Too much polishing?

[hapyhar0ld]

So here's a little background. My mother in law has a 2006 Tsx with some fading on various panels. At first it looked like oxidation so I offered to try to buff it out.

Out comes the pc7424, yellow pad and some m205. The scratches come out but still some "oxidation". So I jump up to some UC with no success. My father in law then comments that it looks worse than before and that the clear coat is just too thin.

So after some research it looks like the base coat is fading. So here comes my questions.

1. Is there any magical product that can go past the clear coat and revitalize the base coat?
2. Can one pass of m205 and UC remove the factory clear coat? Now keep in mind this car has never been wet sanded or polished before. I don't think so but I need to ease my conscience.
3. How often can you polish without risking the complete removal of clear coat using UC and m205. 10 times? 100 times? 1000 tomes?

[FinalTouchDetail]

Re: Too much polishing?

My first thought is taht what you are seeing is actually clearcoat failure resulting in white spotting. Clearcoat can fail in multiple ways; it doesn't always look like peeling.

Using a DA polish you can do a LOT of polishing on a vehicle. A lot of people complain that they cannot even get minor swirling and scratches out because you can't generate enough power/heat with a DA. I wouldn't be worried about clearcoat damage with a DA polisher.

On the other end of the spectrum though...

Clearcoats from different companies have different degrees of depth and vary in how tough they are. No clear-cut answer can be given as to how much a car can be polished as a general statement.

Like I said though, I doubt what you are describing happened from over-polishing.

[Murr1525]

Re: Too much polishing?

Any chance of pics?

[hapyhar0ld]

Re: Too much polishing?

Any chance of pics?

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.

[hapyhar0ld]

Re: Too much polishing?

So assume we're on the opposite side of the spectrum and the clear coat has been polished away after two passes. Wouldn't that expose the base coat and then start paint transfer to my pads?

I'm still having a hard time believing that two passes wiu a DA on a virgin car can remove all the clear coat.

[Murr1525]

Re: Too much polishing?

Yes, color would transfer. I doubt the clear coat is gone also.

But failure is always a possibility, where it is starting to separate from the base coat. And if that was the case, you really dont want to mess around on it too much.

[FinalTouchDetail]

Re: Too much polishing?

I'm still having a hard time believing that two passes wiu a DA on a virgin car can remove all the clear coat.

You and I both, ha ha.

[new2detailing]

Re: Too much polishing?

Honda/Acura paint of late is notoriously thin. I would have your Mother-in-Law check with her dealer. (I know that Honda/Acura have repainted panels under warranty due to poor paint from the factory). There is no reason that any car's paint should have clearcoat failure after only 4 years.

My wife has a 2008 Honda Cr-V. I plan on only using the least invasive process for swirl removal. I only plan of maybe one complete exterior detail per year and will follow up only with maintenance details.

[xantonin]

Re: Too much polishing?

I wonder if M07 or a pure polish would help...

[hapyhar0ld]

Re: Too much polishing?

I wonder if M07 or a pure polish would help...

I recommended that to my father in law, while I was packing up my stuff. He's going to use a cleaner and remove some of the wax I applied and try some M07. However, I would be very suprised if the oils were able to reach through the clear coat to "revitalize" the base coat, especially since I don't know if the base coat is just "dry" or if the pigments have actually faded.

If this was my personal car I would be absolutely livid at Honda right now. $30k car and four years later and it's turning pink!? Unbelievable.

[Murr1525]

Re: Too much polishing?

If it was actually failing, some gently applied polish and wax may help slow it down.

It does seem quick for failure though, and dirt/swirls/oxidation should be improvable.

[TOGWT]

Re: Too much polishing?

Using a medium abrasive polish and a rotary polisher will remove approximately 0. 1 Mil (3µ (micron)) Range 0.8 – 1.1 Mil (20 – 28 µ) from the paint surface (typically 4 passes at 1500-1800 RPM) but there are many variables such as the abrasive grade of the polish or compound and speed and pressure used that may affect the paint removed) These numbers should be checked with a paint thickness gauge (PTG) There comes a point when you must judge wither removing a scratch will compromise the clear coat and if so you’ll have to ‘live’ with the imperfection.

A clear coat thickness is approx 2-3 Mils (50 - 75 µ) a paint thickness reading of 4 Mil < ( 100 µ (Microns) is reasonably safe for polishing. 3 – 3.5 Mil ( 80-90 µ) I wouldn't use anything stronger than > 2000 grit polish, 2.75 – 3.0 Mil (70-80 µ) > 2500 grit polish and under 2.75 Mil (70 µ) use a glaze.
If you have reservations about the amount of paint surface removed or the amount of paint coating remaining the use of a paint thickness gauge (PTG) is arbitrary

Note: 1 µ (micron) is 1/1000th of a millimetre or 0.0393700787 Mil or 0.001 of an inch

• 200µ 8 mil + can be expected on older cars that have been hand painted or a re-painted vehicle
• 100 – 200µ 4 – 8 mil - normal paint thickness
• 80 – 100 µ - 3 – 4 mils, thin paint
• 80 µ < - less than 3 mil, very thin paint
These numbers are offered as a guide only, as there are too many variables to provide any more than an approximation.

[rinosaur]

Re: Too much polishing?

If this was my personal car I would be absolutely livid at Honda right now. $30k car and four years later and it's turning pink!? Unbelievable.

My family's 2000 red accord is also turning slightly pink but that has seen a ton of sun and lots of paint neglect. I'm kind of convinced that Honda/Acura are skimping out on providing a good strong paint/coat.