Why Your Car’s Paint Can Fade And How To Restore It Back Like A Professional

Faded paint is one of the worst things that can happen to your car. It makes the automobile look unattractive and reduces its value regardless of the brand name. On the other hand, a sparkling paint job on your vehicle can be as appealing as a freshly cut diamond. It can make an old car look as good as new. Find out why this happens to your car and what you can do to restore your paintwork so that it looks flawless and glossy.

Ultraviolet (UV) Rays

Your car’s exterior surface is like your skin. It can get burnt when exposed to long hours of direct sunlight. This is because the sun produces harmful UV rays that cause heat to build upon the car surface. When the temperature is excessive, paint starts to fade over time as a part of wear and tear.

Even if you have a car paint protection such as wax or a paint sealant, the potency of UV rays means that in the long run, the paint is likely to fade. A flat surface like the roof or hood is where heat builds up the most, which is why you most commonly see degraded clear coat in these areas. The clear coat is essentially a clear layer that protects your paintwork, much like your skin. To curb this problem, ensure that you always park your car under a shade or store it in a roofed garage or even a car port, if possible. For those without these options, you could always invest in a car cover or better yet, a ceramic coating, which is probably the best paint protection you can buy. It is what exuberates that luxurious glossy look on exotic cars, little did you know that the shiny coating offers tremendous protection properties and hardness.

Oxidation

Oxidation leads to rust as soon as moisture (with chemicals like salt) finds its way into the chipped zones of the paint, particularly common for those who live near the beach. The chances of this happening are higher if you reside close to the ocean, where salt is highly concentrated in the atmosphere. Rust problems can also be caused when you have auto body fixes conducted at a garage that rarely uses wax or seam sealers. Car detailing, particularly machine buffing, is an excellent way to keep this process at bay.

Corrosive Cleaners

There’s no doubt that car exterior cleaning is vital for paint maintenance. However, if the wrong tools and solutions are used, it can lead to car paint fading. You are not supposed to use any type of corrosive agents for cleaning, eg strong acidic degreasers. Instead, you should use the cleaning cloth that is issued by the manufacturer as well as a cleaning solution that is specifically made for cleaning cars. For cleaning solutions, refer to your owner’s manual or seek advice from a professional car detailer. Degreasing agents although they offer excellent cleaning power, they can be quite aggressive for the paintwork, especially when left unattended for a long duration as it can eat through the clear coat.

Beverages

While in a rush, have you ever placed a cup of tea or coffee on your car’s roof and then watch in disgust as it spills across your roof? Most beverages have an acid that can wreck your vehicle’s finish and colorings that blemish when dried. When such a scenario happens, wipe the leaked liquid off at once and thoroughly with a microfiber soft cloth and proceed to clean the area with car wash shampoo or diluted all purpose cleaner. Same concept applies to bird droppings, in which are very acidic and when left unattended, will cause faded spots across your paint. Always rinse the car or at least the contaminated section as soon as possible before it etches in.

The Solution

The solution to solving faded and oxidized paint is an exterior car detail, meaning a shampoo, wash, decontamination, machine buff followed through with a wax or paint sealant. Think of the painted surface as something similar to your skin, as skin gets dried and exposed to Sun, it can burn and cause the skin to peel or get flaky. This is what similarly happens with the car paint, and like the skin, you can exfoliate followed by a moisturizing gel to treat the burnt area. As for cars, you can machine buff (exfoliate) and then protect the skin with a hydrating gel. In doing so, you are removing a very thin layer of the clear coat, the damaged and worn out coating, so that you can reveal a nice glossy finish with the under layer of the clear coat. Of course, using a wax or a paint sealant after such a manual process is recommended as to ensure that you can retain this flawless finish for as long as possible. We always recommend to park the car more responsibly after this service as to maximize the longevity of your car’s condition and reduce wear and tear as much as possible.

The more technology advances, the more advanced the world becomes when it comes to dealing with protecting automotive paint. To ensure you reduce costs, wash your car frequently with shampoo and use a durable paint protection product such as a Ceramic Coating, a popular option for many. Although a ceramic coating can set you back hundreds to sometimes thousands of dollars, the savings you make back by avoiding permanent Sun damage and peeling clear coat is a safe decision. It is always recommended to use a professional car detailer when applying a ceramic coating as it can be susceptible to poor application when you are not experienced. When applied incorrectly, it is very difficult to remove and will require an aggressive compound to sand off the layer and reapplied all over again to ensure that there is a consistent finish.

This post is a collaborative post authored by Daniel. R, of Professional Car Detailers Sydney Expert
Proud owner of a Golf R and passionate about all things with 2 and 4 wheels! Happiness is seeing the transformation of cars after I’ve worked my magic.