Unless you plan never let your vehicle see the light of day, your beautiful car is at risk for “bird bombs.” Our scenic California coastline teems with bird life, so odds are, you will eventually be hit. But this filth poses a greater threat to your car’s paint than the typical grime found sticking to your vehicle. Bird poop is acidic and if you don’t remove it quickly, your paint can be permanently marred. The following is a great article on what to do if this offending slime hits your car. If it is too late and the damage has already been done, please call us. An Auto Cosmetic Solutions technician can come to your home or office to repair the damage within a few hours.
By Autopia Car Care
BIRD BOMBS
Without a doubt, one of the most dreaded car care problems we face is the bird. Birds in the air are beautiful to watch fly, but vile to our car’s finish. A bird’s droppings can quickly cause damage to your paint.
Bird droppings are very acidic (pH 3.5 to 4.5). When bird droppings fall on your paint, the acid begins to burn and etch the paint’s surface. The longer the bird droppings remain, the greater the damage.
I’ve had bird bomb incidents with my black Mazda Speed3 (the seagulls seem to think it’s just a target) that have created damage as deep as 1 to 2 mils. To give you an idea of what that means, notebook paper is approximately 2 mils of thickness. Your car’s paint is only 4 to 6 mils thick.
The result of bird dropping damage is a dimple in the paint’s surface, often as large as an inch or more in diameter. This damage is permanent, but can easily be repaired.