Car damaged by hot metal grindings :(

[CarbonXKR]

Evening gents,
My wifes car was in a Public car park last week and one of the local marine university engineers was cutting some chain with an angle grinder up-wind of the car. They were cutting away quite happily with sparks and dust flying around the car park. Fast forward to 3 days later and the xar is covered in rust spots and on closer inspection and a chat with my local bodyshop and they advise a full respray as the metal grindings have burnt in to the paint and glass.
I have contacted the person concerned and he was shocked as did not realise the damage he was causing. My neighbour was parked in the same car park next to the wifes car and hers is as bad. He has admitted blame and said he has spoken to their(HW Uni) insurers who will be in touch.
Question is, do I need to advise mine (wifes)insurers? Will this affect her premium on renewal? Gutted at the state of the car, I bought it for her before Xmas.

Look forward to your responses.

[mad4amanda]

I would have thought you claim on the contractors public liability insurance?

[nelly1]

We used to have this problem regularly at Ford, where the metallic dust from the crankshaft grinding lines would sometimes coat all the cars in the carpark when the water curtain filter system failed.

A local valeting company had a contract to clean all the affected cars, and used oxalic acid solution, which IIRC was just brushed on before being washed off.

A quick coat of polish and the cars always came back perfect

ETA - this link...

Edited by nelly1 on Tuesday 28th February 20:41

[Deva Link]

CarbonXKR said:

Question is, do I need to advise mine (wifes)insurers? Will this affect her premium on renewal?

You should do, and it might do.

I bet not many would even think to tell their insurer though.

[John145]

Not engineers.

[jimxms]

Try some IronX:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/...

IMO it takes a LOT to melt paint. I've grinded plenty of stuff in my engine bay before and it's never damaged the paint. Even the thin layer on the strut towers.

[CarbonXKR]

Thanks for all the replies so far, need to speak to wifes insurers just to be on the safe side I think.

[RYH64E]

Grinding particles can be hot enough to melt into glass, I ruined a pair of glasses grinding without proper safety specs once (better than getting particles in the eye though). Even so, I wouldn't expect the particles to retain enough heat to melt paint after blowing down wind onto a parked car, I would suspect that the particles are only laying on the surface and causing a rust stain that should be easily removed.

[triumphkryten]

11 years ago, I had the paint on my 5 day old Accord wrecked by grinding sparks by the tt that was my next door neighbour at the time cutting the angle iron uprights on the fence seperating our drives.

He tried to deny that the grinding was doing any harm, and that the roughness was already in the paint - on a 5 day old car? I wouldn't have minded moving the car before he started grinding, but he was such an ignorant he wouldn't ask.....

That mistake cost him £950 to put right, and we never spoke again...

[paintman]

The hot metal particles from angle grinding iron or steel can indeed burn into car paint & glass.Sticks to both very nicely & leaves little pits when you remove it. Amazing how far they can travel.
Guess how I found that out

Edited by paintman on Tuesday 28th February 21:13

[CarbonXKR]

RYH64E said:

Grinding particles can be hot enough to melt into glass, I ruined a pair of glasses grinding without proper safety specs once (better than getting particles in the eye though).

The bodyshop reckons the glass is burnt too.........

Even so, I wouldn't expect the particles to retain enough heat to melt paint after blowing down wind onto a parked car, I would suspect that the particles are only laying on the surface and causing a rust stain that should be easily removed.

Bedded in to the paint quite well, wish they were laying on the surface .........

[Deva Link]

triumphkryten said:

That mistake cost him £950 to put right, and we never spoke again...

His house insurance would probably have covered the bill.

I can imagine it happening at very close range but agree with others that it seems unlikely stuff could have burnt into the paint but iron filings do seem to sort of rust into the paint if left.

[Deva Link]

jimxms said:

Try some IronX:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/...

IMO it takes a LOT to melt paint. I've grinded plenty of stuff in my engine bay before and it's never damaged the paint. Even the thin layer on the strut towers.

That stuff sounds magical - "opens up the paint's pores". Blimey.

[jimxms]

Deva Link said:

jimxms said:

Try some IronX:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/...

IMO it takes a LOT to melt paint. I've grinded plenty of stuff in my engine bay before and it's never damaged the paint. Even the thin layer on the strut towers.

That stuff sounds magical - "opens up the paint's pores". Blimey.

Yeah I wouldn't believe all the marketing fluff, but it is an excellent paint cleaner

[MattOz]

jimxms said:

Deva Link said:

jimxms said:

Try some IronX:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/...

IMO it takes a LOT to melt paint. I've grinded plenty of stuff in my engine bay before and it's never damaged the paint. Even the thin layer on the strut towers.

That stuff sounds magical - "opens up the paint's pores". Blimey.

Yeah I wouldn't believe all the marketing fluff, but it is an excellent paint cleaner

Iron-X is great at removing that type of fallout from paint.........

[thinfourth2]

CarbonXKR said:

Thanks for all the replies so far, need to speak to wifes insurers just to be on the safe side I think.

Don't do that as it will become an accident and they will charge you more even if they don't pay you a penny


On a side note you have to be quote close to a grinder to get really hot metal off them so i would look at getting an detailer to have a look before respraying the car

[streaky]

If intending to make a claim on the University, do nothing that might make the problem worse. Carefuly washing a small affected panel should be OK, but do not try any chemical treatment. Photograph before and after washing.

The University / their insurers might want to inspect the car, give them the opportunity. Photograph all affected panels and - importantly- unaffected panels. The latter to go some way to showing the previous condition of the paintwork.

You require the paintwork professionally returned to the condition before the incident occurred. Agree what that is and how it will be achieved. Inspect carefully before accepting the repair.

Streaky

[KevinA3DSG32]

Deva Link said:

CarbonXKR said:

Question is, do I need to advise mine (wifes)insurers? Will this affect her premium on renewal?

You should do, and it might do.

I bet not many would even think to tell their insurer though.

Why would you tell your insurer, you are not making a claim on a motor insurance policy are you?

[daz3210]

RYH64E said:

Grinding particles can be hot enough to melt into glass, I ruined a pair of glasses grinding without proper safety specs once (better than getting particles in the eye though). Even so, I wouldn't expect the particles to retain enough heat to melt paint after blowing down wind onto a parked car, I would suspect that the particles are only laying on the surface and causing a rust stain that should be easily removed.

Except standard prescription lenses aren't glass these days, they are usually some kind of polycarbonate.

As suggested, get a detailer to look at the car.

How do you know that leaving it until the Uni guys get their fingers out isn't going to let it deteriorate to the stage where it needs respraying, whereas early action could save the paintwork.

[jazzyjeff]

KevinA3DSG32 said:

Why would you tell your insurer, you are not making a claim on a motor insurance policy are you?

This, surely - no claim, and arguably not an accident - therefore there should be no need to report.