Clearcoat Burn Through - How to tell? Missing Clearcoat Strike-through

Mike Phillips · 08-12-2013, 03:45 PM

Clearcoat Burn Through - How to tell? Missing Clearcoat Strike-through

Once in a while someone will either burn through their car's clear coat while buffing or purchase a car that has burn-through spots.

The question posted usually goes something like this,

How can I tell if I've burned through the clearcoat?

Or

How can I tell if the clearcoat is gone?

Here's how...

We had a 1995 BMW 325i here last Friday for some projects and after inspecting the paint I found two places where it looked like the clearcoat was missing.

Here's the BMW

This is the passenger side door, just in front of the front winder and just behind the edge of the front fender.

This is the top of the driver's side fender, at the very back of the fender...

How to Test and Confirm

Carefully take some polish that is white in color, in this example I'm using Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover.

Take a white applicator pad, this is one Meguiar's sells. Next carefully rub a little polish over the affected area. Turn your applicator pad over and if you see the color of the basecoat on the applicator

or this confirms you have burned-through the clearcoat and exposed the basecoat.

If the car is still to be buffed out, then mark the thin areas so you don't buff on them.

3M Blue Vinyl Tape
You can see how I've gently placed a few strips of 3M Blue Vinyl tape surrounding the burn-through or what they call strike-through on the other side of the pond.

How to care for and/or repair

If you have in fact burned-through the clear layer of paint and exposed the basecoat layer of paint immediately STOP any further buffing of this area.

If you've purchased a car and discovered burn-through spots, mentally take note of these areas and avoid buffing on them in the future.

More and more buffing of a area that is burned-through will remove more and more clear paint and make the spot grow and grow.

The only honest repair for clearcoat burn-through is to have the area repainted.

If the cost of having the area repainted outweighs the value of the car for your interests, the next best thing you can do is keep the area clean and coated with some type of protection. My guess is a paint coating would be your best bet.

Resources

Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover

Meguiar's Microfiber Applicator Pad

3M Blue Vinyl Tape - 1/4"

3M Blue Vinyl Tape - 1/8"

Detailer's Paint Coating

Optimum Paint Coating

**allenk4** · 08-27-2013, 10:15 PM

Thought it was interesting that there were no replies.

I suspect we are all too scared to think about it.

**A2 Auto Spa** · 08-27-2013, 10:24 PM

I was looking at a Mazda Miata and the owner insisted that it was only dry polish. I shook my head and said No it's not!

**Harry Da Hamster** · 08-27-2013, 11:32 PM

Why not spray a couple layers of clear, wet sand, and buff?. Another forum member did it with great success.

**erichaley** · 08-28-2013, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by anonymoususer

Why not spray a couple layers of clear, wet sand, and buff?. Another forum member did it with great success.

That is always an option. I have done it myself and have also had great success. However, in order to do it right, you have to, at a minimum, clear the entire panel.

While there are some awesome products out there that make it 'possible' (for anyone with the time, patience, and skill) such as factory-matched paint as well as 2K clear in an aerosol, the idea is to prevent it in the first place.

It's "use the least aggressive method to get the job done", not "use the most aggressive method because you can always repaint it yourself".

**Calendyr** · 08-28-2013, 12:55 AM

That would be my first instinct as well, get a can of clearcoat and cover the exposed area. I am not sure how good the result will be but It must be better than a super thin layer of basecoat exposed to UV light, air and weather.

**swanicyouth** · 08-28-2013, 05:13 AM

I'm pretty sure I have a dime size area of strike through on my 01 Pathfinder. The paint is pretty thin (in the 70 um area), and its on the tailgate. It happened about a year ago. I've just kept it waxed and there has been no change. Its only a small area.

I've kept area from any type of "at home" repair because I figure it would look pretty bad if I did it - I have no talent with anything involving paint. If it gets worse, I'll just pony up the $ to get a proper re-paint.

Mike Phillips · 08-28-2013, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by anonymoususer

Why not spray a couple layers of clear, wet sand, and buff?. Another forum member did it with great success.

I agree a person can do this. The car in the picture isn't mine and the customer didn't want to pay for the time, material and labor to do this kind of repair. So your suggestion is good for the owner of a car with this problem that is willing to put the time, investment and labor into their own car or pay someone else to do it.

The owner of the above car was tickled pink to get their car back with the swirls, oxidation, above surface contaminants all removed and a shiny black paint job. All of a sudden a couple of blemishes just didn't matter.

See it here...

Sneak Peek: Testing A New Compound

**Anomander** · 09-01-2013, 02:47 PM

I just bought this car 3 months ago, and after clay and putting some sealant on it I noticed these milky spots

Now, I tried the paint transfer test with a Hex-Logic white polishing hand applicator pad and some Swirl X. The Swirl X got rid of a lot of the scratches I caused from aggressively rubbing over the white streaks with a microfiber towel last night, but no paint transfer. The scratches also looked as if they were sitting on top of the spots, and these milky things are underneath the clear -- if that makes any sense...

It's a 2013, bought with 12 miles on it and I haven't done anything to this paint since I purchased it in June; besides it's first clay and sealant last night. I'm worried that when they "detailed" it the day of purchase someone burned the clear.
If this happens to be burned paint any educated guesses on how long can it last before it starts to get out of hand, and resale value goes way down? Will just taping off these sections -- when I decide to bite the bullet and use my PC --and waxing etc be sufficient to slow down this progress?

**WAXOFF** · 09-01-2013, 03:34 PM

Sometimes those milky spots on new car are from moisture getting trapped under the shrink wrap and it will give that appearance. Take a hair dryer or heat gun and gently warm the areas being careful not to melt the clear coat. This is what we have to do at the VW and previously at the BMW dealer I worked for.