blackAWD

Hello, first time posting here. I have an 08 IS250 AWD obsidian. After a few months I noticed these white spots on the car, so detailer told me it was some sort of overspray and that they could remove it using chemicals and/or claybar.
So I go to pick up my car and notice these dull hazy spots and scracthes all over my car. Detailer said that they have never had problems removing overspray like they did on my car, so they had to wet sand it. I pointed out the hazy spots and scratches, Detailer touched up the hazy spots, though in the sun they are still there and after I wash it they become more visible.
So I think they might of damaged my paint. I've brought it back there twice for touch up buffing though the hazy spots and scratches come back.
What should I do?

One HoT

iTrader: (5)

It sounds like they didn't sand it down enough with high grit, thats why the scratches are still there...The white haze marks sound like they didn't buff it down enough...If its bad and it bothers you a lot, I would recommend taking it back and getting a full refund then take it to someone reputable...Try looking for someone on autopia.org...You can't go wrong with autopia...

Theres no reason why your brand new car needs to be wetsanded, especially when you didn't ask to do it....They should've ask you in the first place before proceeding...

Scheersped

i always tell my customers first if their car needs wetsanding

blackAWD

Thanks, I am having it fixed again.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

The haziness can be fixed by wetsanding with a higher grit sandpaper, and then polishing the area. It might be a problem if the person wetsanded the car with a very low grit to start with. You'll be sanding a lot just to get it smooth again. It doesn't help that the OEM clear coats aren't known to be that thick.

jfelbab

I'd be royally upset. As was mentioned, newer paint is so darn thin that wetsanding is really a risky endeavor. Now how many times did he redo it? Does this detailer own a paint thickness gauge? If so ask him what the reading were before and after. You can get before readings in door sills, engine bays, etc. I be very concerned that the paint could be in jeopardy of an early clear coat failure.

I'd demand paint thickness readings be taken at various spots to determining just how much paint has been removed. If he doesn't have a gauge, ask him to pay for the reading at a detailer who does.

blackAWD

Ok, so I took my car to lexus and they referred me to a body shop. Went to the body shop and they said they can fix it and make it "show room" quality for $500. That would include areas of overspray that was not removed by the detailer, sand with higher grit paper, claybar, buff, polish and wax. I took the quote to the original detailer and he said he would fix it for free by reapplying the clar bar and polish and buff. So I let the original detailer fix it, though it still had some areas that I wasn't happy with. So I made an appointment with the lexus referred body shop for next week as well. I trust the body shop can do a better job. I don't think they can get it to showroom quality but if its even close to that it would be worth it to me.

Oh, and to answer your question it has been wetsanded once.

wowitztai

iTrader: (1)

Ill tell the detail people to pay for it

llamaboiz

err... obviously 'your detailer' it totally clueless, you should have stopped going to see him after the first 'fix' didnt really 'fix'... DONT see him again and honestly, learn to detail yourself and save yourself some money... 300-500bucks for someone to detail your car ONE TIME or 300bucks on detailing products so you can do it yourself ALL THE TIME... up to you its your money.

TRDANB

Wow i'm sorry dude... I'd advice you to never go back there again they should have asked you if it was ok to wetsand and since they messed i'd go and tell them to pay for a paintjob... Can you post pictures??

I hate how the detailing business is so unregulated, don't mean to flame on any detailers as I am one myself, but literally anyone can pick up a bucket and a wash mitten and call themselves a detailer and just because you claim to have years of experience doesn't mean you actually know what your doing... "My 2 cents"

jfelbab

From the Automotive Paint Handbook Pg 44

http://books.google.com/books?id=xnS...LRlQ7Iyk&hl=en

Read this and then find a professional with a paint thickness gauge. I seriously suspect that your paint may already be damaged and you wouldn't know it without measurements. Before you have further reductions in paint done it's be good to see if your paint is damaged to the point that it will fail in a couple years. A new factory-like paint job can cost several thousand dollars. Seldom are repaints as good as factory in appearance or durability. If you plan on keeping the car for several years this may be what is at stake here. Do this now or you will not have any legal basis for claiming this damage later.

As TRDAND point out, there is no certification or regulation for detailers. You are dealing with self-proclaimed expert detailers. Many of which never had any real training.

Funny thing about auto paint is that you can permanently damage the paint and have it still look good for a couple years. Few have any idea just how thin the coatings on your car really are. You can only safely take off a layer of clear coat that is about as thin as a piece of plastic wrap. The total paint build is paper thin. New car paints are the thinest they have ever been.

picus

I'd ask them what grit they used. You can easily go through clear with any grit, but if they tell you then used 1000 or something you might want to get someone with a paint thickness gauge to measure that spot. Wetsanding is a common practice, but it should be done by people who know what they are doing, obviously.