When you take your car to a body shop, you trust that the technicians would know exactly what to do with your vehicle. They will create a unique repair plan for your vehicle exactly how the manufacturer instructs, gather the right tools and equipment, and get to work. Right? Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen, and many technicians will get straight to work based on experience alone. Even a paint job for your car isn’t nearly as simple as one would think.
We’re here to tell New Jersey drivers how too much clear coat can cause severe damage to your car. The damage may be more than what meets the eye.
What is clear coat, and how is it different from automotive paint?
Automotive paint is a combination of solvents, fillers, resins, additives, solvents, and pigments for colored paints. Clear coat is the top layer of clear paint to achieve the glossy look on your car.
The three essential ingredients in automotive paint are:
Resin
Pigment
Solvent
The resin is the component that provides adhesion to the applied surface, holds together the pigment in suspension, and is what determines the quality and paint durability.
The pigment comes in a powder form similar to concrete. A typical aftermarket automotive paint mixing system includes around 100 colors or toners to be able to mix formulas, including metallic and pearl paint colors. The solvent is what provides the transferability. Without it, the paint would be too thick to transfer from container to container.
Clear coat is the same as any other automotive paint, just without the pigments.
This is a diagram of a typical paint process on a car:
Why is clear coat added to my car?
Clear coat is added to your car for a variety of different reasons. The first reason is it protects the pigmented (color) paint underneath from fading and oxidizing from UV rays. If you ever notice a car that has peeling paint, chances are it doesn’t have a thick enough clear coat layer.
Clear coat also creates added depth and shine to the pigmented layer. Also, clear coat assists repair technicians in achieving a smooth finish on your car for any paint related repairs.
Can clear coat ever cause a problem?
There may be times where your car requires a paint repair to achieve the desired look. However, if a technician removes too much clear coat, it can cause severe damage to your vehicle. This damage can be discoloration, peeling, hazing, and finish failure. How much a technician removes is based on how much was applied.
Here’s an example of what peeling looks like on a car from too little clear coat:
According to I-CAR, clear coat “should be restored during the refinishing process to protect the vehicle from defects like those listed above.”
Trained auto painters and technicians will know to monitor the clear coat thickness throughout the repair and refinishing process.
Clear coat problems and ADAS
If you purchased a vehicle from the past five years, chances are your car is equipped with some form of ADAS technology to keep you safer on the road. Some examples of ADAS features are blind-spot detection, forward collision warning, lane change assist, and a rearview camera.
These advanced technologies are made up of a bunch of sensors that are located in different areas of your car. The bumper cover can have up to 4 sensors alone.
Each manufacturer has restrictions on how thick the paint coat can be, along with other repair requirements. If the maximum paint coat thickness is exceeded, then it can cause these advanced safety features to no longer function. This is because these sensors wouldn’t be able to “see” what’s happening on the road, increasing your risk of getting in a collision.
Who can repair the clear coat on my car the right way?
Here at Rocco’s Collision Center, our refinish technicians have undergone extensive training directly from PPG and I-CAR. Each master technician holds multiple certifications and professional experience of at least ten years ensure superior quality, finish, and durability.
We at Rocco’s Collison Centers know that you have many choices when it comes to choosing where to get your car repaired. We invite you to see for yourself why Rocco’s is the best out there by visiting one of our 6 different locations. Feel free to give us a call at anytime at (888)-9-ROCCOS.
To schedule an appointment or to call any of our locations directly, click here. We look forward to hearing from you!
