Fed up with Chip TSB

[383-S-10]

My Wife's 08 SS has been in the shop on numerous occasions, and the latest for the paint chips on the lower rockers is setting my over the edge....

We noticed that there was a significant amount of paint missing from the lower rockers due to paint chips. I did some searching on this site and found that there was a TSB for this that re-paints the area and applies the 3M guard on the area to protect it from future chipping.

I brought the truck in to the dealership on the 19th of May to perform the paint chip TSB. The first problem is that the 3M film guard didn't come out very well on the rears that the dealership installed. The service manager decided to send it out to a local vendor that is a specialist in applying the 3M film to finish the job on the front of the truck.

When the truck came back, the service manager noticed that the film the dealer installed still did not look right (hazy and not centered properly). The service manager decided to send it back to the local vendor to have them remove the film that the dealer installed.

Turns out that when they removed the film, the paint came off too! The body shop said that the paint didn't have time to cure properly... So they then proceeded to re-paint the areas that were damaged and then send it to the outside vendor to apply the film on the newly painted surface.

What I am worried about is that they didn't leave any time for the paint to cure!

When the film needs to be replaced, I bet that the paint will fall off again and this time, it will be on my dime....

What should I do?

The truck has spent a total of ~3 months in the dealership over the ~8 months we have owned the truck! (Rear Main Seal, Rear End Groan, and now this paint chip TSB).

Thanks

[ss popo]

tell em next time it goes in, you are driving off the lot with a new one

[carlsonc]

Damn bro...sorry to hear! I am in the SAME boat as you. My truck has spent half its life in the dealership. I was lucky to pick the dealership I want to do the TSB because I knew the head body and paint guy there. Mine turned out GREAT. What a costly expense for the dealer though, shit.

About next time, I would tell them to make sure they noted the paint coming off the first time on the repair order and having it sourced out that your afraid it will happen it again and if they can help with it because of all the b.s. you had. Knowing G.M. like I do, either the service manager is a good guy or not. There are ways around everything. Good luck....

[383-S-10]

I am friends with the service writer and I am going to be talking with the GM Rep tomorrow...

I want to get some sort of warranty on the paint due to the film, I shouldn't have to worry if the paint is going to fall off when I remove the film when it needs replacing...

[rrmccabe]

The truck has spent a total of ~3 months in the dealership over the ~8 months we have owned the truck! (Rear Main Seal, Rear End Groan, and now this paint chip TSB).

Thanks

Well beyond the normal problems I cant believe they had it 3 months to do that work. Not doubting you but wondering about your dealer.

The Rear end fix is less than 1 day. The rear seal is 1 day unless they do the pan and if you have a AWD it might stretch into two.

The rockers can be painted in one day or two max. And a day to apply the 3M.

Stretching a weeks worth of work into 3 month sounds like a dealer issue.

[2k6TBSS]

Well beyond the normal problems I cant believe they had it 3 months to do that work. Not doubting you but wondering about your dealer.

The Rear end fix is less than 1 day. The rear seal is 1 day unless they do the pan and if you have a AWD it might stretch into two.

The rockers can be painted in one day or two max. And a day to apply the 3M.

Stretching a weeks worth of work into 3 month sounds like a dealer issue.

:iamwithstupid: I would suggest maybe talking to another dealer in your area about the problems you are (or have been) having.

[383-S-10]

yea, I have not been very impressed...

But to answer one of the questions that still remains, should there be an amount of time the paint should cure prior to installing the 3M film to ensure the paint has cured properly?

Thanks!

[Sneakyws6]

Yes the paint needs to cure and outgas. What is happennig is the gasses are not being allowed to release from the paint and this is causing the issue of not allowing the paint adheare properly.

Any competant body shop knows this, hence the reason why they advise you to not wax/seal the paint until it has had time to cure. Usually a minimum of 30 days is required before any type of sealer is applied to the paint.

The 3M is nothing more than a artificial sealer in essence that provides a layer of protection for the paint but also seals it off not allowing the outgassing to happen.

I bet you will have issues again down the road, but that is my opinion.

[383-S-10]

great.... I told them to just paint it and let me have the truck for a month before they put on the film and they denied my request. The GM Rep stated "GM is doing you a service by painting it and putting the film on".

The good news is that they are giving me the full extended warranty for free, but still doesn't really make up for all the hassle.

Truck should be done on Monday

[v8trailblazer]

When I removed the SS emblems from the side of my truck you could see an outline where the paint had not cured. 2 weeks is about the norm for curing.

[383-S-10]

well the saga continues.....

The service manager looked over the truck today before they put on the film and noticed that the paint color doesn't match!

They are stripping it and re-painting the whole thing again!

I called GM Customer Service for some additional help....

[SSSkach]

I waited 1 month before applying to let her cure!

[andyman]

I feel your pain. I've had the same experiences with my SS. When I had mine in for this fix the dealership painted and then took elsewhere for the 3M install. They insured me that they had some kind of special light that cured the paint with in a few hours..I'm sure they are full of shit! When Zeibart installed the 3M film they only installed it about 3inches wide. They also cut it with an exacto knife, slicing into my paint. They also installed on front bumper and rear bumper required both bumbers and all four doors to be repainted. When they repainted it this 2nd time the clear coat was bad and left smoke smears all over the paint. And the dealership says to me when I picked it up "Looks real good doesn't it"....Needless to say these areas have been redone 3 times. I told the dealership that the truck was junk and they owed me a new one in my eyes. They would not go that route. I went direct to Chevrolet and insisted the same thing again with no results. This was my first and last Chevrolet....I thought the SS was supposed to be top of the line Chevrolet........hate to see the lower grades!