# Clear coat peeled with power washer



## ZymurgyBMW (Sep 27, 2008)

I can't believe I did this. The weather has been cold and wet in Ohio the last few weeks so I haven't hand washed for a while. I took my 07 328xiT to the manual car wash. I was washing the car and there were bug guts stuck to the front bumper and I focused on a spot for a moment and blew a chunk of clear coat right off my bumper, about the size of a 50 cent piece. It just made me sick. Has any one had sucess repairing this themselves? I have all the equipment to buff and even spray(HVLP and or an artist air brush). Any advice would be greatly apprciated.


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## Got_Leather (Sep 14, 2009)

Sounds like there was a problem before hand. How close did you get and how long did you hold it there?


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

I agree that the area you sprayed had a problem to start with. Those car wash sprayers are very low pressure, so they will not remove or blow off the clear, unless there was a preexisting problem.

For repair if you have the clear and can air brush on wet sand and then buff out, I would say yes its repairable


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## ZymurgyBMW (Sep 27, 2008)

I was about 6" to 8" wide fan held the same spot for 3 or 4 seconds. I looked closer after the damage was done, there was a chip in the paint where the bug guts were. I called my dealer leaving out the power washing part and he said if there is a chip in the paint, where the peeling is, I am SOL, as far as any warranty work.


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

Try and find a good detailer in your area and see about if they can fix that some are very good a chip repair


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## lild (Sep 11, 2007)

one of two things happen, some one back into your bumper and cracked the paint, and when you washed it it blew off, or your front cover was repainted at some point, and has a bonding issue.
a rock chip will not make your paint come up. i've seen plenty of front covers with rock chips.
if it's been hit by another car, you will be able to tell because there will be a spider webbin imprint.


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## ZymurgyBMW (Sep 27, 2008)

lild said:


> one of two things happen, some one back into your bumper and cracked the paint, and when you washed it it blew off, or your front cover was repainted at some point, and has a bonding issue.
> a rock chip will not make your paint come up. i've seen plenty of front covers with rock chips.
> if it's been hit by another car, you will be able to tell because there will be a spider webbin imprint.


I bought the car CPO 1 1/2years ago so I don't know the first year history. I honestly hoped it had been repainted at some point and there was a bonding issue. I would hope a factory finish wouldn't come off like that. I never have brought a clear coat off, on any of my cars, and I have been at least that agreessive, and much more on my work van which is 5 years old now and no re-paint.


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## noego (Feb 6, 2006)

i know of a '89 Suburban that had the same thing happen when it was brand new. the owner took it to a car wash and held the wand as close to the truck as possible without touching and removed clear and paint. GM split the cost of a re-paint with the owner...he was lucky as the he was clearly negligent in how he operated a high pressure sprayer...or it could be that the paint and clear was faulty.


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

noego said:


> i know of a '89 Suburban that had the same thing happen when it was brand new. the owner took it to a car wash and held the wand as close to the truck as possible without touching and removed clear and paint. GM split the cost of a re-paint with the owner...he was lucky as the he was clearly negligent in how he operated a high pressure sprayer...or it could be that the paint and clear was faulty.


Those hand held car wash places are only running about 300 PSI on those wands. Unless you have a pre existing problem with the paint, it will not blow off the clear no matter how close you hold it.

If you have a rock chip or the clear is starting to fail, such as cracking or peeling, then the sprayer can lift paint or clear in those areas if held close and long enough.


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## Got_Leather (Sep 14, 2009)

dboy11 said:


> Those hand held car wash places are only running about 300 PSI on those wands. Unless you have a pre existing problem with the paint, it will not blow off the clear no matter how close you hold it.
> 
> If you have a rock ship or the clear is starting to fail, such as cracking or peeling, then the sprayer can lift paint or clear in those areas if held close and long enough.


I have a 1700psi Snap on pressure washer and the coin-op place up the street puts out some serious water pressure. Equal too if not more than mine. Is 300 the standard?


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

Got_Leather said:


> I have a 1700psi Snap on pressure washer and the coin-op place up the street puts out some serious water pressure. Equal too if not more than mine. Is 300 the standard?


I know the owner of four of those hand held jobbies here in NOCAL and that's what he told me. Is that the normal pressure for these, I don't know. In all the ones that I have used and that's been many not one has presented itself as dangerous. Like you I have a pressure washer and know the dangers it can present on a car.

I would imagine that anyone that owns one of those places would regulate the pressure to a safe level, for the average person that has no experience with water pressure sprayers and post a liability sign. If you don't its a law suit in the making.


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## noego (Feb 6, 2006)

dboy11 said:


> Those hand held car wash places are only running about 300 PSI on those wands. Unless you have a pre existing problem with the paint, it will not blow off the clear no matter how close you hold it.
> 
> If you have a rock chip or the clear is starting to fail, such as cracking or peeling, then the sprayer can lift paint or clear in those areas if held close and long enough.


i have no idea what the psi standard for a hand held wash wand is, but the truck i described i know about because i bought it used in '92. the paint was damaged at a car wash as previously described and the truck was re-painted. :angel:


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## lild (Sep 11, 2007)

noego said:


> i know of a '89 Suburban that had the same thing happen when it was brand new. the owner took it to a car wash and held the wand as close to the truck as possible without touching and removed clear and paint. GM split the cost of a re-paint with the owner...he was lucky as the he was clearly negligent in how he operated a high pressure sprayer...or it could be that the paint and clear was faulty.


like i said a rock chip will not cause any concern, as the the rock chiped off the paint at that spot, or the paint would start to come up as you drive, or washed it with a simple sprayer. factory paint on bumpers are bonded well, as they get painted just a soon as they come out of the molds. even if some one bumped your bumper, the paint will pop off at that spot, and that's it. 
i have used a power washer on rock chiped bumpers plenty of times and paint won't come off.
so i belive you may have had a front cover replacement. and so there is a bonding issue. unforunately i don't know how you could get the cpo to cover this. it looks like and out of pocket cost. sorry.


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