Something on the roof, help please!

[curly]

Hi
I have got something on the roof of my Smart, I don't know what it is, I have tried to remove it with white spirit, methylated spirit and a variety of car polishes but nothing will get rid of it, do you know what it is and how to remove it please, or is this just something that comes with age on these Smarts.

 

[V6Matty]

Is yours a pan roof? If not then I’m afraid it’s your paint oxidising from a poor re spray

 

[curly]

Is yours a pan roof? If not then I’m afraid it’s your paint oxidising from a poor re spray

Yes, pan roof.

 

[V6Matty]

Yes, pan roof.

You could try some neat white vinegar on a small patch, it almost looks like it’s very bad limescale

 

[curly]

I wondered if it might be tree sap, I can't think of anything else it could be, it is definitely a layer of something as opposed to some kind of oxidisation, I thought of using acetone but that might damage the plastic pan roof, I was hoping someone had come across this before.

 

[EmilysDad]

I'd not use acetone. It seems to be a well documented problem with a plastic 451 roof. The roof of my last 451 was the same.

I think you'll have to live with it.

 

[davidsl500]

Maybe get the roof vinyl wrapped?

 

[rayhennig]

I'd not use acetone.

No. I cleaned an alloy wheel with acetone. It did remove the dirt. Then it removed all the laquer. Bum!

RayH

 

[peterws1957]

Looks very much like the deterioration that happens on the plastic panels at the side of R230 rear windows. A detailer might be able to sort it but if you don't want to go that far I'd try T Cut or something similar.