So my office has a garage attached to it for all the field guys to park the company vehicles in. In this nice garage we have a pressure washer (industrial ) to keep the vehicles clean. So while washing my car a guy who works for me comes by to say what's up. So i am washing my car and talking to him at the same time. He asked me a question that required my imput, so i am looking at him for all of 2 seconds and not looking at my car. Well within those 2 seconds i keep the pressure washer pointed at my bumber and you can only guess what happened. I took a piece of paint of my bumber ( 2"x1" section ) i am a complete dickhead.

So beside being a asshole, my car was pristine, not a freaking scatch on it. So much for that anymore. I will have the the front bumber repainted as soon as my schedule allows me but for the mean time i have the Acura touch up paint at home. I was wandering if anyone has a good technique on how to touch up a spot that size. I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks

 

chips yes.. but 2X1..... time for a paint job...

what degree angle tip did you have on the pressure washer?

 

Don't be too hard on yourself. Stuff like that happens. You may want to talk to the paint shop you're going to use and see if it would be cheaper if you strip the bumper yourself. Since you have access to a pretty strong pressure washer, you may be able to strip the bumper yourself. Just a thought.

 

Yea, then we'll be reading a thread called 2 x 1" gouge in my bumper, how can I fix it?

 

Note to self: When using "industrial" power washer, use widest tip possible and lowest pressure possible to prevent removing paint!

 

Just don't put the tip too close.

 

why, why bad paint, i do not think this is supposed to happen. how many luxury cars out there have there paints chirped by using a pressure hose.

BAD QUALITY PAINT JOB ON OUR CARS

i have had the same happen using the pressure wash in the car wash, it just peels the damn thing off......

 

This isn't a case of bad paint. Pointing the tip of a very high pressure power washer directly and very closely to any painted surface most definitely creates a situation where you can remove the paint if you aren't careful.

 

OOOkay, but why does it only happen on the plastics, the side skirt, the bumper and not on the hood or the door. especially if it did not already have a little crack to trap the water pressure under the paint. i was told the silicone binding material used to prime the bumper before the painting is very much the cause of this.

 

It didn't happen on the door or the hood because he used the pressure washer properly while he was paying attention. I'm sorry but if you place the tip of a power washer (not the washers in the self-serve car wash) too close to the paint surface, not matter if its plastic or metal, you create a situation where paint damage is very possible

 

....ok, i guess its possible taking account of how much pressure the industrial washer was pushing but talking from the experience with my car it only chirped on the bumpers when i used high pressure in the car wash. and i talked to a body shop guy that told me this.

but again i could be wrong/he could be wrong


just hurts to see a beautiful car paint job chiiirrrpp...

 

Oh i'm not saying the factory paint isn't crap. It sucks but i've never had a problem with the car wash.

 

hey, I'm a bodyshop guy and I know for a fact that no matter what you do paint never adheres to the plastic parts as well as the metal.Thats what I have to tell customers when they come back for peeling bumper paint. What they don't tell me is that they hit a parking block or a snow bank or quite possible held a pressure washer to close!!!!! I wouldn't even bother touching it up.It will look like chit.

 

You can cut through 1/2 inch thick steel with high pressure water. Sounds like the wrong setup for washing a car. Probably had way wrong settings as was stated earlier.

 

Sorry, could not help myself! Glad I am not the only dumbshit around.

 

Well i touched it up last night and it sure does look like shit but better then a piece of black bumber showing on a all gold car. I like the idea of stripping the bumper myself to save money but then the other point of having to start a new thread saying i now have a 2"x1" gouge in bumper seems all to possible. Thanks everyone for not goofing on me to hard and i will let you know how the new paint comes out. I'm just curious if that color is hard to match.

 

i guess something close to a 45 degree angle. it was pretty much a split second of direct contact without moving the spray gun side to side or up and down.

 

I feel for you man... I had the same thing happen to my front bumper.. sucks!!

Anyway, I'm just getting my bumpers redone at some point, so I'm trying not to notice it every time I look at the car until then.

 

Don't do it yourself! Get a good paint guy- check with local Acura and Lexus dealers- they paint bumpers every week using a service like Color Match. Typical bumper costs $125 and they do it in one day, usually outdoors, so wait for a warm day.

I have a pressure washer at home- first time out I ripped a 1/4" gouge in a wood fence trying to remove mildew. Mildew was gone. Also the paint, primer, and the wood.

 

Oh man, that blows. If it's any consolation, we all do dumb stuff; it was just your turn, that's all. It sucks, but it's true. Problem is, now the rest of us have to worry that we may be next.
Color Match is the way to go. You live in an upscale town, right? Finding a good body shop shouldn't be hard, but they will likely be pricey.

 

But you have to admit it is hard not to dwell or stare at it everytime you see your car.

 

Sorry to hear this. Was it the factory paint or a previously repainted bumper? I have never had a problem with presure washers, but I am very careful to stand several feet back from the car and always have the handle in motion.

 

Yeap factory paint, The worst part is the car was pretty much spotless. I don't even have a nick of paint missing on the rear bumper, which is a miracle considering i work and park in N.Y.C.

 

any chance Acura will step up? I would put the call in.

 

Think that's bad I backed into my CL w/ my newly acquired Wrangler. The tailgate stop smacked right into the truck to the left of the Acura insignia and dented the piss outta my car. Shit happens!

 

no doubt

 

What do you think Acura would do besides charge me twice the money a regular body shop would???

 

I agree . There is a compound that is mixed with the primer to allow the paint to adhere and flex with the plastic/rubber bumper. I've had 3 of my camaros painted
and the paint wasn't cheep. I'm just carefull around the bumpers and plastic with the pressure washer ect.