What are pinholes in car paint?
Also calledAir Pockets, Pin pricks, Pinholes in polyester, Pinholing, Pinholing In Body Filler, Pock marks
Tiny holes that go down through the finish are pinholes, and they come from underneath. They form over body filler, stopper or fibreglass. Air trapped in poorly mixed filler leaves tiny holes that the paint sinks into. That is why they sometimes appear days after you collected the car.
What kind of repair does it need?
Back to the filler. The area is rubbed down to the primer, the pinholes are filled, then it is spot primed, flatted smooth and repainted. Clear coat cannot fill them from the top, because they sink again.
A workmanship fault, stripped back to bare metal or to the filler first. Paid work must be done with care and skill, so it belongs back with the shop that did it.
What to do next
Photograph them with light coming from the side. They are almost invisible in flat light. Paid work must be done with care and skill. Ask if they will fill the pinholes and re-prime, because that is the real fix. Clear coat polished flat over them will not last.
Sources
- PPG GBpaint maker
Small cavities, generally less than 1mm in diameter, occurring over stopper, filler or GRP substrate.
- Queensland Government (Office of Fair Trading)government
A business guarantees they provide their services with due care and skill.
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