Hit by ice block on the highway - need help from experts

woodpecka said:
I don't think this will void it, we can see any damage I could have created.
This bumper has been repaint 2 times by BMW because the first time the paint start peeling when they try to wash it with their pressure washer. They proposed to repaint it for free a 2nd time.

It's it possible that they missed something in their painting process? Does a normal bumper should be enough flexible to avoid paint cracking under the clear coat?
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A lot of times, if there is "cracking" occurring in the base coat,
the clear coat will soon follow suit: What will it be able to bind to.

Won't hurt to see what they say...
and then make sure to get a second opinion.

Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
A lot of times, if there is "cracking" occurring in the base coat,
the clear coat will soon follow suit: What will it be able to bind to.

Won't hurt to see what they say...
and then make sure to get a second opinion.

Bob
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Thank you!

I feel that a normal bumper paint should be enough flexible to resist to the bumper flex...no?
 
woodpecka said:
Thank you!

I feel that a normal bumper paint should be enough flexible to resist to the bumper flex...no?
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If you hit a block of ice on the freeway you were going plenty fast enough for that type of damage to any car's paint. The bumper had a huge impact if you hit a solid piece of ice around 65 mph. I'm sure if you stripped all the paint you would even see an impact mark in the plastic of the bumper, that's no surface scratch you have there.
 
Yeah... You're not driving a tank. You hit a piece of solid matter at highway speeds. Bumpers are designed to flex, and yours did. Most OEM paint systems can withstand small parking lot speed impacts. It is not designed to be bullet proof.
 
If it act like an OEM bumper should, that's fine.

I will show it to BMW Collision center expert and see. (Yes I could see a 2nd expert if needed)
 
What hasn't been mentioned is possible damage behind the bumper cover. The bumper cover isn't the "bumper" - it's only a cover. The steel bumper and the shock absorbers for the bumper may also be damaged. The OP needs a qualified shop to look at the damage then determine if he wants to proceed with an insurance claim.
 
Paul Mitchell said:
What hasn't been mentioned is possible damage behind the bumper cover. The bumper cover isn't the "bumper" - it's only a cover. The steel bumper and the shock absorbers for the bumper may also be damaged. The OP needs a qualified shop to look at the damage then determine if he wants to proceed with an insurance claim.
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Good point. I would be surprised that the bumper has been damaged but it's a good idea to verify.

BTW, I looked again to the impact point and I can feel a little bit the scratches with my nails. I will show this to a pro detailer and asking for advise about how to fix this, if possible. I already try to wet sand it at 2000 and this doesn't worked. Should I try lower grit grade??
 
It needs repainted, the color is cracked through..

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD
 
There is no way to explain it to this guy that NO amount of wetsanding will repair the damage. Can someone please translate that to the OP's native language?
 
Chicago Tommy said:
There is no way to explain it to this guy that NO amount of wetsanding will repair the damage. Can someone please translate that to the OP's native language?
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So you are sure that the paint is cracked? I'm not and this is why I need an expert to confirm in person. Thank you for your advise.
 
I am a little confused. Was this OEM or resprayed?

If it was OEM then the warranty on the paint has already expired - also good luck to anyone who tries to claim a paint warranty.

If it is a respray, there could be 100 different reasons why it would fail like this. I have seen paint crack and fail in the weirdest spots.

Easy way to describe what happened, think of a piece of wood. You can sand a scratch out if wood. If the wood is cracked, no amount of sanding will remove the crack. The same thing has happened to the paint in your car.
 
Bumper has been repainted 2 times by BMW Collision Center to OEM specs BEFORE the ice hit. BMW give a lifetime warranty on their paint repairs.

We still don't know if paint is cracked or not. If cracked, it's clear that only a repaint needs to be done.

The other question is: If cracked, does the paint has been applied as specified by BMW?
 
Andr3wilson said:
Easy way to describe what happened, think of a piece of wood. You can sand a scratch out if wood. If the wood is cracked, no amount of sanding will remove the crack. The same thing has happened to the paint in your car.
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Perhaps a better analogy would be to take a flat sheet of aluminum foil, and a flat sheet of clear thin plexiglass and bind them together. The foil being the base, and the plexiglass being the clear. Bend and flex them, and you may develop wrinkles in the foil but no damage in the "clear". There's no way to repair that foil, as you can't touch it because of the plexiglass! It's my understanding that severe, rapid flexing of body panels, such as after an impact, can cause that fracturing of the base coat without fracturing the clear. At least, that's what I had been told long ago when I saw weird scratches in a car that had been hit (but not hit hard enough to actually break the plastic body panel, as it was plastic, it did not dent)

Frustrating OP. But before I paid a detailer, since it has a lifetime warranty, I'd take it to BMW and ask for their expertise. Tell them you believe the paint is cracking under the clear. If they concur, then they'll probably replace it under warranty! Do you think this was there before the ice impact, but you didn't notice it until then?
 
woodpecka said:
Bumper has been repainted 2 times by BMW Collision Center to OEM specs BEFORE the ice hit. BMW give a lifetime warranty on their paint repairs.

We still don't know if paint is cracked or not. If cracked, it's clear that only a repaint needs to be done.

The other question is: If cracked, does the paint has been applied as specified by BMW?
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Even if they warranty their paint job for life, it'll likely only cover defects that are a result of improper painting. This was hit by a foreign object, and most likely would not be covered under warranty. Also, even though it was painted to OEM specs, it would be considered a repaint because that is not the original factory paint.

Judging by the mark pattern, the paint cracked around the impact area and will need to be repainted. The body shop will be able to tell you if the bumper cover and/or anything else needs replaced or fixed.

As it stands, you at least need it repainted. Because the damage wasn't the painter's fault, it'll likely be paid for by you.

Sorry to hear about your car.
 
Hey woodmecka...

Just read your Private Message so I'm chiming in...


I agree with what others have already said and that the paint is cracked from impact and it's not the paint's fault.

Modern cars have painted, flexible urethane covers and this is what happens when they suffer a severe impact.

No amount of wetsanding, cutting and buffing is going to fix this problem. If you want the visible damage to go away you will need to have the affected area re-painted.

In my opinion there is no paint system that could have withstood this type of impact.

This is another reason I like old cars instead of new cars. Cars and in this case, trucks like mine have real bumpers.


1987_Chevy_Moster_Truck_093.jpg



I understand most people need and want a new car but modern cars offer LOTS of benefits but the downfall is they no longer have strong chrome bumpers.


Sorry to hear of your misfortune...

At least you're safe...


:)
 
Thanks you guys for your insight, it's very appreciated.

As driving in North of America create a lot of rock chips on the bumpers, I think I will keep it like this and see on this evolve. The clear coat is still flat so it's not too visible. The cracks are so thin I needed to put a direct spot light to see them.

I just hope the clear coat and paint will stay in place and not falling down.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
This is another reason I like old cars instead of new cars. Cars and in this case, trucks like mine have real bumpers.


1987_Chevy_Moster_Truck_093.jpg



I understand most people need and want a new car but modern cars offer LOTS of benefits but the downfall is they no longer have strong chrome bumpers.




:)
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Mike I think you missed a spot on the truck! Hang on while I try to find one......

......I dont see any dressing on the leaf springs ;)

Nice looking truck there!

:autowash:
 
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