What is this and how should I take care of it

[timsatx]

Check out this photo. I am using the PB 2.5 and have made two sets of 5-6 passes with my DA. I see all these little white line. Some of them are singles and others are T shaped. They seem to maybe be cracks in the clear but I am not sure. What do you think and how should I take care of it?


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/800_DSC00663.JPG

[Evan.J]

Check out this photo. I am using the PB 2.5 and have made two sets of 5-6 passes with my DA. I see all these little white line. Some of them are singles and others are T shaped. They seem to maybe be cracks in the clear but I am not sure. What do you think and how should I take care of it?


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/800_DSC00663.JPG

Crows feet. It's the clear coat cracking or the start of failure..

[Pureshine]

Can you get a finger nail in them?

[timsatx]

I can't get mt fingernail in them, but when I slide my fingernail across them I can feel it.

[Evan.J]

Here is a picture for post two of this thread
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/40855-clearcoat-fracturing-versus-clearcoat-failure.html


Hi Mike,

How about this?

http://imgur.com/7KChn.jpg
*** Image taken from: Cracks in paint(crows feet)? - 8th Generation Honda Civic Forum (http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/mechanical-problems-technical-chat/150263-cracks-paint-crows-feet.html)

It seems like they are calling it crows feet. Now would you consider that clear coat fracture or clear coat failure?

Thanks.

Here is what mike had to say


I would continue to call the defect in the above picture and link you shared crows feet or in the old days it was called lacquer checking, or lacquer cracking.

Both Lacquer Fracturing and Crows Feet are both a type of crack or fracture in the paint but have a very different appearance.



:)

Seems to be a few cracks like that in your picture.

[timsatx]

So do I try to continue working it till they are gone or just live with it as is?

[Evan.J]

So do I try to continue working it till they are gone or just live with it as is?

Most likely live with it unfortunately. As much as it sucks to hear. How old is the car? Is it a daily driver and sit outside?



When you diagnose paint with clearcoat fracturing, this is an indicator of a problem with the clear layer of paint.

Clearcoat Fracturing cannot be fixed by machine compounding and polishing as the fractures are like millions of stress cracks that run throughout the entire matrix or thickness of the clear layer of paint. Abrading the paint will just make the pant thinner and expose a deeper portion of the fractures.


Solutions
Live with the defect
Best recommendations are to prep the paint accordingly to insure the surface is clean and smooth, that is clay an polish if needed, and then maintain what lifespan is left in the paint using a premium quality wax, paint sealant or coating.

Repaint
The other option is to have the panel or component re-painted.

[timsatx]

Yep, sits in the weather 24/7/365. It is also a daily driver unless I am riding my motorcycle.

[BluHeaven]

Is it a ford?

My old 95 mustang did this.... over the entire car. You cannot polish them out. Thankfully it was still under paint/body warranty from the factory so they repainted it.

My dad's 96 mystic cobra has the same issue.... pretty much every car I've seen with these has been a ford.

Both cars were always garaged and well cared for. Dad's was a garage queen. Mine fractured before the 5 year warranty was up, on a car I purchased new.

[dmayer]

Would a glaze help with the crows feet?

[BluHeaven]

No. The only option is to repaint. No amount of filling or polishing will help.


Would a glaze help with the crows feet?