Paint Issues - Acid Rain/Bird Doo - Long Rant

[dansenander]

OK, we have all read the threads of the poor paint on the black marauders. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Many of us have gone to the dealers and been turned away under the guise that the mysterious paint flaws are acid rain and/or bird poop. What a load of crap! Right? :bs: <o:p></o:p>

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Ford recently rejected my request for rectifying the poor paint on my 2003 MM saying the issue is bird poopies. :bs:
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Well, let me tell you, I’ve owned a lot of cars, in a lot of colors, from a lot of manufactures, in a variety of nature settings and not one of them have had this problem garaged or not.<o:p></o:p>

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Last night, while in the garage I saw a bird pile on the a-pillar.:shake: I pointed at it and jokingly said to the girlfriend “Hey, look! There’s another one of the Ford paint defects! Watch this” (as I scrape away the mess) “Watch this!”<o:p></o:p>

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:eek: Then to my surprise, there is another paint defect right in the center of the present left by the feathered little rodent!! Sure as can be it is a perfect match to all the others on the hood and roof. :censor: <o:p></o:p>


As difficult as it is to admit I was wrong, this in now proof to me that the defects are in fact BIRDS!<o:p></o:p>
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OK, so I’m convinced that this is the case. Now the question remains, why doesn’t (hasn’t) any other car I’ve ever owned had this problem?<o:p></o:p>

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Is this still a ford defective paint?? Not including cars, I can easily name ‘off-the-cuff’ 50 painted items in my yard, on my house, etc. that are constantly bombarded with crap and look as new with never having been cleaned!!

<o:p>Obviously, as much as I would like it, my Marauder can't live its life in a bubble and its gonna get bombarded from time to time. I thought good wax twice a year would protect me from this. </o:p>
Obviously, as much as I would like it, my Marauder can't live its life in a bubble and its gonna get bombarded from time to time. I thought good wax twice a year would protect me from this.
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The paint is obviously performs poorly to acid, garaging obviously helps, but as far a birds go, **** happens. So finally I guess I’m asking “What the F*** do you do????”.
Those of you that don’t have this problem, what wax are you using? The wax must be the key here since bird diets are about as consistent as Ford’s paint.
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[Shaft333]

I have to get a copy of Ford's paint spec.
Bird crap is damaging, but it shouldn't be so quick, easy and deep.

[ckadiddle]

I am not a chemist, nor do I play one on TV. It sounds to me like a bad clear coat job. Chemicals in the clear coat reacting with the poopie maybe? Or clear coat chemical mix was bad, so it is porous rather than protective and allows the acid poopie to interact directly with the paint, causing immediate damage - because the paint is not designed to resist the elements and bird poop - that's what the clear coat is for? That would explain why some Marauders have this problem and some don't. Blue Thunder lives outside and gets crapped on constantly. Gets run through the carwash every week or ten days, that's about it. Still pretty shiny from whatever the dealer put on it before I bought it last September. No issues with wierd paint defects.

[LordVader]

:mad2: Know what you mean about the way the paint reacts to "crap". Had the same thing happen on the roof of my MM. My wife's Maxima has had "crap" on it and has not been etched one single time. Our clearcoat sucks!

[Dr Caleb]

Your question is a simple one to answer. My car is always covered, when I'm not driving it. I've never had bird crap on it - ever, but I still have all the wonderful white dots on the hood and trunk.

My white dots are not caused by birdcrap.

[dansenander]

Dr. Caleb,

When you look very, very closely at the "white dots", do they appear to look like a "snow flake like" type paint flaw with a "wrinkly-like" paint flow?

Is your car black?

DS

[DEFYANT]

If the feathered rodents get me, and I cannot wash the car right away, I use Maguires quick detailer to wipe the turd away. yumm

[MENINBLK]

The paint defect is one that is FORD's problem.
The defect is caused by the automated paint sprayers in the factory.
They were not programmed with enough time between lacquer sprays
and lacquer thinner sprays to clear the nozzles correctly.
So when the paint and clear coat are sprayed on the vehicle
with a combination of lacquer thinner in the line,
you get a really thin coat of paint, that is really SOFT.

FORD won't up to this because they will claim that computers are PERFECT...

So what is anyone left to do ?

If you are going to KEEP your Marauder, and the paint is not the ideal for you,
save your $$$ and put your own exceptional paint job on your Marauder.

If you aren't going to keep your Marauder, just keep it as clean as you can,
and when its time to trade it in, if the paint becomes an issue,
then tell your Salesman that his Service Department didn't think it was
a big enough issue to correct it, and you should not be held accountable
for the decisions that their Service Department makes.

[blackf0rk]

I have white flecks on my car and I take a claybar to them and they come out after a few several passes. Sometimes I have to use my thumbnail and a little extra lube, but they're all off my car.

Only blemishes that I have now are the bird crap burns, the little while volcano-like thingys and the occasional chip here and there.

[prchrman]

I know this is redundant but my paint SUCKS...worst paint on any car I have ever owned...and no one would do a thing about it...last new Ford product ever for me...yes a little bitter...willie

[Dr Caleb]

Dr. Caleb,

When you look very, very closely at the "white dots", do they appear to look like a "snow flake like" type paint flaw with a "wrinkly-like" paint flow?

Is your car black?

