jules

Hi,

I recently had a new hood put on my Obsidian Black C240. The paint job appeared to be done with highest standards but I recently got a chip in the hood (two months after the new hood was painted). This is the only chip in the hood. It is very small but you can see the metal at the center. What concerns me is that in the area surrounding the bare metal, the paint seems to have peeled of. Is this a sign of an improperly cured paint job? I'm supposed to have lifetime warranty on the work and would like to know whether I just had bad luck that I need to deal with, or whether I should demand that the body shop take care of it. Also, should I expect the same resistance to chips on a factory painted hood vs. a hood painted by a quality body shop?

I would appreciate a knowledgeable opinion.

Thanks

David N.

The paint shouldn't start to flake where the chip exists. Especially after 2 months. Now it's possible that you're new paint job has not properly cured yet. But that doesn't explain the flaking. If the paint is still soft (not cured), then it sould not flake.

Who recco'd this bodyshop to you? How long did they take to do the job?

I would go back and complain. If they aren't receptive to you, then go to a bodyshop that is "I-CAR" certified and ask them for their opinion. "I-CAR" is a standard that exists in the USA, Canada and New Zealand. I would not go to any bodyshop that is not I-CAR certified. Not all bodyshops are created equal. Some of these guys are pure hack artists. I wouldn't trust them with my worst enemies car.

Let us know how it goes.

jules

Thank you, David. The paint job and brand new hood are both 2 months old. I discovered the chip one week ago. The "bare metal" portion of the chip is about 2mm in diameter. The area surrounding it, a ring about 2 to 3 mm thick, has the primer exposed. On the edge of the chip area, in the boundary between paint and primer, there is about a 2 mm long part where some paint is lifted and separated from the primer.

I selected the body shop based on its reputation in the area. They also happen to be a direct repair shop for the insurance company who insured the guy that backed into me. This is just a coincidence. Before the chip I had a couple of people look at the work, including a WreckCheck site, and all said it was first class. However, that was before the chip. I am in the process of demading compensation for the fact that the car, even after being repaired to highest standards, is not the same as it was before the wreck. The car was 8 days, 571 miles old at the time. I'm trying to determine whether indeed it was repaired to highest standards (which I was convinced of until this chip), but am also trying to determine how the "highest standards" compare to the factory paint. Are a factory painted hood and a hood painted by a quality shop equally resistant to chip from a rock?

Thanks again for your comments. I will find another shop that is ICAR certified to get an opinion.

David N.

Factory paint isn't chip resistant. I would say it's less chip resistant than an aftermarket paint job because aftermarket paint tends to dry softer. One of the key factors that determines if factory paint will chip or not, is how it dries. If it dries hard, then it will chip when a stone hits it forcefully. If it dries soft, then there will just be an imprint in the paint where the stone hit, but no actual chip. MB factory paint dries hard. (Post a message on the CLK board about paint chips, you'll get a huge response from the guys. It's their favorie topic. They all have tonnes of chips.) Add this to the fact that all manufacturers now use paint which is environmentally friendly. This new paint is weaker and is prone to chipping easily.

If you go to a good shop that uses paint from one of the OEM suppliers(PPG, Dupont, DCX) and they do the job properly, then the repaint should be very close to factory quality.

Go back to the bodyshop and have a calm rational discussion with them about the flaking, and see what they have to say. They may be willing to fix it ASAP. If not then seek a second opinion from an icar certified shop.

From what I've heard, there is a night and day difference between icar shops and non icar shops.

Keep us posted. Take it easy.

CLK 320

From what I understand, the new enviornmentally friendly paints tend to chip a lot more than older formulations. It is not, by any means, a problem unique to Mercedes.