[Tucker, The]

These Pictures where taken immediately after I pressure washed my car so the rest of my car looks fantastic except for right above the exhaust here.



The detailer at the dealership told me that the weird stain on the passenger side of my hatch on my pepper white mini is rail dust because I park near the transit train. He said that the train brakes and the wheels on the rails create a cloud of iron dust around the area which has embedded itself in my paint. He suggested that an everyday rubbing compound (ie from Turtle Wax) and a little bit of elbow grease would be all I needed to clear up my problem.

So now the questions I hope someone can answer:

Why would the stain only be above the exhaust and nowhere else on the car?
Once I use rubbing compound have I increased the chance this will happen again?
Once I clear this up is there a way to prevent it from happening again?
Has anyone else experienced this before?
Is there perhaps a suggestion for a preferred rubbing compound to tackle this?
Is there an alternative method I may try?

Even if you can only tackle one of the questions I'll be grateful.

Thanks,

Tucker,The

[r1_kde]

had something like that, you may have a chemical reaction from exhast gasses.
i would leave cutting compounds till last. i would suggest using a clay bar and quick detailer followed by a megs 3 step. also if you intend to keep parking there get a cover

[motionmonk]

Agreed... using a clay bar properly would be the safest way to 1) verify you do have contaminants on your paint surface and 2) to remove them without creating more damage.
I'm not sure how often you can apply a (sacrificial) wax coat on your Mini, but what r1_kde suggested is good advice: park farther away from the train, or else get a cover.

[Tucker, The]

Excellent, thanks for the replies. I'll get some clay today and give it a try.