Your car’s paint not only makes it look nice but also protects the body from nasty weather and other external factors, some of which can cause oxidation (rust). You’ve had your vehicle for several years now and recently noticed some paint chips on the front of the hood that have got you worried. You wonder under your breath how that could have happened as you find another chipped and bubbled area on one of the quarter panels. There are several sinister forces that can cause your paint to start chipping. What follows are some of the more common ones.
Were you involved in a fender-bender recently? Accidents between two vehicles are the most obvious ways to damage a car’s paint. Then there’s that careless motorist opening their car door into yours, or times when you get distracted and bump into a concrete barrier or metal pole. Whenever your car’s paint sustains blunt force, it can cause damage to the underlying layers above-and-beyond what’s noticeable on the surface.
There are times when your car is exposed to moisture in the form of dirty rain, sleet, snow and ice that can damage paint. Other potentially paint-damaging environmental forces that your vehicle encounters include:
Many commercially sold car cleaners and soaps contain harsh chemicals, and although they’re great at getting bug splatters, tar, and road grime off your car’s finish, they’re not very “paint-friendly”. In addition to removing the dirt and debris, they can also take off the top layer of paint, and weaken the underlying layers just enough to promote chipping. Always read the label before using any cleansers or soaps to detail your car’s finish.
In the past, durable lead-based automotive paints were used by manufacturers and body shops. Today’s cars are painted with more eco-friendly water-based paints that don’t hold up as well as their predecessors did. Although better for the environment, water-based paints are notoriously more vulnerable to accident impacts and environmental forces. Shoddy DIY paint jobs can also leave a vehicle more susceptible to chips and cracks.
How many times have you been driving behind a gravel truck that hits a bump and then watched as small rocks bounced off your hood? And, what about those dust-choked, summer road construction zones? In addition to rocks and dust, other forms of flying road debris that can cause paint chipping include broken glass, pieces of loose concrete, metal car parts, chunks of tire rubber, sand and road salt.
Have you ever accidentally hit your car with the jagged metal corner of a ladder or heavy tool? In addition to those owner-induced examples, many vehicles each year experience random acts of vandalism involving keys, razors, knives and scissors. The resulting scratches compromise the paint’s hard protective shell, exposing the more vulnerable lower layers to chipping.
Your car’s paint expands and contracts in response to air temperature changes, and rapid oscillations between heat and cold affect it the most. For example, if you go from sub-zero winter temperatures through a heated car wash, and then back out into the bitter cold, your car’s paint shell quickly shrinks and grows in response. Intense heat can also cause paint bubbling.
There are several ways to help protect your car’s paint from cracking, notably when you live in places with drastic temperature fluctuations. These are some of the better methods to use:
When your car’s once-beautiful paint job has been marred by unsightly cracking, take it to a reliable auto body shop in your neighborhood that’s in the Carwise network. Certified technicians there have the training, experience and equipment to restore your car’s paint like-new again, promptly and affordable. Reliable collision repair shops warranty their work for your protection, and if the paint was damaged from an accident or act of vandalism, most work directly with insurance companies so you don’t have to.
Search your zip code now for a customer-reviewed auto body or glass repair shop nearby: www.carwise.com.
