What are these tiny pits in my car's paint? How do I remove them?

[Mike Phillips]

What are these tiny pits in my car's paint? How do I remove them?


Customer Care for Wolfgang sent me the below e-mail with pictures. Going on year 17 of answering car detailing questions I pretty much have an article on just about every topic under the car detailing sun. I'll include what I can find in the follow-up post. First here's the e-mail and the pictures.


>>>BEGIN E-MAIL<<<<



Dear Wolfgang,

This would be my first time using Wolfgang products. I tried a small area on my 2014 Audi Q5 with the Total Swirl Remover (with a B&D orbital polisher), then followed up with Finishing Glaze and Paint Gloss Sealant.

The swirls looked like these typical photos before I got started. In the magnified images, you can see some of the pits which are not noticeable from a distance when the light hits it. You can only see the swirls.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/apits_001.jpg http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/apits_002.jpg http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/apits_003.jpg



The Swirl Remover did a good job of removing the swirls. However, these deep pits also appeared deeper in the clear coat which you can clearly see in this magnified image.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/apits_004.jpg



From a distance it looks like a layer of tree sap, like a bunch of white specks. Not very appealing.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/apits_005.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/apits_006.jpg



So the first question is, what are these pits from?

The second question is, do you have a product that serves to fill these pits to reduce the effect? If not, from your experience, what should I do about it? I plan on keeping it for awhile and want to keep the finish looking as good as I can considering the age.

Thank you,

D


>>>END E-MAIL<<<<




Good questions, see my answer below.



:)

[Mike Phillips]

My best stab at answering your questions....






So the first question is, what are these pits from?



This paint defect issue, that is pits in paint comes up once in a while. I've never seen anyone provide a specific and accurate answer to the cause or origin including myself. I have taken my best guess. You say the car is a 2014 Audi Q5, this means it's 4 years old an I'll assume it's been driven in the "world".

You did not mention where the pits were located? Are they all over the car? Or just the front of the hood?

I hate to assume as everyone knows what they say about assuming but when I don't have all the info then I'm left with this ugly option. I'll take a guess or assume the pits in the paint that you are seeing are located and even isolated at the front of the car on the hood and if my past experience is of any assistance I'll guess the front portion of the hood where debris would impact the paint for example if the car is being driven and the debris is impacting the front of the car.



My guess is the pits are impact pits from debris that has hit the front of the car when the car is being driven at medium to high speed.








The second question is, do you have a product that serves to fill these pits to reduce the effect?

If not, from your experience, what should I do about it? I plan on keeping it for awhile and want to keep the finish looking as good as I can considering the age.

Thank you,

D




To be honest, there is no fix for this type of paint defect problem except to repaint the car or the affected area. Even if you repaint the car or the effected area - if you then drive the car you'll likely get the same defect again, so repainting is really not a solution. The only real solution to avoid this type of paint defect or any paint defects is after purchasing a car park it in a garage and don't drive it and that's not a practical solution for any of us.

So chalk this up to normal wear-n-tear.


I always hate to be the bearer of bad news but that's about the best I can do.


:)




Good questions, see my answer below.



:)[/QUOTE]

[Mike Phillips]

More....


Here's related threads with lots of info and pictures




Here's my past articles on this topic.



Here's other forum member threads on this topic

Seeing Dots! Help! - Pinhole or Solvent Pop? Common Paint Issue (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/21639-seeing-dots-help-pinhole-solvent-pop-common-paint-issue.html)

I start replying in the above thread at post #21



Removing swirls left speckles or pinholes? (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/53137-removing-swirls-left-speckles-pinholes.html)

I post a reply in post #23 in the above thread



Tick Marks Pinholes or Solvent Popping? (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/53239-tick-marks-pinholes-solvent-popping.html)

I reply in posts 11, 13, 15, 19, 22 and 23



Paint Dots? (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions-/29528-paint-dots.html)



This is my article on solvent popping - This is NOT what you have but others will read this thread into the future...

Solvent Popping in Fresh Paint (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/70894-solvent-popping-fresh-paint.html)


small pits in paint (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions-/67025-pits-after-using-meguiars-105-205-a.html)



And another one I replied to on Detailing World - see post 7

https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=311598


More - see post #5

Pitting in gtr paint? (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101-a/111419-pitting-gtr-paint.html)



More - see post #6

Dots in paint? (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101-a/62480-dots-paint.html)



And here's a related thread that's also a great example of why to never use Photobucket

"Pits" in paint---what are they caused from? (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101-a/2183-pits-paint-what-they-caused.html)



one more.... I chime in on post #31

Used a grinder near my corvette, now paint has hundreds on small rusty pits!!! (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions-/111004-used-grinder-near-my-corvette-now-paint-has-hundreds-small-rusty-pits.html)



:)

[Mike Phillips]

And for what it's worth, here's a related article I wrote to bring in the BIG PICTURE point of view...


Considerations for removing paint defects - the BIG PICTURE (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/redirect-to/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fy9r27ol5)



:)