Hood problem - oxidation or clear coat failure?

[Rawicz]

This is my first post here, so HI ALL!!!

Recently, I have found some dull blemishes/stains on my 07 Passat's hood. I have tried ColorX to remove it but it didn't help too much and it still looks awful. Strange thing is it's only on the center part of the hood (roof, trunk not affected at all) plus the car is relatively new (thus I own it for 4 years already). I was wondering if there's any way to remove it or at least make it any better - is it heavy oxidation of clear coat failure? On the other forums (VW) it was suggested the hood could be a repaint which I was not aware of... the car was VW Certified when I bought it. I'd appreciate any input here. All the best!!!

[zmcgovern45]

It is always possible that the hood could have been repainted. From the pictures you posted it does not seem to have any unusual or heavy orange peel that can sometimes indicate a repaint so it is hard to tell without seeing it in person.

The defects fit the characteristics of both oxidation and CC failure from what I have seen... again it is kind of hard to tell from the pictures.

One way to tell if your clear coat is gone would be to rub the area with a white (or light colored) compound or polish and see if there is any color transfer from your paint onto the applicator. If the applicator starts to turn black (or dark blue?... whatever color your paint is) then that is a sign your clear coat is gone.

If it is oxidation (which is not too common on clear coated vehicles) it should be fixed with machine compounding and polishing.

-Do you maintain the vehicle? ie wash and wax regularly?

[Dr_Pain]

to the forum

Only one additional comment to Zach's evaluation process would be to test another area of the car to see if you have a single stage paint (which could confirm that you are dealing with oxidation) or base coat/clear coat paint system (which would not confirm either of).

At first I thought you may have been dealing with some staining or other "impurities" in the paint but then again you said you tried ColorX which would have "cleaned" that paint.

Better close up pics may help the long distance diagnosis process

P.S. Does the hood have a heat shield? Could you be dealing with premature paint breakdown as a result of the generated engine heat in combination with the baking in the sun?

[HateSwirls]

Sorry to say but that's clear coat failure
I had a Ford pickup that looked just like this one here.

[KillaCam]

That first pic definitely looks like signs of clear coat failure from the pictures I've seen posted by mike phillips.

[Vegas Transplant]

...the car was VW Certified when I bought it.

And your point?

Look closely and you can see the scuff/sanding lines...unless that's crazing which is indicative of thin CC.

[Hoytman]

I clicked on this thread simply because a friend had posted here that I've not talked to in awhile...

To my amazement the problems on that hood looked/look...(I'll explain that in a moment)...just like the hood on my Trashed Trailblazer before I compounded/polished it.

I had talked with TuscaroraDave (a member here) about this problem and had sent him some pictures via email. He said the problem looked like what is called clear coat fracturing...those lines that resemble sanding marks. He said that if indeed it was clear coat that the issue would indeed return.

Now let's talk about the cloudiness that surrounds that clear coat fracturing...

I believe some of that cloudiness is oxidation. However, it can be removed, but only temporarily. I've learned this from experience in the same location on my Trailblazer hood. You can remove it, but it will return because the top layer protection has already been compromised.

Someone explained to me before starting on my Trailblazer that the upper level of UV, or Ultra Violet protection, had been compromised. The paint on your VW hood exactly replicate the issues on mine, and your vehicle appears to be black...just like my Trashed Trailblazer...a color (Black is not a color, but a full time job -Mike Phillips) that shows defects perfectly.

Here's what I did on the Trashed Trailblazer project...

I went through the entire gammut. I washed, clayed, taped off, compounded with Meguiar's M105 with a wool pad on a rotary, then used M105 with a foam pad on a Dual Action polisher, and finally used M205 with foam on a DA. I even performed a triple alchohol wipe down on the hood to ensure that all the oils were removed so that I could properly inspect the paint. All oil was removed, the paint looked brand new, and Poli-seal was applied which was another recommendation of TuscaroraDave. Dave said that if those striations returned, and had I used a wax to seal the paint, then I'd end up with white lines on the hood that would look very similar to what you see in your photo, only worse with wax imbedded deeply.

Long story short...

It's been a year since I performed all that paint work (more than 60 hours...22 on the roof alone, and approximately 6 hours on the hood alone) and I can tell you that after I finished it looked brand new for awhile, but the defects did indeed return just like I was told. The lines, and that cloudiness that you see in your photo returned. The strange thing is that it's in the same place on your hood as it was on my hood. I wonder if engine heat combined with the sun and bad paint caused this?

This leads me to the conclusion that TuscaroraDave was spot on correct when he said those lines were clear coat fracturing and that they indeed would again rear their ugly head.

I am also confident that the person who told me the cloudiness was a result of upper level UV clear coat failure was again indeed correct.

TuscaroraDave originally said for me to seal the paint with Optimum Opti-coat. The thought process was that this coating being more permanent would keep the vehicle looking better while adding UV protection that was needed. As a second option TDave suggested the Optimum Opti-seal.

Seeing that Optimum Opti-Seal was the cheaper of the two suggestions I elected to go that route first as an experiment to see if the defects would return.

At this point, since ALL the same similar defects as your photo returned on my vehicle, I now think that applying the Opti-Coat coating is the only option left...and I honestly feel that it too will only be temporary. It might last a few months than the opti-seal, but I highly doubt it...even though I know that the coating is a much better, and more permanent product. I just don't think that the coating alone has enough UV protectors in to allow the paint to NOT return to its previous ugly, defected state. Rest assured though, I do plan on trying the coating simply because I can't afford to repaint the Trailblazer at this point, so the coating will get tested and at some point I post the results here.

If that Passat was mine, and I could afford it, I'd forgo all the work I've done and go straight to a repaint.

[Hoytman]

And your point?

Look closely and you can see the scuff/sanding lines...unless that's crazing which is indicative of thin CC.

I believe that is what TuscarorDave described to me as "Clear Coat Fracturing", and the photo above looks identical to how my hood on my Trailblazer looked before I temporarily fixed it. Yes...it all came back just like TDave said it would.

[Hoytman]

I even performed a triple alchohol wipe down on the hood to ensure that all the oils were removed so that I could properly inspect the paint. All oil was removed, the paint looked brand new, and Poli-seal was applied which was another recommendation of TuscaroraDave. Dave said that if those striations returned, and had I used a wax to seal the paint, then I'd end up with white lines on the hood that would look very similar to what you see in your photo, only worse with wax imbedded deeply.

Long story short...

That should read Opti-Seal.

[Vegas Transplant]

I believe that is what TuscarorDave described to me as "Clear Coat Fracturing", and the photo above looks identical to how my hood on my Trailblazer looked before I temporarily fixed it. Yes...it all came back just like TDave said it would.

Hey bud
Good to see you posting on the forums.

I found the link that you are speaking of http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...t-failure.html

The only reason that I posted on this thread is my distaste of dealership practices.
I was really surprised at the criteria that needs to be met/not met to be considered "VW Certified", or not.
Seems that a "repaired" vehicle makes the cut when a pristine vehicle without original keys does not.

I can't even begin to count the number of vehicles that I had to change directions on that were relative "new" to the owner, yet pre-owned...and I'm not talking 4 years. This after initial paint inspection, usually between the wash and clay process.

I always wonder if damage like above was somehow "helped" along by unscrupulous methods.