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      07-28-2014, 12:57 PM   #1
ss134
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Pressure Washer damage - be careful!

For background - I've owned 5 new BMWs and the F80 is my third M car. I've washed them all at a garage a few miles from my house. I use the pressure washer to remove the worst of the grime and then wash the car.

Today I took my F80 in for a wash. Over the last week I've been on the autobahn at high speed and I had hundreds of flies and bugs on the front bumper and mirrors baked on by the sun.

Anyway I pressure washed the car as usual, I had the washer a few inches from the body to remove the flies ( as I've done with all my previous cars) . Everything was fine until I began spraying the front lower splitters. As soon as the washer jet hit this area the paint just flayed off instantly .Obviously this area is plastic which is why I'm guessing it reacted differently to the washer than the rest of the car.

Taking the car in tomorrow to be sorted. My garage told me that if I had MW they would have to spray the whole bumper and even then it would be difficult to match . Thank god it's AW, $ 130.

Just wanted to warn anyone else that uses pressure washers to be extra careful with the lower front bumper area.
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      07-28-2014, 01:03 PM   #2
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What the heck. I hope BMW isn't using some cheap paint
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      07-28-2014, 01:08 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeroblade View Post
What the heck. I hope BMW isn't using some cheap paint
I reckon it's due to this area being plastic. Jet washed the rest of the car in the same way with no issues, as soon as the jet hit that area the paint came away really easily.
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      07-28-2014, 01:10 PM   #4
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I doubt a pressure washer should be causing it plastic or not- BMW had some cost-cutting initiatives on their plate just like new Mercedes Sprinter vans which rust within the first year with no outside damage= crap china-sourced steel

If I had the new car purchased, I'd clear bra the whole front and facing roofline right away. This is the investment that pays off huge dividends.
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      07-28-2014, 01:14 PM   #5
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[QUOTE=bde;16367714]I doubt a pressure washer should be causing it plastic or not-

I agree but for the sake of 100 bucks I can't be bothered with the hassle of taking it to the dealer to argue my case. I'll get it fixed and be very careful next time.
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      07-28-2014, 01:18 PM   #6
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I am not surprised. One has to you use common sense when using a pressure washer. That's some seriously high pressure at close proximity. Back in the day on the Navy ships, we used to use pressure washers for stripping paint and rust off the metal deck. You may have gotten away from getting it that close to metal areas but paint never adheres as well to plastic and given the high pressure, I am not surprised it came off.
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      07-28-2014, 01:20 PM   #7
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If I was getting a new almost $100k car I'd opti coat or cquartz it and definitely clear bra the front on top of that. Those bugs would be a breeze.
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      07-28-2014, 01:37 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 325er View Post
I'm surprised you guys use pressure washers on your cars and just inches away! Wow. I learned years ago that this practice can damage the clear-coat on a car. To each his own I guess.
This
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      07-28-2014, 01:55 PM   #9
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How hard was it getting the bugs out? they get stuck in some really hard to clean places from my experience.

This paint coming off problem is just another excuse for me to order the cf trunk splitters lol
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      07-28-2014, 02:04 PM   #10
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Bloody hell! - Really sorry to see this ss134

I spray Autoglym"Active Insect Remover" over the front of mine between initial hosing and washing - works a treat in helping shift sun baked on bugs.

All the best for a speedy repair.
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      07-28-2014, 02:10 PM   #11
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This just became a commercial for a clear film...
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      07-28-2014, 02:17 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 325er View Post
I'm surprised you guys use pressure washers on your cars and just inches away! Wow. I learned years ago that this practice can damage the clear-coat on a car. To each his own I guess.
I know that pressure washers can damage paint, I've used the same method on all my cars for years with no issues, seems this area of this car is different. I'm not here complaining about the paint finish on the car, whether it's BMWs fault or poor production methods etc - I just posted up as it may stop someone else damaging their car. It's just a bit of paint, it'll get sorted tomorrow. Well done for ' learning this years ago' I don't need any lectures - just an informative post to help others,.
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      07-28-2014, 02:54 PM   #13
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That's surprising to hear. I've been using pressure wash (auto touch less, manual touch less) for over a year now and I've never had an issue with the paint. However, I never put it so close to get off the flies as I usually spray from about 5 feet away. Maybe that's why.

