imjohnphan

Hey guys, I had my bumper redone because of a very minor accident and was damaged on one side and the body shop redid it and repainted the bumper for me. Now a year later there is a chip in the clear coat about 2in by 1cm in the bumper right by my headlights. Do you think they should redo it for me because they said they would give me a lifetime warranty on the paint, or would they just make up an excuse? There are a lot of dead bugs on my bumper due to driving and I actually polish my bumper a lot. Should I bring clean my bumper before bringing it to them? And if they don't cover it ... what can I do to prevent the clear coat chipping even more and maybe even reduce the appearance of it. I already applied like 6 coats of wax to it. But it still looks the same. Thanks guys.

picus

It sounds like maybe they didn't use a flex agent in the paint; I'd clean it up, bring it back, and ask for a respray.

LXMN

Lifetime warranty on paint is BS. They lied to you. If they do guarantee the work, you should (if you can) make sure that they strip all of the old clear coat off of the bumper (as best as possible) before they repaint. Once the paint is chipped and spreading it will not stop. It will spread like cancer. And like mentioned earlier, they will have to add a flex additive to the clear coat as the bumper is a bendible plastic part.

imjohnphan

if they dont do it then what would be the best way of slowing down the chipping? and what if I just chip off my clear coat completely? what does the clear coat do?

cino135

absolutely correct. sounds like one of two things, they didnt wet sand thoroughly/properly, or somehitng hit it and caused the initial chip. i do this for a living ( i actually manage the shop, not the hands on rpr/pnt) and the first thing we look for is some kinda pit or dent. thats our way out, so to speak. if its rock chips, youre screwed, the BS will weasel out everytime. if its true problems as in wet sanding, then hopefully the will do it under the lifetime warranty. as far as the flex agent goes, maybe they did apply it, maybe they didnt, theres no real way to prove it. flex agent is applied so when and if your car takes a slight bump, the paint will not crack /spider web, (once again, collision impact force matters). id clean it, it shows you take care of your car. and search the area good for any pit that could be related. cause if they find, and trust me, THEY WILL, then theres a no go on the warranty. good luck friend!! BTW, is your bumper two toned, 3 stage, or just metallic?

cino135

as far as slwoing down goes, I DONT RECOMMEND THIS, you could try clear in a can for small areas, basically acrilic to seal it, may loook even worse afterwards. other than that, youre looking at cleainrg all over again. maybe the shop, if they deny the warranty, will charge you for clear only. but they will hit you for the R&I charge, as well haz mat, etc etc. little things shops do to cover thier rumps whwen haveing to actually do things under the warranty. any other questions, id be glad to "keep it real" with ya. and again, good luck mate!

imjohnphan

hey thanks guys, the guy actually said he'll fix it. I don't know what he means by that but I doubt he'll redo the whole thing. He told me to come in on Saturday and he'll do it real quick. Would he be able to charge me at the end without saying anything before, even though he said he'd do it and I have a lifetime warranty?

Its not two toned, I don't know what 3 stage is, all I know is that its Alpine Silver, so I'm guessing it's metallic.

Thanks guys for the help.

LXMN

I am betting that he will spot paint it. Then try to blend in with the rest of the finish around the touch-up area. Be wary of this. If you can, stick around to see what they will be doing to your car.

imjohnphan

It's going to be raining that day as well I think, should I try and get it done before the rain or would the rain not matter? How long does it usually take for the clear coat to dry? Thanks

LXMN

Rain will not matter. They can just dry the car off.

Clear coat curing time will depend on different factors:
1) Amount of accelerant used (if used)
2) Use of UV lights to speed up drying time
3) Use of paint booth heat (if used)
4) Type of clear being used

imjohnphan

well i just asked the question because he said he'd do it real quick on saturday, and i'm guessing he expects me to just drive off once he's done.

cino135

sounds like hes gonna try and spot it in. be very weary. it may look good now, but as the paint bleeds/cures, it may show signs of being spotted in. some guys are good at this, others are not. as far as baking times, usually around 175-190 degrees (some hotter) and needs to bake for 45mins. clear may still be tacky. id ask right up front, "hey, you plan on spotting this in?" and , " you gonna warranty that too?" ask questions first, lets them know youre on top of it!
BTW 3 stage is a pearl 3 stage paint process FKN GORGEOUS, but you cant touch it up, and its the most expensive painting to do. IE painted in 3 separate stages. but dayum if it doesnt look sweet. if they havent told you a price yet, seems like they are gonna honor their warranty!! good luck friend

imjohnphan

thanks guys for all the help you all have been. thats why i always browse these forums

avalon42

iTrader: (1)

What the body shop could have done is fixed and painted the trouble area, then clear coated the whole bumper. If they did not sand properly to ensure that the new clear would bond to the old clear surface, a chunk would break off and appear as a chip.

Another issue:
A problem body shops have is the moisture in their air lines...if they didn't use an air dryer, fridge, or enough distance from the compressor, that's going to screw up the clear coat in time.

Most symptoms look like a snake with old skin peeling off. But I've seen situations where chunks of clear have come off a car as well.

You're not supposed to use wax on newly painted body parts. Wax seals...and there is residual solvents in the paints that need to escape. Putting wax on fresh paint will eventually dull your clear. Most paint jobs need 3-6 months to cure, depending on the temperature in your region.

LXMN

Well, what was the outcome of the finished bumper?