I messed up BIG TIME! Damage control

**WristyManchego** · 03-08-2019, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by sudsmobile

You have gas in Germany right? It won't hurt your paint either, otherwise they would let you pump it into your car and have it drip down the side.

Gas or, Petrol as it should be known (gas is a phase of matter), will definitely hurt your paint. It is effective for sure but will soften the clear pretty quickly if left on the surface.

Give it a test, if it works, use it gently and swiftly, and wash VERY thoroughly after use with lots of soapy water to remove the petroleum.

**Rrthomas78** · 03-08-2019, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by WristyManchego

Gas or, Petrol as it should be known (gas is a phase of matter), will definitely hurt your paint. It is effective for sure but will soften the clear pretty quickly if left on the surface.

Give it a test, if it works, use it gently and swiftly, and wash VERY thoroughly after use with lots of soapy water to remove the petroleum.

This is good advise ...you and suds are both right if you don't let the gas dwell( which should be common sense right) everything should be fine

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**heinzbush** · 03-09-2019, 11:08 AM

Sh&%t!

guys, there was a spark of hope, but I really messed this up by simply removing the sticker...

I used some Sonax glue residue remover and all the gunk came off without any issue... however, the spots I mentioned before are indeed damage to clear... see more pics:

...by the way: no chance this is from using too much heat. It was about 10C/50F degrees outside and I barely used the heat gun as it seemd to go smooth... maybe too little heat...

ok: so where could I go from here:
a) wetsanding, compounding, polishing: I dont see how this could help as this looks quite deep
b) put a black sticker on top... I guess this is the "easiest", but I would have to live with it not being original (stock OEM is transparent sticker)
c) put a transparent sticker on top: it might have the same effect as putting water on top of it... once there is water on top, you can hardly see it
d) respray: least favoured option

...and on top, not sure how to deal with the other side now!

**WristyManchego** · 03-09-2019, 04:32 PM

Boy, you’ve had a fair go of that sticker.

You’re dead on with the assumption of not using enough heat. The heat is there to soften the glue to allow it to gum up and tack off with the force of the film/vinyl being pulled.

Not enough heat and the force will find the weakest adhesion point, sometimes that’s the clearcoat.

If it is clear coat damage it’s probably a respray job or a potential test of Optimum Clear Coat Restorer if you fancy using it as a test bed. This is a perfect case for it.

Film or vinyl won’t hide the damage like you mentioned, it’s probably far too deep. When that method does work is when the film “fills” the defect to trick the eye. In this case those probably won’t fill in the same way. The water works because it fills and creates a new surface for light to refract off and through.

If you’ve got skills and patience, be bold and try some clear coat restorer. A couple of coats, sand it flat, Polish it to perfect.

Good luck mate.

**ClearVue18** · 03-09-2019, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by heinzbush

Sh&%t!

guys, there was a spark of hope, but I really messed this up by simply removing the sticker...

I used some Sonax glue residue remover and all the gunk came off without any issue... however, the spots I mentioned before are indeed damage to clear... see more pics:

...by the way: no chance this is from using too much heat. It was about 10C/50F degrees outside and I barely used the heat gun as it seemd to go smooth... maybe too little heat...

ok: so where could I go from here:
a) wetsanding, compounding, polishing: I dont see how this could help as this looks quite deep
b) put a black sticker on top... I guess this is the "easiest", but I would have to live with it not being original (stock OEM is transparent sticker)
c) put a transparent sticker on top: it might have the same effect as putting water on top of it... once there is water on top, you can hardly see it
d) respray: least favoured option

...and on top, not sure how to deal with the other side now!

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**Kaban** · 03-09-2019, 06:03 PM

Try the Mastersons Car Care waterless wash. The way Greg talks about it, that stuff can tackle ANY job. Might be worth a try!

**heinzbush** · 03-09-2019, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Kaban

Try the Mastersons Car Care waterless wash. The way Greg talks about it, that stuff can tackle ANY job. Might be worth a try!

Thanks Kaban, but no wash will help... clear coat is damaged / gone...

**WristyManchego** · 03-09-2019, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Kaban

Try the Mastersons Car Care waterless wash. The way Greg talks about it, that stuff can tackle ANY job. Might be worth a try!

Huh? A waterless wash to fix clearcoat or remove glue residue?

**ClearVue18** · 03-09-2019, 08:00 PM

If you put gas on a microfiber and gently wipe that will remove the glue stains.

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**LSNAutoDetailing** · 03-09-2019, 08:37 PM

Please do not use gasoline... do not wet sand.

How long did you let the Sonax Glue Remover dwell for? After applying a liberal amount, did you let it dwell for 15 minutes or more? Did you try plastic razor blades. From what I'm seeing in the pictures, I'm still thinking this can come off... I removed a partial frontal of clear bra off a Mustang and I will tell you, this isn't a 15 minute job. It was like 4 or 5 hours per section just getting all the aged glue residue off.

I used two full bottles of goo-be-gone, plastic razors, some steam, and a lot of patients and rubbing with micro-fiber towels. I knew paint correction was coming after.

If the dwell time and working at it doesn't resolve the issue, take the vehicle to a place that specializes in Clear-Bra installation. They have some heavy-duty glue removers to remove previous installs of PPF and other products. They may be able to help you. Using harsh chemicals such as gasoline, is first unsafe for your health, environment, it's flambe and highly toxic, and not to mention the worst kind of spill you can get on your paint.

If this is beyond your capabilities and you've tried some of the methods suggested (sans gasoline and wet-sanding) you should take the car to a professional PPF installer for more suggestions.

Here is the glue residue from the fender... It doesn't look much different than the photo you posted:

Before

After:

Before:

After: