Clear coat area “peeled” off bumper after power wash. Fixes?

RooflessVW said:
IMO that is textbook clearcoat failure
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It is but there is nothing wrong with making sure. It would suck to start making the repair only to find out you were sanding a protective film someone applied. That being said the bumper cover needs to be removed and a respray, it is possible to do just that area up to the curve where it goes around to the rear.
 
RooflessVW said:
Big oof.

I use a 25° (green) on my Kärcher and a 40° (white) on the gas machine.
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I use one of these for car washing. But always 40 deg white tip, and at least 2’ away at all times.



www.homedepot.com

DEWALT 3800 PSI 3.5 GPM Cold Water Gas Pressure Washer with HONDA GX270 Engine DXPW60604 - The Home Depot

DEWALT pressure washers deliver high performance and maximum power straight from the box. They are great for cleaning equipment, wood structures, driveways and vinyl siding. Ideal for mid to heavy portable
www.homedepot.com
 
The Critic said:
I use one of these for car washing. But always 40 deg white tip, and at least 2’ away at all times.



www.homedepot.com

DEWALT 3800 PSI 3.5 GPM Cold Water Gas Pressure Washer with HONDA GX270 Engine DXPW60604 - The Home Depot

DEWALT pressure washers deliver high performance and maximum power straight from the box. They are great for cleaning equipment, wood structures, driveways and vinyl siding. Ideal for mid to heavy portable
www.homedepot.com
Click to expand...
That seems like... a lot 😆

I'd keep my distance as well. My little Kärcher makes about 1100psi @1.4GPM with a #3 tip.
 
ARCOgraphite said:
Who pressure washes a car?
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I don't see doing this either. Dirt lays on the surface of the paint. It's not embedded into it like mold on concrete, or stains in wood and clothing. I've never encountered a situation cleaning a vehicle where city pressure out of a garden hose was not sufficient. A foam Cannon, yes. Power washing, no.
 
billt460 said:
Yes, but they don't pressure blast the paint.
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They do. Mine connects to the end of my pressure washer’s wand and the foam coming out is delivered at a rate that is significantly stronger than a garden hose.

1652226413441.jpeg

RooflessVW said:
That seems like... a lot 😆

I'd keep my distance as well. My little Kärcher makes about 1100psi @1.4GPM with a #3 tip.
Click to expand...
 
ryanschillinger said:
I’m betting the bumper was repainted. Factory paint is much less likely to peel. I pressure wash all our vehicles. Only time I’ve had an issue with anything coming off is a poor quality repainted bumper…
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The problem is when they paint flexible components like bumpers, they have to correctly mix the elasticizer with the paint. If not done correctly the paint becomes too hard, and can separate from the bumper. If that happens it's only a matter of time before it starts flaking off.
 
The Critic said:
They do. Mine connects to the end of my pressure washer’s wand and the foam coming out is delivered at a rate that is significantly stronger than a garden hose.

View attachment 99400
Click to expand...

On second thought, the more I look at that, I'm not grasping the understanding of the need for that much soap on a car, to remove dirt that's just laying on the surface of the paint? If you went 4 wheeling in the mud, then perhaps.

I can rinse 95% of the dust and "dirt" off my vehicles, with a low velocity trigger spray from a garden hose at city pressure. The rest is gone with a couple of capfuls of car wash detergent diluted in a 5 gallon bucket of clean water.
 
billt460 said:
On second thought, the more I look at that, I'm not grasping the understanding of the need for that much soap on a car, to remove dirt that's just laying on the surface of the paint? If you went 4 wheeling in the mud, then perhaps.

I can rinse 95% of the dust and "dirt" off my vehicles, with a low velocity trigger spray from a garden hose at city pressure. The rest is gone with a couple of capfuls of car wash detergent diluted in a 5 gallon bucket of clean water.
Click to expand...
Car was soap has minimal cleaning properties. Its main purpose is to encapsulate the dirt and to provide lubrication for your wash media (mitt, sponge, whatever floats your boat) so that your media can glide across the surface and minimize the amount of swirls and marring inflicted.

Foam cannons are more for show than function, I’ll agree. Whatever you can do to remove dirt from the surface before touching it with a sponge/mitt is far more beneficial, and usually, a pressure washer is more effective.

Also, cars stay fairly clean in dry desert climates like yours. In comparison, cars get very dirty in areas that see snow:

1652292303087.jpeg
 
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