[stancy]

After returning from a 2400 mile trip I stopped by the spray car wash and was power washing the bugs off the front of the car. To my surprise the paint came off with a couple of the bugs!

I took it by the Toyota dealer and they said they would have the service manager look at it to see if it would be covered by warranty.

I would advise all owners to be careful of power washing your car.

Stan

 

[ozzy]

Same thing happened to me with my work car a couple of years ago. I was driving a Ford Taurus from Orlando to Miami at night. The next morning I went out to my car and the hood and bumper was covered with "love bugs". I waited a couple of days to wash them off. When I did, the bits of paint (like rock chips) came off the car wherever the bugs were. Being new to the state, I did not realize you have to wash them aff right away or risk ruining your cars finish.

 

[ehurtley]

Yes, you need to remove bugs as soon as possible to prevent paint corrosion. And 'high pressure' car washes are BAD BAD BAD! Use one of the 'brushless' soft-touch material ones. But, those might not get the bugs off, so get some bug removal juice from your local auto supply store. (WD-40 works well, and I know it's safe for older paint; but I don't know if it's okay for clear coat.)

 

[IndyDoug]

After reading this thread I'm glad I bought the Simoniz package when I sat down to sign the papers.

 

[ChasSuitt]

:roll: In "Texas Country" the so-called Lovebugs have enough acid content to damage paint. Perhaps the only solution is a "bra." Certainly, immediate removal would be indicated. I also recently noticed an acrilic deflector for the Prius which would likely reduce fuel economy and wouldn't protect the front bumper cover.

Many years back, during this bug season, we would coat the front end with a paste of soda to offset the acid, but I surely wouldn't do that to our Prius.

 

[ozzy]

I did the trip again from central Florida to South Florida, this time taking the advice of "locals". They told me to spray the bumper, grill and hood with "PAM" (cooking spray). Sure enough, the Love Bugs slid right off but it took me about a week to get the PAM off. If I have to make that trip again I'll opt for the Simoniz.

 

[stancy]

RE

Thanks everyone for the advice and input.

Do you use regular Simonize or a particular type?

Stan

 

[hyperion]

For those of you with "bug" problems might I suggest you check out this product. It is a polymer finish very easy to apply (just put it on and when it drys to a haze,wipe it off)
"Rejex" has been used by the classic Cadillac club and the Cadillac Allante club (many members in Florida) for the past several years. Once applied, nothing will stick to the surface and bugs can be hosed off with just plain water hose pressure.
Gives the paint a show shine superior to the hand wax jobs.

......... http://www.corrosionx.com ....... They are located in Dallas.

While on this subject I might as well throw in my opinion of the auto bra.
Any body shop will tell you that six months of weather after you purchase a new car the paint becomes difficult to match. There are some color changes just as occur after six months of bra use. Even the most expensive will disturb the designed airflow of the Prius especially those with the small sewn in mini spoilers. Also, no matter high correctly and perfectly they are installed there will always be some rubbing movement between the cars paint and the soft under cover material of the bra. This constant rubbing after a year or so will rub a lot of the clearcoat away. Removed after a year the covered part of the car will never match that of the rest.
Now if you drive on gravel roads for any period or drive a highway like #114 from Roanoke Texas to Dallas where there are several thousand gravel trucks moving a day then you do have a reason for the bra. The Freewways around L.A. just don't quailify. Otherwise I believe they cause more problems than they cure. I've had a personal experiance with one, (the most expensive I could buy) on a new Pontiac Grand Prix that I had fitted for a trip from Dallas to San Fran across New Mexico and Arizona. I would never suggest one after that trip. Just a few months on and there was a show of clearcoat and color wear. (please no remarks about GM paint.)... (but expected)
The Rejex is a great product and those that use it, swear by it.

 

[c4]

I totally *disagree* about bras.. Bras don't cause paint problems, but they may expose them..

I've had a bra (hood portion only of a cheap "Le Bra", I never use the bumper cover) on my old Corolla for pretty much 15 *YEARS* straight (with very infrequent removal for hand wash/wax- basically maybe once a year, if that; most of the time I just drove through the car wash, with the bra on).. There's no noticable color shade difference between the covered and uncovered portion, but where the exposed paint is covered with swirls and light scratches, the covered portion is still glossy and new looking, clearcoat is perfect and intact.

