Auto body repair & detailing: clay baths, honda crv, clay bath

Question
2years ago I had my 1997 Honda CRV (black) in for waranty rust repair. The body shop that did the work for Honda didn't cover it and it was covered in overspray, Honda claims to have done a clay bath on it and then sent it out for detailing, it came back looking good, 1 year later it went back for more rust repair and again came back covered in overspray and again it went back for a clay bath but I don't know if it was detailed again, this was in Jan. and in April I started to notice a haze on it so I washed it for the first time since the work was done,I noticed the haze was all over the vehicle except for the roof, as well as large swirl marks and rub marks up and down the hood.My question is what has gone wrong? are 2 clay baths too much and also the Honda dealer has ofered to wax the vehicle will this correct the problem? But after that it is no longer their problem. Prior to the last 2 years the vehicle was in showroom condition.

Answer
Hi Bob,

It sounds like the clear-coat is what the professionals call die back. It can be caused by many different things. Usually an inferior products (AKA: Generic Products) is the worse for dieing back. Excessive film build (thickness) can also be a major cause. This can happen from the shop not sanding enough material off the vehicle before re-painting or by simple applying too much material on and not allowing enough time between each step of the process. It can also be caused by using a primer that is incompatible with the base-coat and clear-coat or if the paint, (black as in your case) not using a primer sealer before applying the black base-coat. This is just a few of the major things that can cause die back.

Usually a "Clay Bath" will help with the problem for a short time. It's almost like putting a band-aid on a sore. It basically just covers it up until it heals. What actually causes die back is solvent that is entrapped in the paint finish. As it comes out through the pores in the clear-coat and evaporates it leaves a hazy appearance on the surface. The only way to remedy the problem for certain is strip the finish and it be re-applied correctly using quality products. However, the finish should continue to cure out and evaporate over the spring and summer. Like a sore it should continue to heal until eventually (probably mid-summer)you should be able to do a light polish on the vehicle to bring out the gloss and then wax it with a good quality wax. Until then I would not wax it. This can actually slow the curing process down by sealing up the solvent in the finish not allowing it to evaporate correctly. If you have any other question about this feel free to ask.

Gary