11 replies to this topic

[Jimmy Hat]

OK so as the topic title says, I have recently noticed tiny bubbles probably about half a mm across covering the paint on both minis we have parked on the drive, both factory paint and bits that have been resprayed. One paint job is lacquered (metallic) the other isn't. Really confused as to what this could be, my dads cars fine.

Really spoiling the look of the paint as it looks 'hazy' from a medium distance.

Any ideas what could have caused this or how to fix it? Gutted at the minute, hope I haven't got 2 ruined paint jobs on my hands now :

[Tomm]

Photos are going to be a great help with people giving you advice regards this. It's always hard to describe a paint problem and far quicker/easier with a photo.

Hopefully it is something which can e corrected/detailed out.

[Jimmy Hat]

Not sure how well its going to show up in photos but I will give it a go, in the meantime it is just loads of really tiny bubbles all the way across the paint

[sonikk4]

It sounds like moisture under the paint or there has been a reaction to something.

[Tomm]

It sounds like a few possible things but with out seeing the area in question it is very hard to advise.

Is this on a area which has recently been repaired/resprayed? If so whip it down to the place that did it and they should be able to sort you out with some solid advice.

It may hopefully be something which you can colour sand out and clear up with a DA.

[absx2]

Sounds like micro blisters which is caused by moisture in the paint, usually the primer as it is porous so its never a good idea to leave it for a long time before top coat. another common cause is wet flatting the primer and no allowing sufficient time and heat to remove all moisture in the paint. Its no good walking around with a space heater for 5 mins. Another cause is water in the air supply, you must use a water separator plumbed into the air line at least 6 meters away from the compressor to allow the air to cool so the water vapour can be separated. Micro blisters always show themselves at low temperatures and on a hot sunny day they will be barley noticeable.
Some cars get away with it untill they are covered as the cover touching the paint will draw the moisture out, it happens with boats alot aswell, but thats called osmosis.

Edited by absx2, 03 November 2012 - 07:13 PM.

[sam7]

micro blisters mate, if they have just appeared over the last month, due to leaving the car out in the weather im afraid. main cause i find is water in air line from using small compressors.
i just bought a mini, where the guy painted (well tried to!! u wouldnt let him paint ur bloody fence)
it himself and over the last couple of weeks i noticed small 2mm bubbles coming up in the paint, i no they wasnt there last week because i flattened and polished the whole car. so it was perfect and as the weather has started to change they started to appear.
not a lot u can do with them,but repaint!! which is a pain in the neck!!

[jonny d]

have you covered the car in a outdoor cover I find that they cause micro blisters

[Jimmy Hat]

Thanks for all the replies guys, sounds like I'm stuck with it then unless I can have it sanded back or something, I doubt that though... will try and get a picture up as soon as I can get one clear enough.

The bubbles have happened all over the cars, both on the resprayed front ends and the rest of the paint which as far as I know is factory. I don't use covers on them, and I didn't spray the front ends myself, they were both done before we bought them so I don't know who did it either but can probably find out for the mpi, but like I say its not just the bits they sprayed

Must just be the weather, seems odd though as we've had one of them for 5 years out in all weathers and its never happened before?

Hopefully when summer comes round again they will get less noticeable as you said absx2

[donjarr]

Ok, this might sound odd, but as he say's its part factory paint and part respray, so I could understand moisture trapped in the resprayed parts and showing as bubbles but in the factory paint not really, and why suddenly now??

I would first ask if you have any trees near you? as where I used to park at work a certain time of the year several of the larger tree would drip sap, (I found that out the hard way) which can look and feel like tiny bubbles as its clear and goes hard quite quickly. They don't have to be directly over your car, as the sap carries in the wind (also found that out the hard way as parked away from them and still got sap on the car) so might be a few house away

Without a picture as mentioned it's hard to say, but would try some of that tar spot remover you can get in car shops to see if it is sap or something that has just got on the car. Also check for coverage pattern, as in is it on the vertical sides or just the top and are there any areas not effected which would indicate the direction its come from. Also has anyone near you had any painting or industrial cleaning done on their houses as it could be something that got on that way.

As for pictures if you have a camera with macro setting, rest the camera on the actual car and aim at the spots and take a picture at a slight angle so you get a profile shot of them.

:)

[sonikk4]

You need to be careful if you decide to leave them. If the moisture is through the top coat and primer coat you could up with a lot of rust spots. Now this maybe a possibility but if I was you I would consider sanding back an area to check to see if any surface corrosion is starting.
Sounds harsh but better that than having to think about trying to get rid if serious corrosion.

[Jimmy Hat]

I did think of the tree sap thing, as it is over both of the Minis and parts that have been sprayed and factory paint. I'll have a go at it with some of the tree sap remover and see if that shifts it, oI would have just thought thatd get my dads car too since they're all parked together on the drive.

As for the sanding thing, my front end needs some welding anyway due to the front panel becoming seperated from the wing, so I might check things out then. That also happens to be one of the parts that have bubbled, but really it's all over the place.

And oh yes I'll try the macro on my dads camera, couldnt get a decent shot on my phone :)

I'll check out any other possibilities like you said donjarr, very helpful post that thanks :) I know the house across the road's had some work done to it but not seen them spraying anything like that that I know of. Will be pi$$ed off if it is them because the ******* parks his Golf right in front of our drive all the time too :@

Edited by Jimmy Hat, 19 November 2012 - 12:51 PM.