Paint question

[StephenK]

I know that this question is not directly related to machining however in the past I have read posts that dealt with painting of equipment. This one relates to my 2000 Dodge Van.
The paint on the roof is delaminating. I contacted Chrysler and they will pay for half of the job to redo the roof. Have any of you gents or gals dealt with this problem. I would like to find more information on the subject of delamination.
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Stephen K.
Thanks in advance.

[spkrman15]

stephen,

alot of times the paint peels off of the roof and hood becasue car companies use galvanised sheet metal. This prolonges the sheet metal likfe but the paints seem to peel after several years. There aren`t many paints that stick to galvanised metals. At least not well.

Spkrman15

[CCWKen]

Press for "FULL" coverage. Go over the dealers head if necessary (district office). Auto makers are constantly looking for ways to save costs. They try various products without a lot of testing. Paint peeling has been a problem with the auto makers since the 70's. Some of the problems are substrate, as Spkrman says, some are primers and others with the paint itself. I'm not aware of any manufacturers using galvanized panels in the roof (welding and leading problems). Most galvanized items are the lower panels and subframe and are galvanized after assembly or as an assembly.
The problem with your vehicle is probably the primer. "They" were experimenting with water based primers during 1999-2001. Even BMW had problems.

[Chester]

Have an 1987 and an 1989 that are both suffering from that same thing. Its a little late for any warranty work, but on examination it appears that the cause is poor preparation of the primed surface. Initially thought these may have been a Friday afternoon product, but looking around it appears on many Mopar vans. For some reason light blue appears to be the worst. Resanding and repainting fixed mine.

[Cold Rolled]

Late 90's Chevy cars had that problem with silver paint sticking to the primer. My wife had a Chevy Corsica that it happen to. She missed the deadline for warranty work but Chevy would have paid for a complete new paint job. I would try to get more than 50%.

[lynnl]

I agree w/Chester on the question of 'Light Blue'. It seems the worse by far. I've been told also that the primers are the real weak component. Several have told me it's part of the penalty we pay from eliminating lead from paints.

Note: I claim no expertise here...just passing along the hearsay that I've heard.

[This message has been edited by lynnl (edited 04-09-2003).]

[SJorgensen]

I've owned many Dodge vans starting in the late 70's. It seemed to me that the paint in the interior never painted the metal where it met the side pieces. This is also where condensate settles and so you get rust there.
Spence

[witkowbj]

I had a similar problem with an 88 Grand Prix, but the problem didnt show until about 94-95 (well out of warranty). I had a friend who was in the know with some dealers, and they had a "silent recall", meaning that it wasnt a safety issue, and they were only going to repair cars with the problem. In this case, I believe GM was passing on the warranty charge to the supplier of the primer or the e-coat system for the repairs, I'd push for the 100% coverage even if out of warranty, even if you have to ask another dealer in town.