johndeuce4

I live in Southern California. Don't have a garage so I purchased a good car cover for my gold '97 LS 400. Decided on a "waterproof" 4-layer Titan cover with life-time guarantee. $171.99. It did a good job of keeping the car cleaner, longer, and with some sense of protecting it from the sun. However, just recently, I noticed BOTH outside rear-view mirrors had the bubble-effect paint blotches on the top of each mirror. Apparently, early morning dew trapped moisture under the cover leading to the paint being compromised. I contacted the company who sold me the cover. They say the cover is designed to breathe and never allow moisture to be trapped underneath. Before I contact the manufacturer, is it advisable to consult with a paint shop to ask their opinion of paint problem only on the mirrors?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Can you post a pic of the mirrors for us to see?

johndeuce4

Photo of rear view mirror with recent paint problem. Identical paint problem on left mirror.

LScowboyLS

a "Sunbrella" cover is expensive ($519), but it won't do this

python

iTrader: (4)

car covers do more harm than good if used everyday and ur car is left out in the elements...meaning if ur car is under a carport then it doesn't take the abuse..but outside in the heat..rain and snow,forget it,btw that's the clear coat peeling

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

this is why i warn people not to use car covers!

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

as stated, this is the clear coat peeling. if the car was properly waxed and protected (not covered), the paint would last, even w/o the use of a car cover. a good paint shop can fix that fairly easily since it's isolated on the mirrors. i would check your bumpers and roof for the same condition.

i would be surprised if a car cover company can guarantee anything other than craftsmanship.

LScowboyLS

STRONGLY disagree

paint and clear coat deterioration is a product almost exclusively of total sunlight exposure during the car's lifetime, with acid rain the other but much less common primary cause, other causes are sap, bird droppings, and splattered insects

a high end sunblocking car cover, when used religiously in the sun by someone with no garage or shade available otherwise, will protect the vehicle from the sun and sap and some of the droppings, and that sunlight protection will make a huge difference in the life of the clear coat and the paint, and the interior as well. The acid rain is still a problem, but that is only a major issue in a few locales.

There is no known wax that can stop the rapid deterioration of paint & clear coat & interior by ongoing exposure to direct sunlight, this is why the garage kept cars look almost new after 15 years, and the ones in the hands of folks with no means to keep the car out of the sun just look like an old car with dull fading paint and a dilapidated interior after 15 years

if the OP doesn't have $500 for a Sunbrella, a Technalon Evolution is just as good or better for sunlight protection, and it is only $200 - I know of nothing cheaper that really works.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

understood, but i don't understand how a car that is covered can still deteriorate the clear coat. this means the cover used here didn't do a very good job blocking.

johndeuce4

Thanks Everyone. I really appreciate the wonderful comments. Greatly helpful.