Clear coat failure

Blues a polish and cleaner without protectant and yellow is a protectant only. RainX is now a Windshield Wax that hazes so you can see where to buff it off.

Can someone tell me the difference between the Marine RainX and the Automotive RainX?
 
I tried the Windshield Wax from Rain-X and did not like it. It smears when you use the wipers, and its not minor either is pretty bad. I think it smears more than the orginal Rain-X. Later in the week I am going to use Ron's tip about lighter fluid and get that stuff off the windows.
 
The Marine glass stuff from Rain-X is safe on Plexiglas, I dont think the orginal Rain-X is. Some friends of mine with boats say that the orginal Rain-X is hazes Plexiglas that is found on some boats.
 
I recently bought a 2003 ML320 that has a very typical condition on the rear window pillars ? the clear coat has failed big-time.
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My plan is to get the remainder of the old peeling clear coat off, then wet sand the two panels and see if they will polish up to any acceptable level. If not, then I?ll get them re-painted.

The question: Is there any way other than sanding to get the rest of the peeling clear coat off? I was not sure if it could be buffed off with a strong polish or if sanding is the only logical method. The goal is to get it off and still have enough paint left underneath to play with.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
 
Maybe you can try a plastic putty knife. Not sure if that will make it any easier.
The same thing happened to the B-pillars on my 02' Acura TL-S. They were nice and shiny in late 07' before I gave the car to my brother, who happens to neglect cars big time. I visited him a year later and the B-pillars looked like your pics. I know it's not my car anymore, but it still hurts to see that, after keeping the car in pristine conditions all those years. :(
 
Thanks. I kinda knew the answer going into this, but I always check to see if someone has come up with a better way. :wizard: Time to stock up on several grades of wetsanding paper and give it hell.
 
Looks like time for a recoat of clear is in order IMO. You can try to remove the rest of the CC, and then try sanding it off ( starting off testing it with 4000+ grit ). But recoat at a paint shop is in order. Let us know what you going to do and the results also..................:wizard:
 
I've re-cleared some c-pillars that looked exactly like that!

The ones I did had virtually NO clearcoat left on them.

I lightly masked off everything, lightly wet-sanded the areas and sprayed clearcoat from a can.

Since you live in the KC area, you can get automotive quality clearcoat at "Auto Color" on 24 Highway in Independence, MO. It is extremely shiny and doesn't even need to be polished when it dries.

If you're fairly handy with a rattle can, it would be worth a shot (no pun intended:biggrin:).
 
Luster said:
I've re-cleared some c-pillars that looked exactly like that!

The ones I did had virtually NO clearcoat left on them.

I lightly masked off everything, lightly wet-sanded the areas and sprayed clearcoat from a can.

Since you live in the KC area, you can get automotive quality clearcoat at "Auto Color" on 24 Highway in Independence, MO. It is extremely shiny and doesn't even need to be polished when it dries.

If you're fairly handy with a rattle can, it would be worth a shot (no pun intended:biggrin:).
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I like your idea Bill , I would try and repair it first , the painter would be my second option . :StarWars:
 
I have seen this in our shop before, I would try to remove remainder of delaminated clear coat with masking tape or duct tape. Press it on rub it down peel it off. Safe
 
Thanks for all of the feedback, especially the tape idea - I'm going to try that first before getting out the #2500-4000 papers. On my side of the state line we have Overland Auto Paints, which has been there forever. I think they may carry that kind of clear spray as well. For no larger than these pillars are, I'll likely try masking it off and using the spray can method. [when and if the weather ever cooperates - I'll have to take the SL out of the garage to put the ML inside to do the spraying]

Someone also suggested a vinyl wrap on the pillars once they are smooth as an alternative. Bill, do you know of any vinyl guys in our area? This would definitely be a last resort.
 
Slik560 said:
Someone also suggested a vinyl wrap on the pillars once they are smooth as an alternative. Bill, do you know of any vinyl guys in our area? This would definitely be a last resort.
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That's really not a bad idea! I don't know of any vinyl suppliers, but you might find some exterior grade vinyl on ebay and just order a very small amount. Then lay it out on the pillars (with the backing still on), cut to fit, peel and press!

Sounds like a cheap alternative. Some of the exterior vinyls out there are rated at 7-10 years longevity. Hmmmmmmmmm.....:D
 
Now that I think about it, some of the sign companies do vehicle wraps for advertising, etc., like Signs By Tomorrow. I bet I could get the pillars wrapped in black for a reasonable amount. Or at least I could get the vinyl from them. I'll let you know what I find out!!
 
If you want to talk to nice, knowledgeable people who would help you out with what you need, head over to Overland Auto Supply in Downtown Overland Park. I've gotten lots of painting supplies there and they can also get your M105/205 within a couple of hours if you ever need it.

Where are you located in OP?
 
I live just west of 95th & Antioch. I was just at Overland Auto Paints last week to get a small prep brush (fiberglass fibers) for dealing with all of the rusty paint chips the former owner left for me. Do they do vinyl too? Also, I tried some tape on the remaining clear coat and I'll be danged if some of it didn't come off! If it worked somewhat on a cool day, it should work better with some heat from a hair dryer or a carefully used heat gun. I can't wait to try again. :biggrin:
 
Update: I had to go to #400 wetsanding to get all the clear coat off, but it finally is gone! Now I will work my way up to about #2000 grit and then get out the orbital and some M105. I'm going to try the polish route, as several people on the MB forums did this with great results. I'm taking pictures as I go, so when it's done I'll post up the results in case anyone is curious.

Since these are plastic pieces, I'm a lot braver than if these were painted panels! I would probably not attempt this kind of thing on paint - it would be a body shop job!
 
FWIW, a quick follow up. I worked my way up to #1500 grit wet sanding, then I said to heck with it and got out the polisher. I hit each panel twice with M105 and an orange pad on my little 3" Griots Polisher, then finished up with another two passes on each panel with M205 with my Griot's 6" and an LC red pad. [I will spare you all of the process pictures that I took...they're just plastic panels after all :biggrin:]

Did it come out perfect? Not quite. It will probably take a rotary unit with a more abrasive pad to remove 100% of the sanding marks, but for now, it's good enough. The panels look 200% better without that @*&# peeling clear coat and they have a decent reflection. My real priority is to go after all of the paint chips that were left to rust by the previous owner. I've ordered some rust converter & encapsulator from Eastwood.

So, thanks for all of the great advice. The simplest approach was indeed the correct one: sand the old clear coat off before doing anything. I'm pleased with the way that the plain plastic panels polished up. :hurray:
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