Did I power wash my clearcoat off?

[tranquility]

So my powerwash isn't even powerful at all and I spray it all the time over the years but this time it ended up like this on my front replica M bumper. I don't have PPF so I'm just assuming it's clearcoat, right?

Any ideas how to fix this or nothing can be done?

[louielouie]

Do you know what the PSI rating on the PW? When was the bumper sprayed?

[cbpip]

Looks like there is a rock chip within the affected area. If the clear coat didn't have a good bond with the color coat it will start lifting in any area that gets water under it.
Will need to be re-sprayed.

[tracer bullet]

Definitely a layer, probably clear, possibly white over white if resprayed at any point.

Might be able to sand the edges in, step up in grit to eventual polish. But yeah sand / prime / respray the whole bumper would likely look a lot better.

[tranquility]

It's 1600psi but I always hit it with the narrowest stream at the front bumper to get rid of bug gunk w/o prbs before. My bumper is probably 10 years old, sprayed then. Darn, I guess I should've treated it gingerly due to age?

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by tranquility

So my powerwash isn't even powerful at all and I spray it all the time over the years but this time it ended up like this on my front replica M bumper. I don't have PPF so I'm just assuming it's clearcoat, right?

It does look like a layer of paint has been removed.
Given that this was NOT a BMW paintjob, but a replica bumper, the question needs to be asked as to how well it was painted in the first place. Paint should NOT peel off in chunks, with or without power washer assistance.

Originally Posted by tranquility

Any ideas how to fix this or nothing can be done?

Option 1: To make it perfect, all of the old questionable paint will need to be removed and a new layer of primer, base color, and clearcoat applied. This will be a low 4-figure job at a competent shop.

Option 2: Leave it alone and don't look that way.

Option 3: Alternatively, you can send off the impact area and the edges of the exposed paint, mask it off, and respray only the clearcoat over the it. Could be good enough. If not, go back to Option 1.

HTH,
a

[tranquility]

I'll chalk it up to old age, I guess, cuz the paint was perfectly fine all these years. Like someone said, my best guess was some rock chip did eventually penetrate and cause some separation, so when I finally powerwashed it at full-strength, it finally gave way.

I'm not gonna bother repainting the whole bumper, I will try to polish it to see if it's less noticeable: right now, it's not unless I come right up to it.

[Phillies8008]

I'd never use a power washer with anything more than a 40º nozzle tip on a car. As nozzle tip size goes down, you're concentrating that water pressure into a smaller and smaller spot, effectively multiplying its force. And even with the 40º nozzle, I wouldn't get any closer than four or five feet from the car.

This is probably why you killed the clear coat, honestly. Live and learn.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

I'd never use a power washer with anything more than a 40º nozzle tip on a car. As nozzle tip size goes down, you're concentrating that water pressure into a smaller and smaller spot, effectively multiplying its force. And even with the 40º nozzle, I wouldn't get any closer than four or five feet from the car.

This is probably why you killed the clear coat, honestly. Live and learn.

Yup, you're right. It's just that it was fine all those other times so I got complacent and I wanted to blast all that nasty bug gunk, but as the age wore on and it started getting damaged, well...

It's alright, I'm not that ocd so if I can fix it or not, that's cool.