Road Spray? Help

[Ramboy13]

Just got my 2025 Tungsten at the end of January. Finally warm enough to clean and ceramic coat it. I’m prepping now and found a white residue on the leading edge of the rear fender flares. Both sides.
It is white - I’ll try to attach pics but they aren’t helping convey how it looks. I’ve tried washing. Clay bar. And even a very light scratch polish. Nothing seems to touch this.
Need ideas…. I was planning to do ceramic tomorrow.
Thanks!

Edit: it’s not road paint. It’s middle of winter here in upstate NY so no painting going on.
There’s plenty of salt, but this doesn’t come off like salt everywhere else.

 

[Dr. Jim]

I have seen this, over the years, on some of my vehicles. The paint has been chipped off like it has been "sandblasted" from road debris.

 

[Ramboy13]

I have seen this, over the years, on some of my vehicles. The paint has been chipped off like it has been "sandblasted" from road debris.

Thanks. Scary thought that this happens in only five weeks since I got the truck. There has been salt and salt in the roads, but I’ve tried to avoid as much as possible.
It doesn’t feel terribly rough, but if what you said is true…. There’s nothing I can do.
That’s very disappointing.

 

[Biga]

Yes looks like it got sand blasted from the crap they put down on the roads. One downside to retractable running boards is that they don't stick out to block crap from hitting the rear fenders like the fixed running boards do. Ram should be installing PPF from the factory in this area.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I’d take it to a professional paint shop and get their opinion/suggestions. Many years ago my Dad got something on his car that almost looked like a concrete mist. We could not get it to come off at all. We took it to a paint shop and they had a power washer that had high water pressure, not just a lot of air like the ones we use at home. It took that stuff off in just a few minutes without damaging the paint.

 

[Montana_]

Get gud mud flaps lol

Even with the gatorbacks it's still a thing. These trucks spray. Touchless washes only do so much and I've noticed there is a lot of debris inside the factory flares too. Just poor adhesive is what I suspect.

 

[n8zcc]

Get gud mud flaps lol

Even with the gatorbacks it's still a thing. These trucks spray. Touchless washes only do so much and I've noticed there is a lot of debris inside the factory flares too. Just poor adhesive is what I suspect.

Mud flaps won't stop the "sandblasting" effect. What stops it is fixed-in-place running boards. These powered deployable running boards tuck in and don't redirect the wind away from the flares. I have the same problem on my 2022 as the OP, albeit not as pronounced.

 

[Ramboy13]

Yep, I have mud flaps. Put on the Mopar versions first day.
I agree the lack of running boards isn’t helping, so I’m debating running with them deployed when the roads are real bad. Haven’t thought through pros and cons of that yet.
I ended up getting 90% of it off with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I almost hesitate to admit that. I’ve used on other things that just would not come clean with normal cleaning, like pool liner or steps. It’s much better now and I said screw it and did the ceramic coat over it. Hoping that will help some. I know it’s not bullet proof.

The shape of the truck hasn’t changed much in years. And not everyone has running boards. So you’d think this is a very common issue and maybe they could’ve designed this better. Even if adding better protection on the flares.

 

[Scram1500]

Just got my 2025 Tungsten at the end of January. Finally warm enough to clean and ceramic coat it. I’m prepping now and found a white residue on the leading edge of the rear fender flares. Both sides.
It is white - I’ll try to attach pics but they aren’t helping convey how it looks. I’ve tried washing. Clay bar. And even a very light scratch polish. Nothing seems to touch this.
Need ideas…. I was planning to do ceramic tomorrow.
Thanks!

Edit: it’s not road paint. It’s middle of winter here in upstate NY so no painting going on.
There’s plenty of salt, but this doesn’t come off like salt everywhere else.
View attachment 197745View attachment 197746

Looks like concrete mist, it's also on the plastic trim. Try some vinegar