Oxidation.

[kellyinkc]

Hey guy's. Are there any pics of medium to heavy oxidation on this site? I think that is what is on my hood. I have hit it with DC1 several times then SX no go.
I'm thinking maybe ColorX next. Any suggestions?
Thank s for a fantastic site!!!!!!

Kelly

[Mike Phillips]

Are you working on a clear coat finish or a single stage finish?

If you're working on a clear coat finish, and neither of the first two products you've tried have made a dent in the finish, (no pun intended), then it's likely the clear coat has failed.

Can you take a picture?

[kellyinkc]

Hey Mike. It's clearcoat I think.How can I find out?
It's a 99 Ford Taraus. I cannot feel anything on the hood. Tried some pic's but just got reflections. I can not see them from 5 feet away. Thanks for your help!!

Kelly

[Mike Phillips]

From Meguiar's *NEW* FAQ

Here's the link, below is the answer,

How can I tell if I have a clear coat finish?


To determine whether you have a clear coat or a single-stage finish perform this simple test.

• * Find an inconspicuous area to test, such as the lower rear quarter panel of your car's fender or inside the door jamb.
  
  * Clean this area first with car wash and water or Meguiar's Quik Detailer. You don't want any dirt or grime to interfere with your test.
  
  * Using a small piece of white cotton, such as a piece of terry cloth towel, rub a little paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the paint of this inconspicuous area.
  
  * After rubbing for a few moments, turn your cloth toward you and look to see if there is any color from your paint on the cloth.

If you have a red car and you now have red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a single stage finish. If you have a red car and you don't see any red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a clear coat.

To be 100% sure, you should test in a couple of different areas.

Note: If you have a white, or very light colored car you should use a dark piece of cotton cloth and look for the color of your car's finish on it after rubbing some paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the finish for a few moments.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by kellyinkc
Hey Mike. It's clearcoat I think.How can I find out?
It's a 99 Ford Taraus. I cannot feel anything on the hood. Tried some pic's but just got reflections. I can not see them from 5 feet away. Thanks for your help!!

Kelly

The clear coat finish is either intact or it's missing through deterioration, some people when looking at the flakey, patchwork looking finish of a clear coat that has failed mistake it for oxidations.

Clear coats can oxidize, but the process is much slower compared to other types of paints, fiberglass gel-coats and plastics.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

To take the pictures of the problem area, in this case I would suggest taking the pics at around noon. With the sun overhead and the flash turned off, the camera should be able to get a focus on the problem area.

But from your description, a couple of things come to mind. Was the hood re-painted? Have you taken it anywhere to be rotary buffed? If you look REALLY close at the faded area, do you see what looks like little snow flake shaped cracks in the paint?

Tim

[kellyinkc]

Thanks! Don't know if hood was repainted. May have been rotorary buffed before taking delivery. Bought it used. Dark now will look at the hood in the morning and let you know.

[the3dwizard]

My son's car was heavily oxidized. However, it did not have a clear coat.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7683

Cheers!