What is this exactly, cracked clearcoat or a result of rock hitting the panel?

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SixZee

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While doing a biweekly waterless wash, I came across this spot, just above the windshield, behind the moonroof. It is difficult to take a clear shot as it is in the middle of the car. Does it look like cracked clear coat or a rock hitting that area?

It is 2015 Subaru Forester.




zoomed in



And of course, how do I address it?

Thanks in advance.
 
Hello, assuming it is cracked clear coat.

If I had experience I would sand that area down.
Then get a small primer base
Then get touch up kit
Then add clear coat (comes with kit)
Then buff out.

By hand or small 3” polish, seems like a lot of work. But time and practice is key.
 
TrustJesus said:
Hello, assuming it is cracked clear coat.

If I had experience I would sand that area down.
Then get a small primer base
Then get touch up kit
Then add clear coat (comes with kit)
Then buff out.

By hand or small 3” polish, seems like a lot of work. But time and practice is key.
Click to expand...

^^^^
This. Looks like some kind of chemical ate into the paint. Surrounding area looks good, so more than likely not clear coat failure.
 
It's definitely cracked by the looks of it. Most likely caused by bird #### or some other similar chemical reaction with the paint.

As for what to do with it... NOTHING! If anything, maybe apply a little clear coat over the area just to seal the edges of the cracks.

Any repair you attempt beyond that will as surely as night turns to day look worse than just leaving it alone.
 
Fractured clear, almost like when an egg gets thrown and hits your paint.

I 2nd a most likely cause bird droppings...
 
That looks like clear coat failure. It could be from a rock. Anyway, my advice would be to not touch it. You won't fix it and will probably make it worse. The correct way to repair that would be to paint it. It looks to be metallic and from what I've been told it's hard to blend metallic and have it look right but on the roof the owner might not be as particular.
 
Thank you, folks.

Is there any chance that this could spread?

I will just leave it like that for now. There is one more spot like this in the middle of the roof. I will have to get the ladder to go up and check it thoroughly.
 
Looks like tree sap etching. Must have been on the surface for a while. Now the paint's binders and resins are fracturing apart due to extended exposure to the sap.
 
SixZee said:
Thank you, folks.

Is there any chance that this could spread?

I will just leave it like that for now. There is one more spot like this in the middle of the roof. I will have to get the ladder to go up and check it thoroughly.
Click to expand...


It's not going to spread.
 
AutowerxDetailing said:
Looks like tree sap etching. Must have been on the surface for a while. Now the paint's binders and resins are fracturing apart due to extended exposure to the sap.
Click to expand...

That also makes very much sense. Almost every parking spot in our development is under the tree. While I take care of most of the sap as soon as I see, I don't check the roof every now and then.
On the other hand, at my wife's work, there is not a single tree so whichever sap or bird droppings are not taken care of gets baked in summer.
 
100% not a rock or from an impact. Look in the middle, there's no impact or indentation from a object. It's chemical or something on it.

Maybe bird poop or chemical. It's the size and shape of a droplet.

Find a paint guy and have him handle it. You might be surprised what a local body shop could do for $100-$200. No biggie for them. Even if it didn't come out perfect, it'd look 90%+ better than what ya got.
 
Stupid question, what chemical does that?


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