[andreib]

Hi, What do you think of this paint job I got at the dealership after they replaced the bumper with a new one?

The picture was taken when outside was already a little dark and they did not bother to wash the rest of the car.

I kinda noticed the difference in colours (from far) as I was walking towards the car with the guy from the dealership.

It looks like a different paint colour all together (the bumper side is a lot more white)

I left it there and told them that its a different colour and to also fix the paint bubbles and swirl marks they left in the rear bumper.

Am I insane to think that the colours are different (play with your phone/screen brightness to make sure you catch it)? The car is only 2 years old, I know in time paint goes a little bit bust but a few months back they fixed the front bumper and I noticed no such discrepancy in colours. I also think the difference between the 2 colours is huge.


Thanks!

[Rich76]

Even on a new car there will be a difference in colour between plastic and metal parts

[mjr24]

Originally Posted by Rich76

Even on a new car there will be a difference in colour between plastic and metal parts

Yep, exactly….

[andreib]

But ain't this difference way too big?


When they replaced the front bumper (which is also plastic) with a new one and painted it, the difference was unnoticeable compared to its metal parts, I had no issues with the paint then. But now its like im looking like two very different colour codes..

You guys would accept this or send it back?

[bosstones]

Maybe it's just me but I can't tell anything from that pic. Given the angle, shadow graduates across it so you can't see the hue evenly across the panels.

Maybe try to even out the light or take some pix further back?

Also, how new or old is the car? Garage kept? The older a car is and/or if it is exposed to the elements more, the more likely I'd expect some differenc.

[MaxVO2]

****I don't see much of a difference between the two colors. Better light and a wider shot might show up better. Metal and plastic will look a bit different even with the same paint. Plastic pieces they add a flex agent to the paint to keep it from cracking and peeling as easily and from thermal cycling, etc..

Without the flex agent added to the plastic painted parts - even a slight tap can cause remarkable cracking and visible damage to the paint after a bit of time, and thermal cycling, exposure to UV etc..

[andreib]

I left the car at the dealership (so i cant take any other photos currently) because it still had some paint bubbles so I asked them to fix that and to take another look at the colour ..

The car is 2y old, and for the last year it sat in a underground parking garage.

Guys try to look at the photo from a mobile device and make sure the brightness is all the way up and you dont have blue colour tone switched on or something.
4 out of 5 of my friends when asked, said the bottom part is whiter, but they dont know a lot about cars and I made a topic here too

[Chappers 71]

The panel your comparing it to looks pretty dirty, maybe if the car was clean you’d think it a better match

[zx10guy]

If you perceived a different shade of white from the paint they used, then it's there. The fact the body shop took the car back tells you that there's no disagreement. Not sure why you'd have to get more validation from a bunch of random Internet posters.

I also had a similar situation as you with my C-HR which was about 3 to 4 years old at the time I had to get body work done on it. Stupid deer ran full speed into the highway and slammed into the passenger rear door of my car. I picked up the car noticing the color match was off between the rear quarter panel and bumper to the door. I stared at it for a few days and drove it back to the body shop to get it addressed. They took it in with no argument and the rework was perfect. Mine's silver which is easier to match. Been told matching white is the most difficult

[andreib]

Hello everyone, thanks for the input.

When I left the car there (on Friday) I was not sure they will accept a re-paint because I went exactly before they closed and I talked just with the guy that gave me the car, not with the ones responsible for the paint job.

So I made the thread here hoping I would get more input/opinions before eventually starting a fight with them.

Long story short I got a call today saying they will re-paint the bumper.

Thanks

[andreib]

Update:

So its been 5 days since they took the car back in for a re-paint. Last time I called them 2 days ago they said they still cant get the pigment right because their "paint machine" was changed, and they are trying hard to get it right.

[NSXR]

The paint match should be easy if they delete the flex-additive that's added to the bumper to keep the paint pliable over time. It's this additive that causes the paint to reflect light differently, fade differently, and not match even from the factory. Removing it is a double-edged sword. You will get a better match instantly (if painted when the car is relatively new), but over time you'll have more issues with it.

[Gemini562]

OP is right. Dealer needs to repaint it, the upper part is clearly darker than the bumper. It’s not just dirt, the color match is off.

[alex2364]

What color is this? Alpine White or Mineral White? Either way dealers aren’t known for the best work.

[andreib]

It's Alpine White guys

[andreib]

Update:

Finally after 3 weeks (-/+ 1 day) I got the car back.

I had to call their manager. After the call with him and him telling me im right about the complains I made, after 1 more week I got my car back. I could have received it only after 3 days after the manager call, but they suddenly were not happy with the result and asked me if they can give it another try. So I said sure.

I received my car washed, perfect bumper (no more paint bubbles) and the right colour.

Thanks guys just wanted to offer one last update regarding this

[LateParty2018X535d]

Originally Posted by andreib

Update:

So its been 5 days since they took the car back in for a re-paint. Last time I called them 2 days ago they said they still cant get the pigment right because their "paint machine" was changed, and they are trying hard to get it right.

Yep exact same problem at a BMW dealer.... TOTAL BS. Just scanning this thread now so not sure what happened but under NO circumstances should you accept this. The best way to get your money back is a complement them on how ghetto fabulous their workmanship is and ask if other customers are having this experience and they might not know it, you can help him look into it now that you've brought it to their attention that is going on?? HAHA

Be prepared to piss them off though. I will add one caveat you need to put up a better picture please maybe have but it should be washed and also a picture in a couple different lights such as morning light afternoon and evening light as there's a different color spectrum and it will reflect differently so it's gonna look different all day long and I do agree with the above that if you're seeing it then it's off.

Also there should absolutely not be any trash or markings in it sometimes they have this thing called orange peel on the clearcoat a little bit of waviness when they buff it but they should not have a color that far off it should get real close and some BS about to paint machine doesn't cut it. Why you have to actually take a sample first and make sure you have it right and then blended a little bit more to make it match these geniuses just use a paint code and say OK all done.

Unfortunately when I found out is for only about $500 the dealer does it but it's not the dealer it's a subcontractor and they're not using BMW paints necessarily and certainly not meeting in BMW College standards I've seen a dealership in Texas that paints these things literally next to the trash compactor in a tent open air expose the elements no paint room with positive air pressure it's ridiculous I made him repeat it three times and then took my money back.

Took a long search to find somebody anywhere near that price got quotes from $500-$5000 not joking! Anyway luckily found a local shop where the founder and owner operator was overseeing the work and knew his pants extremely well I haven't been a paint salesman in visiting many auto factories around the United States so thankfully he did some paint samples and then worked to get a match that I liked after looking at it for about a week and a half. He got it done for 800 so after the experience I'm pretty damn happy with the result it's probably 98% there.

[LateParty2018X535d]

Originally Posted by andreib

Update:

Finally after 3 weeks (-/+ 1 day) I got the car back.

I had to call their manager. After the call with him and him telling me im right about the complains I made, after 1 more week I got my car back. I could have received it only after 3 days after the manager call, but they suddenly were not happy with the result and asked me if they can give it another try. So I said sure.

I received my car washed, perfect bumper (no more paint bubbles) and the right colour.

Thanks guys just wanted to offer one last update regarding this

Good to hear it worked out with them, great result!