But good to know.

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      07-28-2014, 03:12 PM   #14
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Holy shit!! i am very surprising that their paint its so easy to came off!!
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      07-28-2014, 03:24 PM   #15
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when was this car produced? has the paint had time to fully cure?
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      07-28-2014, 03:32 PM   #16
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pressure washers can peel your skin off the bone, do you really think a 0 degree tip on a pressure washer will not hurt your car?

If you have any tiny chips in the paint from a rock or hitting anything, the water will get under it and make it worse.
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      07-28-2014, 03:33 PM   #17
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Been using a pressure washer on all my BMW's for several years. Cars range from a 2001 325i, 2008 335i, 2010 x6, 2011, m3, 2014 X3, and never once had any problems such as you described. I've also gotten very close to the paint to get everything out of crevices.

Is this an electric pressure washer or a gas powered one? The gas powered ones can take a whole panel out I would imagine.

Regardless, very unfortunate for the OP but a pressure washer should not be able to strip paint like that. Now if the paint was already damaged and chipping from something, I could see the water and pressure stripping more of it. Still very weird.
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      07-28-2014, 03:35 PM   #18
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I can attest to this... I have not been using a power washer but I do have a couple of small scars, presumably from rocks. I tried to wax around/over these and the paint was peeling off a bit. The paint seems soft on the front lip.

I don't think "curing" is the issue, mine was painted almost two months ago.
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      07-28-2014, 03:36 PM   #19
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Well I just used a normal hose and cleaned the entire front of the car to get the bugs off and it went fine without any peeling paint.
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      07-28-2014, 03:47 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ss134 View Post
I know that pressure washers can damage paint, I've used the same method on all my cars for years with no issues, seems this area of this car is different. I'm not here complaining about the paint finish on the car, whether it's BMWs fault or poor production methods etc - I just posted up as it may stop someone else damaging their car. It's just a bit of paint, it'll get sorted tomorrow. Well done for ' learning this years ago' I don't need any lectures - just an informative post to help others,.
I've pressure washed a lot of cars and at close range and never had that happen. Further, IMO, that's not normal or right - car paint should be able to easily handle that
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      07-28-2014, 03:50 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Viking123 View Post
I can attest to this... I have not been using a power washer but I do have a couple of small scars, presumably from rocks. I tried to wax around/over these and the paint was peeling off a bit. The paint seems soft on the front lip.

I don't think "curing" is the issue, mine was painted almost two months ago.
Mine was built almost 2 months ago as well. My main point is that for over 10 years I have used the exact same pressure washer in exactly the same way on all of my BMWs and this is my first experience of paint peeling. I was shocked how quickly it just peeled off- I was closer than this on other parts of the car with no issue. The paint on the front plastic lip is definately softer/ not as well adhered as the rest of the car - that is a fact.

Some of the know it all attitudes on here have surprised me, just one forum member trying to inform others so they don't make the same mistake but as always on this forum some like to take the holier than thou attitude.
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      07-28-2014, 03:52 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeroblade View Post
What the heck. I hope BMW isn't using some cheap paint
Eh, BMW paint has always been soft as hell. I've had the hood chipped by insects before.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ss134 View Post
Some of the know it all attitudes on here have surprised me, just one member trying to inform others so they don't make the same mistake but as always on this forum some like to take the holier than thou attitude.
Ah, but you forgot, we are currently in a generational transition, so both sides are overflowing with members of the Butthurt Brigade. Your helpful post could be construed as a criticism of the new platform, so you are clearly a trolling/E92 fanboying/Audi driving piece of shit of a human being.

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