Thanks for posting this with a pic. I've got the same thing in patches on my hood and a small spot on the roof... pains me everytime I see them.. I would only assume that it is not recommended to polish over these ares... or even closely around them?
Yeah, that is failing clear coat. I had that on my old Regal. I fixed it myself and had decent (not professional, but passable) results. Wet sand the are down, buff it, clean it with alcohol and hit it with some clear coat spray, let it dry, wet sand, polish and see what happens! It can't make it any worse!
hMm, what are the possible reasons for this happening? Can it be improper paintwork maintenance or is it the manufac or spray painting side that is possibly at fault?
The first pic was from the net because i din manage to take photos of the cars i witness. But the defects were similiar.. I came across a 3 yrs old Kia Cerato, and 3 yrs old Toyota Yaris that have simliar marks all over. Unfortunately, i do not know whether is it factory paint, hence couldn narrow down the possibility of fault.. The 2nd picture was a 6 years old Chevrolet Optra Magnum.
[What is clear coat failure and paint cracking? ] Oxidation (Reduction) [simply means that oxygen is added to a molecule with an electron being displaced, which in turn dries the paint surface]. It starts as a chemical reaction that causes the resin binder system to overheat and dry out; this is caused by ultra violet (UV) radiation or it can also be caused by excessive (friction) heat generated during the machine polishing process (See also Compound Polishing Surface Temperature) leaving microscopic surface imperfections and micro fissures in the paint film surface that are vulnerable to deterioration. Once the air borne contaminates and pollution compromises the paint surface they accelerate the oxidation (reduction) or paint failure process. A chalk like appearance on the paint surface - basically the chemical integrity of the paint has been degraded by ultra violet (UV) radiation, stress, environment fall out and etc. Oxidation really amounts to a weakening of the resins that bind paint, which results in the micro-pores becoming exposed and a larger area of paint becomes oxidized. Once the paint has been breached in this manner, applying waxes and polishes temporarily wets the surface making it appear better. The oils and other components do not have the ability to repair the resin binders but rather cover up the problem for a short period of time. Clear coat failure simply put is a weakening of the paint structures binding (resin) system; it most commonly appears as small triangular marks (crow’s feet) or other similar marks on the paint surface. Once a paint surface structural integrity is compromised like this it usually mans the paint requires replacement (re-painting) An extract from one of a series of in-depth detailing articles © TOGWT ™ Ltd Copyright 2002-2008, all rights reserved. See article in Detailing Bliss forum, Detailing School section
