Self Healing Paint...

[2003 GMC Denali]

I'm a new guy on this Forum... and I'm wondering if anybody has had any experience working with Infiniti's Self Healing Paint, like what's used on infiniti EX-35's ?

Here's a thread below, that talks about what you do OR don't do with this new technology of paint.

The interesting stuff starts on page 2 of the thread.

Self-healing paint, will it be offered in other Infiniti models? - G35Driver

I told my Wife that on a Hot day, we have to leave it out in the Sun, so that all the scratches bake and even out. She told me I was full of crap.

[Matt]

There was another thread on the self healing paint where someone found it was gumming up their pads when trying to polish. Apparently it's a pain to work with.

Luckily I don't have to work with Infinity/ Nissan self healing so I can't really give you any suggestions other than (from what I've read in the thread below) go slow and don't let the paint get to hot.

My guess, to get the paint to "self heal", you have to leave the paint (car) in the sun to heat up, when polishing it generates too much heat causing the paint to try and "self heal". I would guess that using a DA buffer on a low speed is the only solution (apart from doing it by hand)

Hopefully this thread will shed some light for you: Sticky Paint

[Blackthornone]

If paint truly is self healing all you would have to do is wash, clay and seal/wax it.

[killrwheels@autogeek]

I remember a couple years back when Nissan developed it and suggested it had a limited lifespan. Seems cool idea ... but technology is likely in its infancy.

[loudog2]

Originally Posted by killrwheels@autogeek

I remember a couple years back when Nissan developed it and suggested it had a limited lifespan. Seems cool idea ... but technology is likely in its infancy.

Supposely it's a 3 year lifespan. You are fine w/a DA and polishing. Issues come from rotary use.

[ryandamartini]

Eh, this sounds like a crock to me. I personally would not want a vehicle with this on it. So when the clearcoat melts and moves around, does it take road contaminants with it?

I wouldnt be very happy to have to repaint a car because theres all kinds of crud inside the paint after 3 years of "self-healing".

Ive done ONE car with this evil clearcoat and I used the pc with some success, rotary was no go.Self healing my ass. This vehicle sat out in florida heat and it didnt heal ####. I get fired up just thinking about it. After repelling all polish with the rotary, I was able to get the PC to work some. EVIL!

[loudog2]

Originally Posted by ryandamartini

Eh, this sounds like a crock to me. I personally would not want a vehicle with this on it. So when the clearcoat melts and moves around, does it take road contaminants with it?

I wouldnt be very happy to have to repaint a car because theres all kinds of crud inside the paint after 3 years of "self-healing".

Ive done ONE car with this evil clearcoat and I used the pc with some success, rotary was no go.Self healing my ass. This vehicle sat out in florida heat and it didnt heal ####. I get fired up just thinking about it. After repelling all polish with the rotary, I was able to get the PC to work some. EVIL!

Like I stated in the other thread. This paint should be a option, not standard. A moving clearcoat means gaps in your LSP. It might keep me from buying another Infiniti. The paint still gets swirled up, so it doesn't heal everything.

[Anthony Orosco]

I was kinda giggled at when I mentioned some time ago that this type of paint needs to be cold buffed. It's much like paraffin wax in that it can't be sliced or cut well when warm or hot but needs to be cold. Yet how can a detailer perform paint correction without heat?

Well it's obvious that heat is a byproduct of friction, friction is what abrades away paint so we can level it out but too much heat, on any paint, is bad. It heats up the paint (clear coat is basically a plastic film), thins it out and can then drive scratches deeper.

In our experience with this paint we correct it with a softer pad than normal (if it would normally need an orange pad we use a medium polish, if it needs a medium polish we use a finish pad, etc.) and many times work backwards in the sense that we use an orbital for the correction step and a rotary next.....then if needed another orbital pass. Keep a bottle of water close by iced down to spray onto panels and if in the heat of summer, like here in South Texas at 102 degrees......we forget about it until it's much cooler.

When all else fails......just try various techniques on panels and see how the paint responds to each. That and don't buy black!

Anthony

[ryandamartini]

Originally Posted by loudog2

Like I stated in the other thread. This paint should be a option, not standard. A moving clearcoat means gaps in your LSP. It might keep me from buying another Infiniti. The paint still gets swirled up, so it doesn't heal everything.

If you find a good deal on one, I would get it. I would just drive it straight to a paint shop and be like I want it the same color lol. Id love to see a paint shops reaction to that.

[2003 GMC Denali]

When I think about this paint, I think of how it might fix itself after a Winter of using a Snow-brush. For most people, total neglect of their Car's paint is the order of the day and unfortunatley, the lifetime of the Car, too.

It's fun to read your comments... and would love someday to hear from the manufacturer of this paint to offer some idea's on maintenance of this type of paint.

A total re-paint of a brand-new Car is NOT practical for a lot of people, yet it would be nice if we knew how to work with this product.