Paint issues

[Clare Parry]

Can anyone help or guide me please? I have a Silver Vito. RX60 with extremely low mileage as a WAV (wheelchair). But all paint on roof looks visibly blowtorched! And peeling. Bonnet has weird blotches like large tortoise shell / shadowy pattern. Small dry patches elsewhere. So tatty. But good engine. What on earth is going on?!

 

[Blobcat]

Sounds like it might have had some paintwork done previously. We don’t see many issues with silver - I’d get a local body shop to have a look at it initially

 

[vtaylor78]

Any pictures?

 

[Clare Parry]

Thank you so much for asking for photos
1) Shadows like huge tortoise imprint or angel wings flanking bonnet front
2) + Many bonnet chips from motorway driving (although genuine mileage only 22, 000!)
2) Marks like dry burns for no reason
3) Blister or bubble marks
4) Flaking around roof edge (white surround seal)
I heard that Mercedes had paint "issues" some years ago.
Its embarrassing, & not a good add. for Mercedes B. either

 

[peterws1957]

Your blowtorch reference seems quite apt. Saw many fire damaged cars in my time and that almost looks like it's been close to a fire albeit cleaned up. The spotted black areas on the roof photos suggest this. Possibly been vandalised by paint stripper etc. If the problems have developed slowly during your ownership, that would rule out both those though. How old is the vehicle?

 

[Clare Parry]

Thank you for your reply and ideas The paint work has got much worse over 4 years. Could it be sun damage on the roof / bonnet? No body has had cause to vandalise it and not parked in area prone to it. I heard the Mercedes had paint issues in the past. This Vito is 10 years old but only has 22, 000 genuine mileage (Diesel) as it is a WAV (Manual ramp). Thanks so much.

 

[Rotorhead500]

I'd agree with the team thoughts about something contamination related. Do you live anywhere near industrial fall-out? Did anyone have anything sprayed or painted 4yrs ago perhaps?

I did see an XK many moons ago that came back with blistering. It turned out it was regularly parked near the goods/shunting yard at a station car park, and the body & paint gurus at the factory determined it to be iron & silica fall-out that had bonded to the surface and subsequent reaction caused the blistering over a 2-3 year period.

 

[Paul Garrett]

Hi Clare ive seen the pics and agree with what the other guys have said about paint contamination,but as a former proffessional car refinisher some of this damage can be due to vehicle being painted with poor materials, esp paint thinner, use cheapo stuff and this is what can happen as ive seen this in my years. Only way to get rid is to totally strip panels back to bare metal and start again , not going to be cheap but you need a reputable bodyshop in your area to do the work if you want to keep the van, sorry to be the tidings of bad news but it is the only to rectify this

 

[Blobcat]

Hi Clare ive seen the pics and agree with what the other guys have said about paint contamination,but as a former proffessional car refinisher some of this damage can be due to vehicle being painted with poor materials, esp paint thinner, use cheapo stuff and this is what can happen as ive seen this in my years. Only way to get rid is to totally strip panels back to bare metal and start again , not going to be cheap but you need a reputable bodyshop in your area to do the work if you want to keep the van, sorry to be the tidings of bad news but it is the only to rectify this

Or wrap it…

 

[Paul Garrett]

Or wrap it…

Yes that would be a cheaper alternative

 

[Clare Parry]

Thanks so much for replies... Thanks a lot for your feedbacks. Wrapping whole van would be a real treat. It may cost 2.5 K, which is a lot. Spraying whole van though about 6 K. Also where there are chips I'm not sure if they would show through wrapping.

 

[Paul Garrett]

Thanks so much for replies... Thanks a lot for your feedbacks. Wrapping whole van would be a real treat. It may cost 2.5 K, which is a lot. Spraying whole van though about 6 K. Also where there are chips I'm not sure if they would show through wrapping.

Any chips can be filled with stopper, a smooth body paste then when dried and sanded off be ready for wrapping

 

[vtaylor78]

I think Wrapping it is a great idea, you could go for a really unique design.
You know mechanically it’s fine and Low miles.

 

[Clare Parry]

It's really kind of everyone to send the replies. Whaw - so much more informative than an actual garage who I guess want to fit stuff. I'll try to let you know how the paint story unfolds I also have long term cruise control / Volts issues. So disappointing to have cruise control, which works about 1 % of the time only. Had two new mercedes batteries and a new ignition switch. Cruise worked for about a day! I am thinking of getting the battery reconditioned now (rather than replacing it this time) - then buying a solar trickle charger if they are any good - but I'll post separately about this if I can find a relevant thread... I need to know if the trickle chargers are any good and whether I can clamp it onto the battery under the drivers seat (as I don't have an off road drive-way).