So I guess my clearcoat is failing?

S

Skyhawk

New member
So I was detailing the car today (Wash, Z-AIO, Z-5, Z-2) when I noticed several rough areas on my quarter panels. After applying Z-AIO and wiping it down, I then noticed these rough areas were ALL OVER my car. My paint is usually in perfect condition, people always think that I have a new paint job and are always commenting on how well it looks, so it was a big surprise to me to see find this on my car today. Here are some pics I tried to snap of what I am talking about:



Drivers side front quarter panel:



car4v.jpg




Passenger side quarter panel:



car3a.jpg




Passenger side quarter panel, showing "haze" like look on the paint:



car2ww.jpg




car1p.jpg




So is it time for a new paint job? This is happening on every part of the car except the hood, front bumper, and rear spoiler...they have been repainted since I had the car (had a piece of wood hit me on the interstate and a lady run a stop sign)



If it is the clearcoat failing then its just a shock to me because I'm pretty anal about how protected the paint is. Ever since I've had the car I've always used Zaino on it, and have polished it a few times with Merenza IP in the past 4 years that I've had it to remove the defects from the previous owner when I first got it and as a touch up to certain areas. Ever since then I've always used Z-PC as needed, and then Z-AIO, Z-5, Z-2, ect.



I did notice the "damage" on the passenger side about a few months ago while I was down in Florida. I had the hood/front end repainted in December because a lady ran a stop sign and hit me, and after I had it fixed I could tell that my car had been detailed (and quite badly at that), and so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. Also, I made the mistake of not detailing the car myself until now after I got the hood/front end fixed, (I was down in Florida at flight school until now, I literally had no free time to wash/detail it) and it had been sitting outside in the Florida weather all of that time...so I'm guessing that has something to do with it...



Some other things:

-After I got done applying Zaino, it would come off normally on the rest of the car, except for these areas where it just "stuck" and won't come off.

-The areas have what looks to be water spots, except they won't come off.



So I'm guessing its the clearcoat failing?
 
XL Advantage said:
Excuse me if I missed this; but, is the clear "failing" where it has been repainted?
Click to expand...
I said no originally, but when I go back and look at it, there are a few areas on the hood/headlight doors which are, to a much lesser extent, like the areas that I posted...they are a little hazy but still somewhat smooth to the touch. Like I said though, I haven't touched those areas with any sort of polish or wax since they were repainted.
 
doesn't look like clear failure to me either - moreover some weird type of hazing. you said those areas were repainted....could it be something underneatht he clear? (bad prep work)
 
So a little update:



Was able to see it out in the sun today...and unlike the pictures under the light, you can barely see it! You can certainly feel it, but you have to be looking for it to see it. It almost looks like what happens when you apply too much polish or wax and get streaking...the paint is still "shiney" like the rest of the paint in those areas, which just confuses me even more.



And these areas are on the pieces that haven't been painted, in case I confused some people with my wording in the first post...
 
I have a small area similar to what's shown in the last picture on my wife's Sequoia, from where they repainted a damaged area. It's like severe orange peel. It also developed a bit of a haze to it, but a bit of polishing cleared it up.



Maybe try doing a polishing job on it to see if it clears up the haze? Doesn't look like clear coat failure to me, either, but early CC failure can be kinda hard to see, especially in pictures.
 
I worked on a 98 VW Beetle and I think I know exactly what you talking about...It appears to look normal mosty but feels ruff. It even felt ruff after clayBar and all the way through waxing. When I was done it still felt ruff.



I thought maby the clear coat was gone and it was down to the paint, I looked for black paint in my towels that were used but nothing. I have no idea what it was and it was in various parts of the car



Sorry I couldnt help but I just thought I would share my experience with what I think is the same thing so maby others can help.



I see in your sig you have a 98 trans am...nice car..but maby its something with the paints in 98??? Although one is foreign and other is domestic but???
 
Thanks for the replies, I guess once I get some time I'll try polishing it and see what happens.



Jaws2008, you were spot on about the texture of it. From a distance it looks like normal paint, but once you get close and actually feel it, it feels like the clearcoat is completely gone and its just paint.



And one thing that I probably should have added that I JUST now remembered: When I was applying the Z-AIO by hand, the pads I were using turned black (the car is red) and there was no visible dirt or debris on the car...
 
and the plot thickens...



I have no idea why on earth your pads would be black after applying the Z. Did it go bad? Is somebody playing a joke on you?



Have you done an IPA wipedown or washed it with Dawn to see if it is polish build up?



Tim
 
I had some bad sits on my car. It started looking hazy and turned into a faded look. Got the spots out with some compound. A few months later clear started pealing.



For the record it didn't look like what you have. I think maybe you have something on the paint if it feels rough
 
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