Paint shop won't touch my truck because of Fluid Film. Ideas?

It sounds like a load to me also.

You could also let the insurance company take care of getting it fixed to your satisfaction. After all that is what you pay them for.

Maybe they will buy you a new truck without fluid film on it.

 

This ^ the body shop's are nuts.

 

Anyone that’s done any serious paint work knows how many problems oil contamination can cause. Maybe it would be an issue maybe not but there is no way I would take a chance with my 100k paint booth not for one job.

 

If it takes 2000+ psi power wash to remove fluid film how is a paint gun at 20 psi going to cause an issue?

 

I have no idea but that’s the point. There’s no way I’d be willing to find out for one small job.

 

This!

 

I agree with the underlined part.

How is painting a body panel on the shiny side of the truck going to have any effect on fluid film under the truck on the frame.

I wonder if they paint cars with a slight transmission fluid leak or oil leak on the engine or differential. Right. They do it everyday. They are being stoopid.

 

you are more or less correct. The rest of the vehicle is masked with paper and/or plastic, and the panels to be painted would be cleaned thoroughly and degreased before paint.

armourall and the like are some of the absolutely worst things to introduce into Body shops, yet half the vehicles on the road are completely covered in the stuff. Shops don’t turn those cars away.

 

And at your shop you could make that call and probably be fine. I would send him down the road to you and move on to the next one.

 

Well bully for you. Are you saying that you would never paint a car with a slight transmission fluid leak or oil leak on the engine or differential?

The fluid film is not an issue.

 

No of course not but we aren’t talking about a slight leak it’s a vehicle with the entire undercarriage sprayed with refined petroleum and wax and having no idea what Problems if any it could cause. I just understand why he’s having trouble finding someone that is willing to try it and find out. I’m guessing you haven’t spent a lot time working with body shop guys and painters most of them are extremely picky about that kind of stuff.

 

Whatever. I disagree and we can leave it at that.

Last time I painted a car it was using Lacquer...

 

I paint cars daily, and I never inspect the under carriage looking for potential hazards. Keep the surfaces clean that I’m painting, cover up the rest. Never had an issue in 15 years.

 

Cool maybe you can call some of the places that turned down the op and talk them into it for him he would probably appreciate it

 

Thanks all. In talking with the place that refused to paint it, it became clear that they did so as 1) they were not familiar with Fluid Film and needed to do more research on it, and 2) they were a small company that could not take the risk. This was similar to other smaller shops. I then switched to larger shops and none of them had an issue. I ended taking it to a well established, large, family owned business where it is currently being worked on. Thanks for all the help.

 

Thanks for the update OP! It is good you located someone that isn't overly paranoid.

 

Regardless of the validity of the concern, I'm guessing you've never been in a downdraft paint booth. They will literally move your hair like a hurricane. It's not the paint gun it's the 30K CFM of air the booth moves. It's insane.

 

ive been in the industry for a little over 20 years. I’ve worked in a handful of shops in that time. From brand new $300k booths to crappy run down booth, full down drafts, partial down drafts, and side draft booths. None of them Have moved my hair like a hurricane. You Don’t want the paint to get sucked down into the filters before it has a chance To even hit the vehicle.

 

if the dont want to spray Fluid Film
they have their reasons

recently there must be at least 40 polymer
ceramic
coatings retail

diff shops wont bw able to spray
match
stand behind them all

find a shop that does


good luck