On the flip side, my previous car was a second hand salvaged Tercel with a cheap white Ziebart paint job.. In this case, the covered portion displayed a noticable yellowing vs. the exposed portion, but likewise, it was also shiny and glossy compared to the exposed portion..

I got my Prius second hand, and the previous owner did *not* get any kind of hood protection, and so the hood was incredibly pitted with stone and dust impacts, most right down to bare metal and showing light rusting and virtually impossible to retouch (to repair the paint, you'd have to completely repaint the hood).. I cleaned off the rusted impacts with one of those fibreglass cleaning brushes and touched up as best I can, but I've currently got a genuine Toyota bra on it. Even if it causes paint fade, which I'm not convinced of, I prefer the protection vs. having my hood beat to hell by stones and road debris (most of this occurs in the winter time when they put down a mixture of gravel and salt on the roads), besides, even if the paint fades, it's covered up and you can't see it (the bra looks a lot better than the original sand-blasted pitted appearance anyways), so what's the big deal?

 

[hyperion]

I agree a bra is a good cover and cheaper than a good hood paint job but I drive all types of roads in New England winter and summer 10,000 miles and I have nary a chip mark. Can't be all luck. By the same token on my Voyager I had a door dent (naturally done by a drive off) and had to have the whole door repainted as the paint had "faded" after six months of use though garaged. (and it was white. not metallic which are worse.)

 

[KTPhil]

"The Freewways around L.A. just don't quailify."

As someone who drives those freeways daily, and who has had about two dozen chips in three months without a bra, I strongly disagree. I've had three in the three months since putting the bra on.

Whether from dings or fade (which no one has noted on this board on a Prius), I'd rather go with the fading. Both will require repainting, but without dozens of chips, mine will repaint easier and have a much better finish.

And I doubt I'll be needing to repaint anyway.

 

[alsgameroom]

I wonder, does nyone know if Toyota sell small bottles of touch up paint??

I have gotten a small scratch from a pebble on my hood despite my bra, its by one of the washer nozzles.

 

[KTPhil]

Yes, the dealers stock the little brush-on touch up paint. They also sell a clearcoat for them that may better match the original. I just used the regular stuff.

 

[alsgameroom]

thanks.. I'll have to pick some up...

 

[LowCO2]

Peeling clearcoat

The clearcoat on my 9-year-old Prius has started to peel, but only on the spoiler and above the license plate on the hatch. Body shop guy told me it is known in the industry that paint on Toyota plastic parts exposed to sun will do this. Does anyone know if there was/is a silent recall on this issue?

 

[Phoenix]

This is a common problem on all cars in the desert southwest. UV radiation causes clear coat to peel. It is most often seen on clear coat applied over dark colors.

Best color out here is white or off-white. For Toyotas, "super-white" survives the sun best; and silver and other metallic colors are the worst. Not many black cars in Arizona as air conditioners have problems cooling them down.

Most dark colored cars have peeling clear coat after about 5-7 years. Our super-white 2002 Prius needs waxing, because the paint finish is losing its shine. However, it will be fine again after I polish it this fall, when it's cooler.

FYI, it was 117 in Phoenix, today; and it may hit 120 in the next few days. It was 106 at 10 o'clock on the TV news.

 

[MP2007]

clear coat pealing on Prius 2007

Dear all,

I have just noticed in the past month, upon washing car by hand, that the clear coat on the roof and some of the upper framing around windows is severely pealing in large patches. All happened at once.
Car has been waxed by hand once each year. Living in California, and having a blue car color, is this normal? One in this forum suggests this is so. I'm surrounded by Priuse's in the community and not seen ANY others with this issue.

I have brought into local dealership in Davis, and was asked did I not keep the car in the garage? One I answered no, the point seemed to be it was my issue to deal with... Is this actually normal wear and not covered by Toyota?

 

[fdret44]

Has anyone had experience with one of these coatings and Seagulls? Their droppings are also very hard on paint.