Strange bubbling on paintwork

[RobM77]

My Elise S2 111S has got an area about 4 inches square of bubbling paintwork on the rear clam just near where the bootlid shuts. It looks like the bubbling you get on a metal bodied car where there's rust underneath. Does anyone know what this is? And does anyone have any recommendations for bodywork repairers in Hampshire/Berkshire who could fix the problem? I've also got some very minor scratches and stone chips I'd like attending to.

[shangani]

Hi Rob

There were a few issues with bubbling paintwork. I am not sure for how many years it would be a lotus fix.

Anyway, contact specialized paintwork in Calcot (J12 Reading). Karl will sort you out.

[RobM77]

Welcome back Andy!

Thanks for the recommendation. The strange thing is the bubbling only appeared last week.

[cheekymonkey]

think a few guys have had some work done on warrenty... can't remember off the top of my head how long lotus cover for but worth a chat witha dealer!

[kambites]

Mine is doing it too, in the same place by the sounds of it. Interested to know what you find out...

[SeanyD]

Mine too, same panel but slightly different location, mines further down above the rear reg plate, about 2cm wide, 1cm high.

Can't really notice it unless you're really observant, so just happy to live with it for now.

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

It's moisture seeping through the fiberglass, collects under the paintwork, if memory serves me correctly.

[andy_s]

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

It's moisture seeping through the fiberglass, collects under the paintwork, if memory serves me correctly.

Sounds right - I think it was a contraversial warranty issue for the earlier cars (2002-04?) if memory serves. Mine has a few bubbles on the door panel - I can live with it till it's next stone chip make-over.

There's several threads Rob if you want to do a search. I'm too hungover...

[crackthatoff]

if you've used a pressure washer, thats your culprit ! did it on mine by accident was fuming !

[RobM77]

crackthatoff said:

if you've used a pressure washer, thats your culprit ! did it on mine by accident was fuming !

No, I'm always very careful when washing the car and just run water over the paintwork. However, we've had some furious hail storms lately...

[purpleperil]

There's loads of postings about this - Mine has been back to the dealer twice now for warranty work on paint bubbles. The last time they did it they drilled holes in the rear clam to let the water out - that is the Lotus fix apparently!

[G7 Rye]

I'm currently having an issue with this, I am being told that because my car is a CUP, and only had a 12month warranty, it is not covered as the car is now 2 years old.

The paint isnt bubbling up, it looks like it is cracking and is about the size of a 50p at the minute.

I found it amusing that if the car was an S with exactly the same paint that it would be covered?

any help appreciated!

[Sam_68]

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

It's moisture seeping through the fiberglass, collects under the paintwork, if memory serves me correctly.

It's called 'osmosis', and it's a very common problem on older fibreglass cars that have been resprayed.

Usual cause on resprayed cars is moisture absorbed by the fibreglass when wet-flatting between coats finding its way back out, but it can also be caused by chemical reactions between incompatible materials, or simply moisture on the inner surface of the fibreglass 'wicking' its way up the strands of glass fibre to become trapped under the surface of the paint. If you prick one of the bubbles with a pin, you'll probably find it's full of water.

[Skyman]

Sam_68 said:

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

It's moisture seeping through the fiberglass, collects under the paintwork, if memory serves me correctly.

It's called 'osmosis', and it's a very common problem on older fibreglass cars that have been resprayed.

I had this on a brand new, factory fresh Exige S.

[Anatol]

Skyman said:

I had this on a brand new, factory fresh Exige S.

Not necessarily incompatible with what he said though. The Hethel paint shop is manual - no dancing robot arms with automatic sprayguns there, it's guys in masks and suits.

As a result, they have a (pretty good!) QA system - cars are inspected when finished, and if there are areas of paintwork that aren't good enough, the car is *sent back to the paintshop for respraying*.

So factory fresh does NOT mean 'never been resprayed'.

Sorry.

HTH

Tol

[Denno B]

Sam_68 said:

LivinLaVidaLotus said:

It's moisture seeping through the fiberglass, collects under the paintwork, if memory serves me correctly.

It's called 'osmosis', and it's a very common problem on older fibreglass cars that have been resprayed.

Usual cause on resprayed cars is moisture absorbed by the fibreglass when wet-flatting between coats finding its way back out, but it can also be caused by chemical reactions between incompatible materials, or simply moisture on the inner surface of the fibreglass 'wicking' its way up the strands of glass fibre to become trapped under the surface of the paint. If you prick one of the bubbles with a pin, you'll probably find it's full of water.

Your right in what your saying but it doesnt have to be just because a car is resprayed,this is a common problem on vx220's also,its down to the clams not being baked long enough from the factory,not because they've had a respray necessarily.The vx's have a 6 year anti-perforation warranty for this type of thing happening,dont know about the elise warranty though.If the car is not garaged and left outside in freezing weather thats when the problems start to occur.Moisture trapped under the clam expands and pushes the paint out from under the surface.Then are tons of cases of this happening to vx's so im guessing its the same symptons as the elises.

[RobM77]

Osmosis? Isn't that the diffusion of water from a solution of low solute concentration to a solution of high solute concentration through a semi-permeable membrane?

[moles]

Denno is right my Exige did the same as soon as the winter frosts came new patches of bubbles would appear almost daily.

[G7 Rye]

has anybody experienced the cracking I'm getting on rear clam, looks similar to a windscreen chip, no bubbling up though?

[R.P.M]

Various views on this, and knowing 'a bit' about paint thought I would contribute.

First off It is not caused by pressure washing, In fact it's nothing to do with how the car is treated by the owner.
The people who are 'official' at lotus like to tell you it's moisture coming through but IMHO thats bull, I'm not sure lotus know exactly what causes it, because if they did they would solve the problem!

I believe the bubbles are caused by one of three things.

1.Solvent entrapment from the glass fiber. This may be caused by over painting the substrate before full cure of the epoxy.

2. Microfiber inclusions (dust) which is not fully wiped off before painting, thus causing delayed blistering.

3. Solvent entrapment caused by over painting the clams too soon after they have received their solvent wipe down or previous coat (including rejected repaints).

All in all it is very much pot luck if it appears on your car. I have however been told that more cars, when traced back, appeared to have the problem when they were painted on a certain shift, I'm not so sure thats true though!

Either way I am sure you will all agree that the bubbles are caused due to non-automated production techniques that Lotus employ.............and thats why we lurrrv em

HTH

Rpm

Edited by R.P.M on Monday 14th April 22:33