I bought my truck a month ago (used) and while washing it I noticed the bottom of the body panels had some clear coating over it. I am guessing similar to the 3M clear bra stuff. Anyway its feels bumpy when I run my hand crossed it. Is this normal form when it’s applied? If not is it the paint bubbling, or rusting from the inside out? There is a few months left in the warranty and I want to take care of it before it runs out. Just want to know if anyone else has had this and what can be done.

 

It's supposed to be like that. It resists chipping from rocks etc being thrown up on the paint. It's a lot stronger than "normal" paint.

 

yep. right on target!

 

I thats what I figured but it is not a smooth finish like 3m. Maybe its not suppose to be smooth but it feels just like bubbling paint.

 

It's supposed to be like that. Same principle as the clear bra but different material and application process. This stuff is sprayed on instead of being a tape.

 

I don't want to hi-jack this thread but I have a somewhat similar issue. When I was detailing the truck the other weekend I noticed that under the right light and angle I could see red shining from underneath my black paint in certain spots around the truck. It looks like the primer is shining through. Is this something I can get warranty to cover?

 

What you're describing sounds more like rail dust. Do a search on here or on google for rail dust.

A brief description - Clear coats today are softer then they used to be. When vehicles are transported by rail, very very small particles of iron are thrown up off tracks. They can very easily imbed themselves in the clear coat of a vehicle where they quickly start to rust, creating a reddish/brownish spot. It can be hard to see and is best detected under close inspection or at an angle. Run your hand over the paint, see if there's some gritty spots.

Now here's where it gets tricky... transportation of the vehicle from the factory isn't the only source. More commonly, people live near tracks or park by them. Or they live near a factory or other source of small pieces of iron.

Lastly, you can cause them yourself if you allow your brake pads to be worn too far, allowing the rotors to contact the metal backing...Doesn't take more then a day or so of this to start getting iron in your clear coat.

Due to the multiple sources of the problem you'll struggle to find warrenty coverage. There's a TSB that exists to treat the problem with a soap with negative PH to stop the rust. However, I found the best solution is a clay bar.

 

Hmm, well that's not good. I'll try the clay once more, particularly focusing on the trouble spots. Hopefully that will work. I'm assuming the clay will actually remove the particles out of the clear coat (that's what clay does from my understanding) stopping the continuation of the rust and giving my black paint it's black back. I won't even bother stopping at the stellarship with the dilemma unless the clay doesn't work. And if warranty doesn't cover it for a brand new truck people are going to get the verbal beat downs of their lives....until my issue is resolved to my satisfaction

Thanks for the info davewvu86!

 

No problem. I just noticed that yours is a 2008, limiting possible sources. Get it to the dealer sooner rather then later. I wouldn't touch it until you've taken it there and documented your complaint.

Also, after the clay bar you'll notice some swirling in the clear coat. Use a high speed buffer to remove them...it's a real PITA...trust me...

 

What type and grade clay bar were you using to get swirls and marring? Anything that should be used on a 2008 vehicle would never cause swirls, micro marring or marring when used properly. Sounds like you weren't using enough lubrication or using a really dirty clay bar. Regardless any time a clay bar is used on a paint a full detail is in need. Thus any small micro marring would be removed by the following steps of polishing, sealant, and wax, etc.

 

I was using a Mothers bar and lube. There was a ton of metal dust in the clear coat from a front passenger inner pad wearing abnormally fast and going metal to metal for 3 days before I could do anything about it. It was pretty filthy by the end. I used a buffer and did a 3 step clean, polish, wax and it worked perfect.

Maybe I didn't need the buffer but I didn't feel like spending hours doing it by hand and then having to come back with a buffer anyways.

 

I still don't think there should of been a LOT of maring, maybe slight micromaring. The key is to knead the clay a LOT. What kind of buffer are we talking about? Regardless, I always use a DA (Dual Action Polisher) when dealing with a full detail.

 

back to the OP's question:

Ford only covers Paint defects for the 1st year or 12 months. after that, you're on your own.

if the panel rusts through, then you can get covered under the corrosion warranty...but for defects, you'd better get it in there quickly. I had 1 fixed at my 11 month point. Service Manager said if I had waited just 1 more month it would have come out of my pocket

 

Quick question about the paint, I noticed fairly recently (in the sun while waxing) that the black paint on my 2005 FX4 looks a bit like orange peel, everywhere. The whole thing.

Is this normal?

 

The problem wasn't the kneading...it was all the metal in the thing. I could have sold the bar for scrap when I was done! I should have had 2 bars but I had limited time to get it finished.

It was a Dewalt buffer at my buddy's shop. Not sure of the specs or details. He handed to to me and said "here, use this" The marks were mainly visible in direct sunlight. If it was overcast you could only see it from angles but it was certainly enough to annoy the heck out of me.


Only the bottom portion should be like an orange peel. That's the anti-chip coating along the bottom of the body. If it's rail dust, you won't really see a change in texture - it'll be little flecks of iron in your paint. Do a search on google for some images. If in doubt, try to take a hi-res photo and post it on here.