What is clear coat yellowing?
Also calledClearcoat Yellowing
Clear coat can turn yellow as it ages in the sun. Weathering and over-baking can both cause it. On dark cars you barely notice, because a slight colour shift shows far more on white. On white, silver and light metallics it shows, because you are looking through a yellow layer. It shows most on flat panels and next to replaced parts, which have fresh clear coat.
What kind of repair does it need?
Painting the affected panels. The yellowing is inside the clear coat. A polish removes a little of it. Once you can clearly see it, a simple polish usually cannot remove it.
The panel is prepared, the colour is matched and sprayed, and clear coat goes over it. Metallic and pearl colours are harder to blend than solid colours. Aluminium panels need different preparation from steel. Both add to the job.
What to do next
Ask a detailer to polish one panel before you commit to painting. If that fixes it, keep the car sealed or coated from then on. If not, it is paint. If a respray yellowed soon after it was done, take it back. The wrong hardener is one cause of clear coat yellowing.
Sources
- Axaltapaint maker
Allow the finish to properly dry, then sand and refinish
- SYBON (paint manufacturer)paint maker
Even a slight color shift stands out much more on white than on darker colors.
- SAE Internationalengineering society
Yellowing of clearcoats is a natural phenomenon during weathering processes, as well as from extreme baking conditions, due to polymer degradation.
- BASFpaint maker
BASF recommends applying the specified amount of clear to the entire panel when doing Basecoat/Clearcoat repairs.
- GarageWeldingblog
Aluminum needs dedicated tools, contamination control, and a compatible joining process.
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