[Rollo`]

So I wash my new to me 09 e92 with dish detergent because I am going to clay polish and wax it today.

I decided to polish out a scratch on the rear bumper cover first. I get the Griot's polisher and some machine polish 1 and start working on it, then I suddenly notice a spot that looks like clear tape peeling up. I stop and peel some of it with my finger....

Then I realize it is all over my bumper. Am I peeling off my clear coat? it comes off in pieces like very thin cellophane. Also there are spots of reddish brown on my bumper and where I peeled off the clear stuff those spots came off. The bumper looks just as shiny where I have peeled off this film.

Has my bumper been repainted poorly and am I peeling off clear coat? Could it have been covered with some kind of sealant that would peel off this way?

If I am going to have to repaint my bumper should I replace it with a differnt bumper cover? (e92 328i)

[apme123]

it has most likely been repainted, the only thing that would fix it is a full respray.

[bumere90]

It was repainted for sure and whoever did the work did NOT do the prepping correctly.
If the bumper has no structural damage it is not worth replacing it.
Just respray it.

[Rollo`]

Damn...Previous owner must have backed in to something and had the cover replaced and resprayed on the cheap.

Nothing was on carfax and the rest of the paint on the car is in remakably good condition. It doesn't even have swirl marks...

[cbad335]

Originally Posted by bumere90

It was repainted for sure and whoever did the work did do the prepping correctly.
If the bumper has no structural damage it is not worth replacing it.
Just respray it.

+1 Make sure the clear on the respray has the flex additive. That is necessary on the plastic/poly bits. Sounds like your clear is missing that.

[Rollo`]

Mystery solved...upon closer examination I found a huge line of overspray that I apparently missed because it follows the line of the bumper over the exhaust.

Definitely been repainted....poorly.

[07lilredwagon]

Originally Posted by cbad335

+1 Make sure the clear on the respray has the flex additive. That is necessary on the plastic/poly bits. Sounds like your clear is missing that.

This is definitely the cause...plastic bumpers need flex agent so the paint will move with the plastic when it gets cold or hot......

My understanding is that the flex agent gets mixed with each coat of paint/clear....

the bumper will have to be stripped to get all that old stuff off, then it can be repainted.

JP