Stained clearcoat
 

Washing and waxing my car, I found the clearcoat is spotted with slightly cloudy marks (maybe 1/4 inch across) that don't clean off. Do I have to have the surface buffed? What causes it? What cures it?

Need pics!

They are too subtle to show up in pics. Just hazy marks when viewed from an acute angle.

Best approach then would be to Clay>Cut>Polish>Wax and see what you come up with. If you don't have a machine, find a detailer local to you and see if they can correct the spot(s) for you as you'll never accomplish by hand what you can with RO machine.

You could try hitting them with a little ScratchX and a foam pad by hand. It's an extremely mild polish and it uses a diminishing abrasive so it's great for one step quick work on very light marring.

If that doesn't work, I'd probably leave it to a pro or learn how to use a DA on a friend's car first. :D

Nathan