paint cracks - plastic bumper

Bl4444 · 03-11-06, 01:22

I was just removing two hideous dealer decals from my 2000 Sebring Convt... one from the most recent dealer, and the very visible leftover residue from someone's half-a**ed attempt to remove the previous dealer's decal.

All went great... They both came off pretty easily. The newer sticker came off in a snap, the older one required liberal applications of Goof-off, heating with a hair-dryer and some gentle rubbing. Aterwards, I polished the area with PB SSR1, and it looks 200% better.

Now, my question... As I was doing the second (and newer one), I noticed a light spiderweb of what appeared to be actual physical cracks in the paint on the plastic bumper.

I've never noticed them before, and I didn't notice them when I was doing the first decal.

Is it likely that I somehow leaned on the bumper and cracked the paint? Could it really be that brittle? Or, is it more likely that the cracks were already there, and I just noticed because I was working so closely. (I did get lightly scraped on that corner in a parking lot a few months ago, it seemed pretty superficial, so I just polished it out)

Moreover, and more importantly, is there anything (short of a repaint) that I can do to repair it?

Should I worry that it's to start flaking off? If so, is there at least anything I can do to maintain and delay it? Any extra precautions I should take in deailing, to avoid making it worse)

(As I said it's a 2000 Chryler Sebring Jxi Convt., The color is a tricoat, Inferno Red Pearl)

Any advice or info would be GREATLY appreciated.

Bl4444 · 03-11-06, 01:57

Here are some pictures:

Medium Shot:

Close-Up:

rexster314 · 03-11-06, 04:56

More than likely, the area has been repainted, but the painter didn't put the flex additive in the paint. When painting rubber/plastic parts, this flex additive lets the paint "move" a bit, without cracking

Rex

White95Max · 03-11-06, 05:38

My Maxima had stress cracks like that across the corner of the rear bumper, caused by an accident involving the rear quarter panel. I was hit by a red Sebring convertible in fact! The paint on the rear bumper obviously was forced to flex a ton as the energy radiated through the plastic bumper, causing the cracks.
I'm guess that your scraping incident was the cause. It may have caused the bumper to flex a lot, and the paint cracked.

Accumulator · 03-11-06, 06:28

The only real solution is to have it (properly) repainted. But sometimes the paint adheres quite well despite the cracks, you'll just have to see. If they don't bother you all that much(and I bet they've been there a while and you just didn't notice), I'd just keep an eye on them.

Don't apply any real pressure while detailing the area and keep your LSP refreshed so it stays well-protected. I'd probably avoid things like clay and aggressive polishing. When it looks bad (or when it's convenient), get it painted.

Bl4444 · 03-13-06, 11:25

Thanks for the advice and information guys...

Considering that even that "medium" shot covers a whopping span of about 4-5 inches, and that I had to crane and twist and contort to find an angle where they'd show, it really doesn't look bad. It's something I can certainly live with.