What is dirt in the colour coat?
Also calledDirt and dust in basecoat, Dirt and dust in the base coat, Dirt in Basecoat, Dirt in paint, Grits
You can see the specks but not feel them. So they are sealed well below the surface, under the clear coat. Dirt near the top leaves bumps you can feel. Dirt this deep usually landed on the colour coat before the clear went on. Dust in the booth, on clothing, or a panel not wiped between coats are common causes.
What kind of repair does it need?
The panel is sanded smooth and painted again. Dirt at the surface can be sanded and polished. These specks are below it, so polishing cannot reach them. Dirt in the colour coat means re-applying the colour. Adding more clear coat on top just seals them in again.
This is a workmanship fault. The question is not what it costs you. Paid work must be done with care and skill, so it belongs back with the shop that did it.
What to do next
Go back to whoever painted it and say the specks are smooth to the touch. That is what separates this from dirt that polishes out. If your car is a light metallic and the specks are tiny, black and even, it may be salt and pepper instead. That is a spraying fault with the same fix. Paid work must be done with care and skill.
Sources
- Standoxpaint maker
Dirt entering wet film either from air-…
- Spies Hecker (Axalta)paint maker
Clean with silicone remover, tack cloth (sand if necessary) and reapply base coat
- BASFpaint maker
BASF recommends polishing, sanding and or de-nibing to remove dirt inclusions from refinished automotive panels.
- PPG Industries (US/Canada, 2019)paint maker
After fully cured, the surface dirt can be sanded and polished out
- OCD Car Careproduct seller
Dirt Nibs are below surface paint defects, which are seen and felt within paint.
- Queensland Government (Office of Fair Trading)government
A business guarantees they provide their services with due care and skill.
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