clear coat coming off?

[wrx495]

hey guys ! so my friend was washing his car and all of a sudden he saw this (click on the link for the picture) https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B5E...3hveTVSYmszZTg

he thought it would be the clearcoat coming off but it didn't look like clearcoat was coming off.

anyways, what does this look like to you all and could it be removed by using a DA and polish and pads then sealing it? or should he take it to a professional and have it fixed?(how much would it cost?
thanks!

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

I clicked on the link and then needed to sign-in?


Can you just get the URL code for the picture?


Or look through the pictures in the link below and let us know if it looks like any of these?

The Clearcoat Failure Photo Gallery Archive

[wrx495]

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

I clicked on the link and then needed to sign-in?


Can you just get the URL code for the picture?

[/URL]

sorry mike! google doesn't always work with pictures for me.. not sure why but i uploaded it on here and this is what it looks like,

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

That looks like surface oxidation and beginning clear coat failure.

It also looks like someone has either machine buffed a section or wiped or hand buffed on a section and that's why there's an arc or half circle appearance to the defects on the panel.



When I can't tell by just the picture, here's a few questions that help to determine the problem.

Is the car a few years old?
Clear coat failure takes time, you don't see it on brand new cars.


Does the car have a history of always being parked outside?
Regardless if you just bought a used car, did the previous owner park it outside most of the time? Or, since you've owned it has it been parked outside a lot?


Is the geographical location of the car also a place of lots of sunshine?
Is the car in Alaska or Arizona?


Are the affected areas also horizontal surfaces?
Most clear coat failure takes place to horizontal surfaces first while the vertical panels remain intact. This is because the horizontal panels take the brunt of the sunshine beating down on them plus all the water exposure as well as exposure to any other type of contaminants in the air/water.



Can you provide answers to any of the above questions?

[PoorOwner]

Hi Mike, can a roof or hood that is starting to look like that be re-cleared at a paint shop without too much trouble?
Assuming it is separated by gutter or somewhat easy to mask off?

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by PoorOwner

Hi Mike, can a roof or hood that is starting to look like that be re-cleared at a paint shop without too much trouble?
Assuming it is separated by gutter or somewhat easy to mask off?

Best thing to do is to go to a couple of shops and ask.

It's possible, not sure you'll get any takers. My guess is it depends upon how bad it is and what the rest of the car looks like.


Stop by some shop and ask for quotes and then post back here what you find out...

[wrx495]

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

That looks like surface oxidation and beginning clear coat failure.

It also looks like someone has either machine buffed a section or wiped or hand buffed on a section and that's why there's an arc or half circle appearance to the defects on the panel.



When I can't tell by just the picture, here's a few questions that help to determine the problem.

Is the car a few years old?
Clear coat failure takes time, you don't see it on brand new cars.


Does the car have a history of always being parked outside?
Regardless if you just bought a used car, did the previous owner park it outside most of the time? Or, since you've owned it has it been parked outside a lot?


Is the geographical location of the car also a place of lots of sunshine?
Is the car in Alaska or Arizona?


Are the affected areas also horizontal surfaces?
Most clear coat failure takes place to horizontal surfaces first while the vertical panels remain intact. This is because the horizontal panels take the brunt of the sunshine beating down on them plus all the water exposure as well as exposure to any other type of contaminants in the air/water.



Can you provide answers to any of the above questions?

okay mike ill try and answer it best i can having my friend not over here at the moment

Is the car a few years old?
the car is 2002 bmw 325xi

Does the car have a history of always being parked outside?
-yeah the car does have a history of being parked outside in the direct sunlight right outside the garage of his house.

Is the geographical location of the car also a place of lots of sunshine?
-yeah we live in California (in the Bay area) where its ALWAYS sunny and sometimes cloudy(in the rainy season)

Are the affected areas also horizontal surfaces?
-yeah they are that is the only area that we saw it at and didn't find it anywhere else!! it's just starting over there

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by wrx495

okay mike ill try and answer it best i can having my friend not over here at the moment

Is the car a few years old?
the car is 2002 bmw 325xi

Strike 1: Assuming that's the original paint it is now 10 years old. According to Dr. David Ghodoussi it has lost most of it's factory supplied UV protection as Dr. Ghodoussi says the UV inhibitors inside the clear layer have a half life of 5 years.

See page 2 of this thread,

Beginning Clearcoat Failure

Originally Posted by wrx495

Does the car have a history of always being parked outside?
-yeah the car does have a history of being parked outside in the direct sunlight right outside the garage of his house.

Strike 2: Exposure to the sun is a major contributor to clear coat failure, especially over time, see Strike 1.

Originally Posted by wrx495

Is the geographical location of the car also a place of lots of sunshine?
-yeah we live in California (in the Bay area) where its ALWAYS sunny and sometimes cloudy(in the rainy season)

Strike 3: California gets a lot of sun, not as much up north but still a lot of sun plus you have the ocean/salt/moisture factors and their affect.

Originally Posted by wrx495

Are the affected areas also horizontal surfaces?
-yeah they are that is the only area that we saw it at and didn't find it anywhere else!!it's just starting over there

Strike 4: Horizontal surfaces take the brunt of all attacks to the finish.


Sounds like from your answers and looks like from the picture clear coat failure.

One more factor would be if the car was "well maintained" over the last 10 years or left to fend for itself.

Well-maintained would mean regularly washed with a non-detergent car wash soap and regularly clayed, cleaned and sealed.

Left to fend for itself would include taking it to a car wash, or letting Mother Nature wash it and any other paint care related maintenance only performed sporadically, like the first year it was purchased because the owner had "New Car Excitement" and then after that wore off...


Can't count how many threads have been posted like this over the years, makes me want to paint my truck project using a single stage paint.

[wrx495]

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

Strike 1: Assuming that's the original paint it is now 10 years old. According to Dr. David Ghodoussi it has lost most of it's factory supplied UV protection as Dr. Ghodoussi says the UV inhibitors inside the clear layer have a half life of 5 years.

See page 2 of this thread,

Beginning Clearcoat Failure






Strike 2: Exposure to the sun is a major contributor to clear coat failure, especially over time, see Strike 1.





Strike 3: California gets a lot of sun, not as much up north but still a lot of sun plus you have the ocean/salt/moisture factors and their affect.




Strike 4: Horizontal surfaces take the brunt of all attacks to the finish.


Sounds like from your answers and looks like from the picture clear coat failure.

One more factor would be if the car was "well maintained" over the last 10 years or left to fend for itself.

Well-maintained would mean regularly washed with a non-detergent car wash soap and regularly clayed, cleaned and sealed.

Left to fend for itself would include taking it to a car wash, or letting Mother Nature wash it and any other paint care related maintenance only performed sporadically, like the first year it was purchased because the owner had "New Car Excitement" and then after that wore off...


Can't count how many threads have been posted like this over the years, makes me want to paint my truck project using a single stage paint.

thank you very much mike! i'll be sending this information to him! though, when i get my car pretty soon (i am 16) i will regularly maintain my car!

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by wrx495

when i get my car pretty soon (i am 16) i will regularly maintain my car!

Good idea, it's more cost effective to maintain your car plus requires a lot less work and time versus letting it go until it's almost to the point of no return.


What kind of car do you want to get?