jsal

don't know if it is the paint or the curve of the hood, but I have found the clear bra is key for these cars.

I agree about the environmental concerns and how they have effected the quality of paint. But, I thought a lot of these issues where worked out in the 80's. My GMC (which sits in the garage during the week and is used for family trips - in reference to the gas guzzler thing) seems to have a harder paint. It has a few hood chips and the pitting of the painted bumper, but it is a dark color and has over 50k highway miles on it, and it does not seem excessive. I had two decent hood chips in my e60 within 4k miles.

Freewilly

It has a lot to do with how fast you drive on the road. I always have more stone chips on my bumper than other cars in my family. Because I tend to drive faster and tailgate more often than other people.

My Dad drive mainly on local street, his 2 years old MB ML350 looks almost brand new.

MMC

Billysunshine's mail is intresting.

Before my newer E60 I had a 530D sport, topaz blue on a 2001. At point of sale the dealer re-sprayed the bonnett / hood. Within 2 weeks the whole surface was peppered with small white pimples, thats because BMW prime with a white base coat and some of the paint shops albeit BMW are third party. Their premises are probably not as state of the art as maybe the main dealer ones. The dealer tried the old the old stone chip routine. The more time went on the worse they got. This ended up being an epic that any film maker would have been proud of. I would get BMW USA involved who should send out a specialist to look at the finish.

The dealer eventually agreed to take it back to the metal and re paint. When it came back, after a week same again, but the paint had an even more predominant orange peel effect. The fact of the matter is and getting back to the main point. The mojority of my miles circa 25k a year was motorway mileage. The car was washed once or twice a week and valeted once a month. Everytime I cleaned the car, I noticed more and more chips. As a proud owner, when I parked the car, I parked away from other vehicles and tended to do the coursery check of the paint work on every journey which appeared ok, but when it came to washing a totally diffrent situation, more had appeared.

I now have a December 2003 E60 titanium silver. Body work is fine except bonnett/hood and front bumper/fender. It has to be a design issue and soft water based paints. The positive thing is chips on silver are far more palletable than on a topaz blue vehicle.

Martin.

billysunshine

Stone chips are a good indication of driving techniques.
And that is always the first response when someone looks at my car.
Then I show them there are no chips on the front spoiler, where the majority of chips occur.
Then I show them the chips on the doors, below the window trim.

It appears highly unlikely that in the above circumstances these were caused by stones.

i know they were not. I have been on the highway once. And I drive extremely careful with plenty of distance between vehicles.

I am attempting to photograph these areas to post. I know that would help many people understand my dilema.

wulff1

I really wonder about the paint quality - the orange peel texture seen on closeups of the e60-including an E60 M5 make me worry about this. my trip to the dealership included a close inspection of several e60's yesterday, and all had this texture to the paint-

my 2004 lexus rx330 is absolutely smooth -

I do plan on getting the clear bra and I hope BMW can improve on the paint in the future-for a luxury car of this price and class, it is inexcusable.

Das-what do you think of your paint on the 530xi Silver gray?????

billysunshine

Well, to the best of my ability, and minimal photography skills, here are a couple of pics of the chips I have been discussing. I repeat, these are not stone chips!!!
The car has over twenty white spots that appear to be the reason for these continued chips occurring. They have happened over the last 2 months.

Well, to the best of my ability, and minimal photography skills, here are a couple of pics of the chips I have been discussing. I repeat, these are not stone chips!!!
The car has over twenty white spots that appear to be the reason for these continued chips occurring. They have happened over the last 2 months.

I have to figure out how to post pics, sorry

billysunshine

My pics are in the photo gallery. If anyone can give me a rundown on how to post the pics within the tread I will appreciate it.

norham

at the bottom click on the browse button to find where your pics are stored and then click on the one you want to include then on the post click 'add this attachment' that should do it
Are you saying that the chips just appear on the hood etc because while I have been describing mine as stone chips I am doing that in the absense of any other explanation thats why I am surprised how they occur as my driving is on M'way dual c'way

billysunshine

Everybodies first inclination is that chips are form stones.

Mine are not

I first fond a large chip in the hood. I thought it was a stone chip, but it was perfectly round and no associated scratch as you may find with a stone chip that high on the hood.
I washed the car and found over 30 white spots under the clearcoat.

I put my finger nail to one spot and it chipped.

The dealer could not figure out the problem.
They clayed the car and removed the spots, biut in the process created 6 more chips.

That is why I say these are not stone chips.
I am waiting for a BMW NA rep to evaluate ther car.

hoopsrob

Anybody still experiencing this chip problem?

My car is 2 months old and I have a nice sized chip 1/5 of the way up my hood (you can see white). I am attributing it to a stone at this point because I have no other evidence to support any other theory.

Though I can tell you that my '98 328i has few if any chips...and none this size.

It just happened yesterday and I'm bummed.