_240sx wrote:Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit:

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/...G1016

Can you use it on a ClearBra protection film installed on the hood or just use it around the protection film and just wash the film?Can it damage the protection film?

I've run it over the clear bra on my hood... but just around the edges. It does not appear to cause any damage. It just leaves a small amount of clay on the edge of the clear bra.

I had the same problem with my Atima. I had taken it to a car wash, and found the spot when I got home. They eventually when away after several washes, but I had those "freckles" most of that summer. It was only that summer, tho. I think there was something in the water at the car wash. I haven't had the problem with my Rogue,