AMGPower88

Hey guys, so I just drove to LA from San Francisco and then drove back home for a total of 800 miles. The front end of my car has alot of dead bugs and blood, It's been a couple days since I was going to take the car to get detailed on Monday or Tuesday. My question is do the bugs leave stains on the paint of the car if left for too long also if the cars under the sun daily?

zibby43

Yes, the dead bugs can certainly harm the paint (particularly the clear coat).

The dead bugs' fluids are surprisingly extremely acidic and can etch the clear coat (similar to bird droppings).

Get a microfiber towel, some quick detailing solution (I mix Optimum No-Rinse with Optimum Car Wax and some water), lubricate the surface, lubricate the towel, and wipe away the dead bugs going in straight lines (continue using fresh portions of the towel).

Or, if you have time for a full wash - do it ASAP.

-Marlin-

I try to wash the bugs off as fast as possible before their shells eat through the clear coat and stain the paint pink. Even a quick detail spray and micro fiber towel wipe down is better than leaving them on for more than 24 hours.

Might want to consider a clear protecting film for the front of your car and the mirrors. Kind of the modern day bra without the annoying scratches left behind from sand getting trapped underneath. Many people get these films on day one of ownership.

Ingenieur

Yep, just like bird crap, it'll etch the clear coat
I keep a couple coats of collanite 476 paste wax on the front end
A little detailer and they wipe right off

CarHopper

What color is your car?

When I had my black c63 I didn't really care. Bugs never cause havoc for that paint either...

Now with my white one.. Well, lets just say I keep a microfiber towel in the car haha

BiturboSF

I'm planning on taking the C63 next month on the exact same road trip & I will be using painters tape to cover the front end & headlights for bugs & rock chips. Just curious was the C63 able to hit 20mpg on the highway?

rentzington

YUP i'm wiping that sucker down everynight....white is such a pita to keep clean

equetefue

edging of the clear-coat. Here is Florida is horrible. Just got my car a clear-bra. It's simply a good investment.

jmueller

Yup. Alligator Ally (I-75) is a car clear coat killer.

Ingenieur

if you use the cruise and set at 70-75, yes, I've hit 20-21

BrabusNYC

It you leave it on there for a while then it will probably affect the paint/clear...If its only a few days then any good detailer should be able remove everything.

AMGPower88

FML, mine is white.. It's been approx. 3-4 days since the drive, but I just washed the car today... I couldnt really see any serious stains after looking closer at the paint where the bugs werre hit....

AMGPower88

I was going to use painters blue tape before I made the trip down but the car was already dirty so I wasnt about to put the tape on like 3 weeks before and certainly wasnt going to put it on when the car is dirty.. However, now that I think about it, I probably shouldve applied it to avoid rock chips and bugs altogether.. Oh well, lesson learned. I got my mpg up to 17 overall, not quite 20 but still pretty good, didnt really use cruise control since I was going a little faster than 70-75 at certain times

GRam

I keep a spray bottle with a 50-50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water in it. Easily the best, and cheapest, solution to cleaning the bugs off...

Kriston

Typically I try not to "wipe" the bug guts off without pressure washing it off first. As others have mentioned, you can definitely harm your cars clear by leaving it on.