Here is a first of several articles that will be dealing with the effects of hidden paint damage.

CHECKING - Line Checking, Micro Checking

CONDITIONS - A series of deep cracks resembling mud cracks in a dry pond. Often in the form of three legged stars and in no definite pattern, they are usually through the color coat and sometimes in the undercoat as well.

CAUSES
1) Excessive film thickness. (Excessively thick top coats magnify normal stresses and stains which can result in cracking even under normal conditions.)
2) Materials not uniformly mixed.
3) Insufficient flash time.
4) Incorrect use of additive.

PREVENTION
1) Don't pile on top coats. Allow sufficient flash and dry time between coats. Do not dry by gun fanning.
2) Stir all pigmented undercoats and topcoats thoroughly.
3) Read and carefully follow label instructions. ( Additives not specifically designed for color coat may weaken the final paint film and make it more sensitive to cracking.)

SOLUTION
The affected areas must be sanded to a smooth finish or in extreme cases removed down to the bare metal and refinished.



This particular Jaguar X-Type had been cared for by various detailers and included a period of neglect. I was called out to perform my services, which many times includes being a "Detail Detective" to try and find out why something has failed. After conducting a thorough prep on this vehicle, I contacted the owner so we could go over the vehicle and address this Jaguars needs. Boy was this lady surprised when I had informed her that her Jaguar was suffering from the begging stages of paint failure. Sure enough, all of the tops of this baby Jag were 'Checking" and it was sure to only get worse over time. The next question I asked her was if she was the original owner? which she answered "yes"...The next was have you ever been in an accident or has the vehicle been repainted? she saind "no" so I pulled out my paint gauge meter which confirmed factory readings......



So this is where this detail begins, an attempt to make this Jag come to life within my powers.......So with my son, my cousin and myself we started this project as the weather was not in our favor.......but it all worked out!

All I can say is it's so important to keep your vehicle clean and inspect it regularly to avoid what your about to witness.





























This is some shots of all the damaged tops due to paint failure "Checking" that the owner never noticed









After shots of this X-Type as we did our best, but she needs some paint work...

































Although in the final shots you will notice that the paint condition is not so visible in the daylight shots. This is also because the polishing and the LSP hides some of these defects so the naked eye doesn't see it as much.

Fast forward, my client filed a claim with Jaguar NA about this paint issue to see if it could get resolved on this level since the local dealership told her it was out of warranty....I haven't heard from her since......

Thank you for taking the time to view this post on Paint defects, your thoughts, comments or questions are appreciated....

 

It's hard to believe that the "after" results shots of the dark shot and the daylight shot are of the same car. It looks like you did great work, though!

 

It looks like as if it was repainted ,this is how the detailing job brilliantly done

 

Wow this exact thing happened to my friends Honda civic! On his car it looks like dust on the hood, but this looks much worse.

 

These photos only show what the camera picked up, but to the naked eye you could see the flaws. Thanks for the good words on the post!

Cadillac.....it was the lighting, camera angles and the fact that it had been so neglected. But she definitely regained some of the "Glow factor" back! Thanks for the kind words as always!

Jag, Honda, Rolls....it can happen to them all.... It sure can be a bummer!

 

Nice job Dave, if I read correctly, if the car has not been resprayed at any time, then your average owner can not avoid this type of failure problem, but can only work at keeping it hidden.

Funnily enough I was looking at a showroom brand new Liquid Black Renault yesterday afternoon for someone.

Under the showroom fluorescent lights at certain angles the car seemed to have the appearance of orange peel and you could feel it by running your fingers over it.

Would that normally be taken care of by pre-delivery preparation or is something like that going to stay with the car.

I can't show pics for obvious reasons.

 

Very imformative, thanks for posting

 

Thank you very much Translator.....and yes you are correct

Unfortunatley "Orange Peel" these days is very common on production vehicles. This texture remains the same after the new car prep is performed and will remain like this permanantly. Orange Peel can be reduced or eliminated by color sanding the top coat and leveling the surfaces out, then buff and polish out for the ultimate flat smooth finish. This must be performed by a professional who takes measurments as they perform this proceedure. Failure to do this correctly could lead to irreversible paint damage that would require repainting.

Thanks, your very welcome John!

 

Crap, I was just noticing that my XJ's hood (which appears to be original) has the same kind of deal going on in one small spot. I wonder if it's going to spread!

Would this be able to be covered under the "corrosion" warranty?

 

Alan,

I would have to say yes, this type of damage is usually progressive. Keep an eye on it and see if it gets worse as summer approaches. Since paint is porous it acts like a sponge and their is no telling whats going on below the paints surface since all the winters weather...

Depending on your selling/servicing dealer and the relationship that you may have, its hard to say. I would consult your contact at the dealership and see if the squeeky wheel gets greased....

 

The funny thing is because of the condition of the paint, it appears to have been garaged almost its entire life. I garage it as well overnight (although I guess during the day, it is in the sun)!

The car was originally in Dallas, TX, though, so I bet the weather is hot there.

 

The unfortunate thing it only gets worse with time, then eventually it all just goes at once....maybe check in to having it refinished since it's only the hood area that way its up to par with the rest of the vehicle.....Did you ever contact your servicing dealer?

 

It also appears that there is a small checking spot on the roof! What gives!

I recently compounded/polished the car's hood, and rock chips/checking are definitely more noticeable than they were before. I think what happened is that excess compound/polish (M105/205) has ended up in the surface imperfections and dried to a white color, making these imperfections more obvious. Some people have suggested spraying a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water onto these imperfections and then wiping it off.

Did you run into this problem? I am a little reluctant to try it, but it looks like the checking is barely noticeable in your photos after you were finished with it!

 

my XType has the same issue. I am having it repainted.

 

Looks like this was a very common problem with certain model Jaguars....

Alvinjames......Please post some photos of the damage before and the corrected paint once its finished....would love to see the transformation!