Expert: Gary - 10/28/2011

Question
I have a 2004 BMW that I purchased salvaged. I performed the majority of the repairs and took it to a body shop to have the new panels painted. It has been a couple years since the repairs and I am now noticing very small white specks in the paint (it is a black finish)about the size of a pencil point. I have tried removing them with cleaners, but no luck at all. Could these be a sign of impending clearcoat failure and is there any way that I can combat this before it becomes a serious issue? Thank you.

Answer
Hi Paul,

This could be numerous different things and without looking at it under magnification it would be almost impossible to pinpoint. My suggestion would be to take it to an automotive paint store since they will generally have the equipment and expertise to identify the problem.

My best guess is trash from the paint gun. It could be dried clearcoat or residual paint from a previous job.