I've had my black truck for 6 months now and recently I noticed little white/grey spots covering the paint (mainly on the hood and front quarter panels). The spots will not come off with a finger nail, yet don't appear to be paint chips (they are smooth to the touch). My question is, since I have yet to wax the truck, has anyone encountered this and what should I do to try and remove these? Meguires 3-step? Clay bar?

Any responses/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Edited for grammar .

I think a clay bar might do the trick... It's probably some sort of environmental crud that deposited on your finish...

They're available at your local auto parts store such as Auto-Zone... Meguiars makes one... and here's another type for more details on what clay bars can do...

http://www.clay-magic.com/

http://www.clay-magic.com/whatisclaymagic.htm

"What is paint contamination?

Paint contamination consists of tiny metal shavings from rail dust, brake dust and industrial fallout. This contamination affects all paint finishes and can cause serious damage when left untreated. Paint contamination can be felt as a "rough or gritty" texture on the paint's surface and can lead to tiny rust spots. This contamination can not be removed by washing, waxing and/or polishing.

Where does contamination come from?

There are three major causes of paint contamination:

1. Rail dust - produced from the friction of train wheels against railroad tracks. Over 70% of new vehicles are shipped by rail. Rail dust can contaminate a new car's finish before it even reaches the dealership. Anytime a vehicle is parked or travels near a railroad it is subject to rail dust contamination.

2. Brake dust - particles produced from the friction of brake pads rubbing against the rotor. This metal on metal friction disperses tiny particles of bare metal into the air and on the highway where it collects on passing vehicles.

3. Industrial fallout - another word for pollution, industrial fallout is a byproduct of our modern industrial age. "

A clay bar will take care of these things...

I have not seen this personally, but since the truck is only 6 months old your first step should be to take it to the dealer. That should rule out paint defects provided the dealer is honest... If it is not a defect of some kind, then ask the body shop what they recommend.

Damn Mineralblue, that was fast. Good stuff too. I need to clay bar my back hatch anyway, so I'll just hit a spot on the hood and see if that helps (yep, the back hatch is covered in rail dust).

aztecX : I know these spots we not on it when I took possession so I'm betting my dealer will give me the old "environmental issue" song and dance. Might be worth a shot tho.

Thanks for the quick replies.

No problem! I am however envious of the five xterra rating you have...

Right

Mineral's probably right...some kind of environmental crud, but it might also be some stubborn hard water spots. They're a bitch on black paint.

Try a good washing at a place that has spot-free rinse,dry the entire truck thoroughly, use the clay bar, and throw a good coat of wax on it.

See what happens and keep us posted.

First I used a Mothers clay bar on all surfaces. Then I went with step 2 and 3 of the Meguires 3-step. But the spots are still there. I can feel them with my fingernail, but the damn things won't come off. BTW, I tried step 1 in small area densly covered by the white spots and it did nothing. Any suggestions for the next step? Maybe stripping the existing layers of wax off with dishwashing soap?

On a positive note, the clay bar did a great job cleaning the crud off of the rear hatch.

Thanks for all the good replies.