Orange colored specs on white paint

[wallyuwl]

We have a 2019 Toyota Highlander, got it in October last year. I noticed we have orange colored specs on the white paint. They come off with some elbow grease and one of the exterior cleaners I have, but don't come off with a regular car wash (either by hand or taking it through a car wash). We had the same thing with our 2003 Vibe. We should have known not to get a white Toyota, but figured in 16 years they'd fix the problem.

I know it is the brakes. But is it the pads or rotors? If the pads, does this mean they are semi-metallic and changing to ceramic would fix it?

 

[parshisa]

that's iron fallout/rail dust. get some IronX, spray on the surface, watch it "bleed", rinse off, enjoy pure white perl of your Toyota

 

[thastinger]

I learned something new today as I wasn't aware this was a thing. So the metal from the pads/rotors gets into the paint huh.

Looks like some brembo carbon fiber rotors and pads are in your future

 

[Danno]

Clay bar is another way to get at the surface rust specs.

 

[Kestas]

I remember working at one of the automakers where my colleague was looking at paint warranty claims. One claim was spots on white paint for a police fleet. The spots turned out to be bee poop. The bees for some reason liked to poop on the white panels.

 

[parshisa]

Clay bar is another way to get at the surface rust specs.

clay bar doesn't do much for embedded fallout. although, it will remove the dirt you can't remove with regular wash. iron remover is certainly a way to go, i've done many times on different cars, nothing to worry about (except for horrible smell)

 

[Tundragod]

Clay bar works on the orange specs. I used it on my white 2017 Accord Hybrid.

 

[Traction]

A lot of rust specks show up during winter stuck to the paint, and I believe a lot of it is from the steel wearing off of snow plow blades. You don't see it happen in the summer so much.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Agree to use an iron remover over a claybar.

clay bar doesn't do much for embedded fallout. although, it will remove the dirt you can't remove with regular wash. iron remover is certainly a way to go, i've done many times on different cars, nothing to worry about (except for horrible smell)

 

[ryster]

+3 for clay bar. Wash/Rinse/Dry car with car soap, Clay car, rinse car again, dry car, apply a basic spray on hybrid ceramic sealant (TW Seal n Shine, Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Spray wax, etc.) and the spots should be easy to keep away. I did this very thing to my parent's Highlander several weeks ago and it still looks great. Only took about 2 hours for everything.

I find that claying once a year is really all that is necessary. Reapplying the hybrid spray wax every 3-4 weeks really helps keep most major dirt problems off the car (and only takes about 30 minutes since it is just spray on, wipe off, buff lightly.)

Also, as Kestas posted, bee poop looks like little orange, dull/waxy spots. I get them all over my car and windshield in the summer. Super annoying!!!!!

 

[wag123]

As I posted in the other thread you started about this problem...
I have never seen orange brake dust. All of the brake dust that I have ever seen is either dark gray or black. Furthermore, I have never seen brake dust covering the entire side of a vehicle. I still think that the orange deposit you are seeing is something else, either rust/iron dust (rail dust), some form of tree pollen, industrial fallout from manufacturing that uses iron, iron ore mining activities, or what is more likely is that it is red dirt dust or orange dirt dust from the environment where the Highlander is driven. Do you have red dirt or orange dirt anywhere around where you live? Either of these dirt colors show VERY prominently on white vehicles. Several areas of Wisconsin have goethite, hematite, and lepidocrocite soils which are high in iron content and either red or orange in color (and there ARE iron ore mines in northern Wisconsin). Also, the high clay content of some of these soils make them VERY difficult to remove.

 

[parshisa]

clay is abrasive and most of the time it'll leave micro marring behind and hinder the gloss of the paintwork. you certainly can clay once a year but I don't think it is really necessary as long as you follow good wash regimen. Also, if you clay, polish it using light polish - any all in one would work or you could use dedicated light polish if following up with a sealant.

 

[PimTac]

I agree with the use of a iron remover product like IronX or other brands. Your Highlander might have rail dust that is now oxidizing and thus the orange color.

Spray the product on and watch it turn purple. That’s your sign.

 

[OppositeLocK]

All cars have this. Perfectly normal. Clay bar it out, easy peasy.