newbie question about oxidation

[III]

Does anyone have a picture that shows what oxidation looks like?

If there`s oxidation on a dark colored vehicle, will oxidation look kind of like a white haze in areas and the paint will be faded/dull?



Also, what exactly causes oxidation?

[buellwinkle]

It just looks chalky and flat finish. It`s caused primarily by the sun and polutants in the air (smog, acid rain, etc) that hit the horizontal surfaces first. The top layer of the paint dries up and has to be sanded or polished off. Fixing it depends on how long it`s been let go, exposure to the sun and the quality of the original paint shop. If it`s badly oxidized, you will like get the best results going over it with a wool pad on a rotary but that requires skills so wet sanding with 2000 grit maybe easier and cheaper for you. Then, using a PC and a medium grade polish like Meg`s #83 you can polish the sanding marks off and bring up the shine. Then wax it and keep up the wax maintenance to prevent it from happening again.

[III]

If it looks chalky, how would this be different from clear coat failure? Doesn`t this look kind of the same?

[Bill D]

Does it look sort of like this ?



If it isn`t as severe there might be a chance it can be improved with deication using a chemical paint cleaner and/or polishing

[III]

Originally posted by Bill D

Does it look sort of like this ?

Not even close. I can assure you that it`s not clear coat failure now. Thanks for the link.

[Bill D]

That`s good news. Sometimes a thorough polishing with a product like MPPC or AIO can significantly improve a finish.