Clearcoat failure??

[GHONDA07]

Hi everyone. I was out looking at my car today when I noticed this...


Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/a/palrH)


Now I've already come prepared for the worst, but can someone confirm for me that this is clearcoat failure? I've washed this car maybe a dozen or so times since I've had it and never noticed this. From a distance and even up close its hard to notice.


Now if this is clearcoat failure, I'm confused. Why is it on the trunk near the window instead of starting on my roof where the sun is blasting it 24/7?? Does this mean it's going to spread to the entire trunk soon?


Thanks in advance... :(

[Setec Astronomy]

That's hard to tell, it certainly could be CC failure. What makes you think the trunk doesn't get sun blasted just as much as the roof?

Do you have any polish? A hand rub on that spot with some polish and a light colored cloth may tell you something--depending on how the spot and the cloth look after.

[GHONDA07]

Just being a noob I assumed the roof would get blasted more instead of this one little spot on my trunk.
With the cloth, if I polish it and no color comes up, but the marking remains, what should I do at that point? I've already rubbed it with a microfiber cloth a little and nothing came up.

[Setec Astronomy]

What kind of polish did you use/have?

A few other questions...it looks like that panel has horrible RIDS...that are so deep as to seemingly be impossible to have occurred without going through the paint...which leads me to believe that panel has been repainted. Any insight on that? How long have you had the car and what kind of maintenance do you do on the paint?

[GHONDA07]

I hate to say it but I'm not sure what RIDS means.
As for the car, previous owners wife used it and did not at all take care of it. Scratches in the clearcoat everywhere. I had some of it sanded down and resprayed by my uncle who does auto body. This pannel had not been touched with extra paint to my knowledge.
I can't feel any of the scratches on the trunk so I've always assumed they're just CC scratches.
For polish I have megs ultimate polish

[Setec Astronomy]

RIDS is Random Isolated Deep Scratches.

So you rubbed that area with Meg's Ultimate Polish and nothing changed? What does your uncle have to say about this spot?

[GHONDA07]

I haven't touched this spot yet with anything as I'm a little scared to. I did rub it with just a micro fiber towel. I will go do the polish now.

My uncle never noticed this spot either. Sadly I'm not sure when I'll be able to get his input since he's detailing tow trucks atm ;(

[GHONDA07]

It worked!!!

[GHONDA07]

So it's gone fully!! Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/a/a3tIH)
I'm so confused... what was that? It looked like clearcoat failure. Why did the polish fix it?!

[Setec Astronomy]

It worked!!!

What did? If the whiteness went away, keep an eye on that spot, it could be the oils from the polish have masked it, and with some time in the sun, it will come back. I'm hoping it was something else and you've polished it off and you're set.


So it's gone fully!! Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
I'm so confused... what was that? It looked like clearcoat failure. Why did the polish fix it?!

Maybe it was just some water spotting or other contaminant, or just some oxidized paint that you were able to get off. As I said, keep an eye on that spot.

[GHONDA07]

Yes the whiteness did go away. Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet (http://imgur.com/a/a3tIH)

[GHONDA07]

Ok. I will keep an eye on the spot. If it does come back, should it be assumed it's clearcoat failure?

[Setec Astronomy]

Ok. I will keep an eye on the spot. If it does come back, should it be assumed it's clearcoat failure?

Perhaps early stages, depends how fast it comes back and what it looks like.