HOW TO INSPECT YOUR PAINT 
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
OR
OTHER PAINT CONCERNS

Using only your normal eyesight is not sufficient to truly inspect possible paint damage and to diagnose the causes.

Radio Shack has available for around $10 to $13 a 30X, lighted magnifier. This inexpensive tool allows the close inspection of any paint concerns.

As you progress through the series of photographs and explanations or various paint concerns you will notice that they are highly magnified. The tool will not provide such in-depth magnification as used for the "Cross Section of a Highly Magnified ClearCoat/Base Coat System" as shown in this Technical Section. However, it will aid you greatly in determining the type and cause of contamination on your vehicle.

To use, turn on the light, place it "directly" on the back of you hand and focus the lens. Then place it directly on the paint and the concern in question. (Notice the usage of the tool in attached photo) (Photo is property of Automotive International, Inc.

Another method for inspecting your paint for environmental contamination is quite simple. First wash the vehicle with a carwash shampoo, notice we state "shampoo" not a caustic soap. Never use laundry or dish soap to wash your vehicle. When you have finished drying the vehicle, obtain the cellophane wrapper from the outside of a pack of cigarettes. Place three fingers inside the wrapper and gently slide your fingers and the wrapper across the paints surface. If you "feel" extreme roughness and unevenness, the paint has contamination on the surface and may be entering into the porosity of the paint.

Trusted Professional Detailers will have this tool to use in diagnosing paint concerns when inspecting any vehicle.

Inspection Form