I need help - recently a stain appeared on the trunk of my car. I think it’s vomit, and I think my upstairs neighbor is responsible for it. I’ve tried using warm water and soap. That didn’t work. The stain is clearish, concentrated in one area (over the trunk) and looks like someone either dumped a substance directly on the back of the car, or threw up on it. My neighbor has thrown up on our garbage cans in the past, and only recently have I been parking outside - right next to those cans. How can I get the stain off? How do I know if it’s vomit?
Can You Tell What Your Neighbor Had Been Eating Or Drinking Just Beforehand ?
Take a really close look, especially in the gaps between the trunk lid and the body. Sometimes there will be chunks. Maybe if you can identify the food and beverages somebody could zero in on it. Do you think it could have been a 12-pack and a pepperoni pizza ?
Do you know if the neighbor suffers from acid reflux ?
Where is your neighborhood ?
CSA
Maybe csi can analyze the stain, Is the paint discolored? if so I would start with a cleaner, McCurdy makes a good one, move up to rubbing compound if needed, and finish off with a good wax.
The problem is that there was rain, so any chunks are now gone. My neighbor has a “condition” this is what my landlord told me after the garbage can incident. He smokes a lot, and keeps a bucket on the upstairs balcony for cigarette butts, I assume. He also hacks alot - it sounds like he has tuberculosis at times…
We live in a nice residential neighborhood, and I think the only reason why this guy lives above is because my landlord owes him…
Thanks, I’m actually taking the car to the body shop tomorrow because the driver’s side window (which had been a bit loose) came out of the track and fell into the door. I had been having problems with the automatic windows - I pressed the button, just heard the sound, and after a friend tugged too hard on the window, it fell into the door. (Sigh) I plan to have the shop worker analyze the stain - so where can I buy those supplies you mentioned?
Wal Mart or any auto parts store should have them in stock, Don’t be afraid to ask an Auto Parts store for their recommendation!
If it is vomit…then it is an acid stain and damaged the finish…stomach fluids are acidic. There is no simple way to analyze for vomit. As mentioned try rubbing compound.
It is definitely an acid stain, according to the shop workers. They will use clay first, and then they’re going to try buffing it out.
Any guesses what it might be? Am I right? Is it vomit? Have any of you had a stain like this?
http://www5.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=3611374008/PictureID=159819595008/a=37264773_37264773/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
Vomit is one very possible cause. Another might be a cola drink. Coke can mess up a car’s finish. Someone carelessly throwing a Coke can at the trash can could have splashed some of the drink on your car’s paint.
Once you get this cleaned off your car, see if you can find another place to park it. Near the trash cans isn’t a good spot.
Keep in mind that vandalism is normally covered under your insurance, although it may not be easy to convince your insurance company that this is a case of vandalism.
That looks like damage from an acidic solution to me. Hard to tell how deeply the damage goes from the pic. Hopefully, they can buff away enough of the clear coat to remove the damaged paint before they get to the color coat. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. You may need to have it repainted (cleared) to get a nice finish again.
how old is the civic? I have a 1998 that the clearcoat is starting to peel away from–I can imagine how someone could mistake this for vomit stain. Many other similar aged Civics in my neighborhood have the same clearcoat peeling/fading in the same spots on the hood/roof/trunk etc.
If your car is newer it could be a warranty issue with the clearcoat. If it is a 1998 like mine then you are probably sol.
I can’t imagine that vomit would not simply wash off with regular car soap and water. Please post back as to what the body shop says.
Not much you can do now…except repainting the trunk.
However for future problems…try applying WAX. If the car had wax on the paint then this would NOT be a problem.
It’s a 2005. It has been totally rebuilt because it was totalled before I bought it. The guy that I bought it from fixes up Hondas, mostly Civics and sells them. I of course had it go through a thorough check up at the Honda dealership before I forked over the money. It’s been a great car, and I love it. Maybe I should email the guy that fixed it up and sold it to me to ask what type of car paint he used?
I’m going back to the body shop on Weds, and will keep you posted…
In the meantime, how can I force my neighbor to pay for this?
It looks like the clearcoat has suffered damage but I think the paint below it is still good. If there is a dentless repair shop near you I suggest you check them out, they are buffing, polishing and finish experts in my experience. They buffed out a scraped lens the body shop wanted $75 to replace, as part of a $75 repair for a crease in the hood and scraped lens from a fallen ladder that was a $3500 repair otherwise.
I brought one of my show quality cars in to work one summer day. When I came out after work, I found a seagull deposit on the hood. I ran inside to get a wet paper towel but it had already ate through the liberal applications of wax and most of the clearcoat (6 layers!). I still can’t laugh about that one. Stomach acid may not be quite as corrosive but I lost my confidence in wax protecting against these situations the hard way. Can’t hurt to keep it waxed though. Something is better than nothing!
What kind of wax do you use.
I’m amazed bird dodo can eat through any good wax. I know the wax I use it doesn’t eat through…I get bird droppings all the time at work. Lots of trees and a lot of birds. It’s usually crusted over by the time I see it…just wipe it off and all gone…no residue at all…paint still looks like new…
I’m not sure who the manfr is, I get the stuff from one of my friends who does custom auto body, painting and detailing work. It’s professional grade stuff tho-
This isn’t your run of the mill songbird droppings. I get those all the time too and they sit on unwaxed paint of my truck w/no ill effect. I think it has to do with diet more than anything. After the fact, a number of people told me not to park outside. The sea birds drop shells to break them open and they aren’t too particular where they hit. Seafood diet apparently produces some caustic droppings as well.
that’s either vomit or a flying dinosaur zeroed in on your trunk lid.
I would try and make the guy upstairs pay for the repairs. It is his vomit after all…
Where I work at isn’t far from the Coast (Salem MA)…and we get a LOT of sea-birds around…I’m not sure if they ever pooped on my truck…but there’s a good possibility that over the past 10 years they have.