DS

No, they are more like a perfectly round paint chip. Like the cone of a volcano carved into the paint.

Yes, it's black.

[ncmm]

Lucky for me this didn't happen on my paint today. . .:mad2:

[JohnnyB]

The paint job on my car (built 8/2002) is terrible. It could have used another coat..........

[blackf0rk]

No, they are more like a perfectly round paint chip. Like the cone of a volcano carved into the paint.

Yes, it's black.

I talked to a detailer today, and he confirmed that the little 'volcano' blemishes you see are called "paint nubs" and are cause by dust and dirt getting into the car paint befoe or when it's applied :( I have several on my car... :bigcry:

[racorcey]

I talked to a detailer today, and he confirmed that the little 'volcano' blemishes you see are called "paint nubs" and are cause by dust and dirt getting into the car paint befoe or when it's applied :( I have several on my car... :bigcry:

Yeah, just noticed this "phenomena" on my car this weekend - over two years after this original quoted post!

Aaarrrruuuugggghhhhh!!

[MERCMAN]

Welcome to the "Poor Paint Club". I have an '03 early build and had the same issues on the hood, roof, and trunk. I amassed a lot of info about it and also the number of repaints that happened on the site. I got a repaint of the affected areas under warranty this past June. 4 yrs and 26K on the odo. Normally paint defects are only covered 12/12, but my dealer went to bat for me with the zone rep and got the OK to do it. This is another reason why you try to have a good rapport with your dealer . As far as "acid rain",,, looks like it got that prior to delivery( see photo) The area of the STAP is one of the worst in Canada for acid rain. THANKS FORD

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/9/7/6/mmshipping_648519.jpg

[racorcey]

Welcome to the "Poor Paint Club". I have an '03 early build and had the same issues on the hood, roof, and trunk. I amassed a lot of info about it and also the number of repaints that happened on the site. I got a repaint of the affected areas under warranty this past June. 4 yrs and 26K on the odo. Normally paint defects are only covered 12/12, but my dealer went to bat for me with the zone rep and got the OK to do it. This is another reason why you try to have a good rapport with your dealer . As far as "acid rain",,, looks like it got that prior to delivery( see photo) The area of the STAP is one of the worst in Canada for acid rain. THANKS FORD


Great photo of all the MM's! Shows the good and bad side of things, unfortunately. Ford will cover the rusted parts shortly...it's the hood "volcanoes" that concern me. I'm getting a second opinion first from a friend that runs a major Chevy operation near me. He's been a body man for a long time, and, even though he can't work Ford miracles for me, I value his opinion. I printed out the pic you included to show him the Acid Pre-Wash. Thanks again.

[bossguy]

I have 2 paint "volcanos" on my hood. What prompted me tolook on the threads was I have noticed small "checks" in the paint and they seem to be multiplying. Most noticable while waxing the car, they are about 1/8" and seem to pick up the white wax residue. I've run oasis on my vin several times for "paint concerns" but nothing comes up. I was wondering if other members are noticing this?

[Bigdogjim]

Took 14 months but, I got a factory re-paint in June of of '05.

I had a very good Ford Dealership help me after the selling Dealer screwed the car even more:sad:

[dreydin]

gah, i just found 2 tiny rust spots forming on the front of my roof =(


2nd owner here with over 70k miles..... any chance of a factory repaint? haha /pray

[Marylandrauder]

;)Had the same issues on two 04 MM black and went to Safford L/M in Maryland just outside of D.C. and got a trunk/hood repaint under the warranty.
The people at SPORT Chevrolet's paint dept. said I had the paint issues from a thin clear coat that came into contact with hydraulic fluid that leaked from the car transporter-they say this is a common problem.
When they saw both cars-one from L.I. N.Y. and the other from Piqua, Ohio the Safford people said they would bill FORD

[MMMAN]

I work for an auto dealer which sells and services several different product lines. I can tell you that the two most common problems for paint isssues are "bird dew" and "dead bugs" that were not cleaned off in a timely manner. It doesn't make a big difference from one car line to the next, the results are about the same.

What happens is the acid from the bird dew and dead bugs eat through the clearcoat and causes the look of faded paint or small white dots.

The MM does have some paint issues around the trunks and door jams where the paint is much too thin.

[Go Mifuni]

I think I see mine! Third one up on the right. Yes! I know it is! :D

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/9/7/6/mmshipping_648519.jpg[/QUOTE]

[racorcey]

Yeah, just noticed this "phenomena" on my car this weekend - over two years after this original quoted post!

Aaarrrruuuugggghhhhh!!

After going 'round and 'round at the dealers and Ford Cust Service, Ford has agreed to repaint the roof. This is where rust has broken out under the paint. The rust spots are located where the roof meets the C pillar on the driver's side. What Ford WON"T repaint is the trunk and front hood. The hood especially has dozens of "stone chip" type holes - which Ford, after a personal inspection has called them. They aren't, of course.

It's only been the horizontal surfaces that appear with this problem. Even where the front and rear fenders go horizontal, the paint is perfect. I pointed this out to them to no avail. I guess I'll take what I can get.

Even more funny is the body shop that this particular agency contracts with for painting. They won't do the job since they claim they can't match the color. Fortunately, I have other friends in the business that will contract this job out with my local agency.