Pressure washed my '19 Cement, paint literally chipped off.....

Yeah so I've had my truck since November last year, have always used my pressure washer to clean my cars. My paint had no defects whatsoever, not even a scratch. Only 5k miles.

I was going along the rocker panel under the driver side door and as I was going along I literally saw the paint just chip off where the water was hitting the paint. About the size of a quarter. I immediately stopped and said wtf? Looked close and yeah a large chunk just peeled off, about the size of a quarter. So after staring at it for 5 minutes I thought maybe there was a very very tiny chip that I couldn't see and water got underneath it?

So I did a self experiment like the dumb ass that I am, and looked at the rocker panel very closely further down the rocker panel under the back passenger door and saw no rock chips whatsoever. I then sprayed on the rocker side of the passenger door with the sprayer at a farther distance from the paint, and yeah i literally watched more paint just peel off and I stopped. When I rub my fingers on the rocker panel, the paint feels very soft to the touch, it doesn't feel as hard as the paint on the door just above it.

I washed my truck today to get all these bugs off my car on the hood and bumper and side mirrors and got pretty close with my pressure washer and the paint didn't peel off but is the rocker panel not designed to withstand a moderate PSI?

Underneath the drivers door:




Underneath passenger door pretty close to the bed:

 

What nozzle tip you using on the pressure washer? Tips are designed for different material and have different PSI.

Edit: looking closer at your pics I would say you had the wrong nozzle on the pressure washer.

 

Dude.
Don't use a pressure washer on a vehicle. They make buckets rags and soap.
The paint on the rocker and low areas is a special gravel guard to resist chips.



Dude man.

 

Operator error, the rocker guard texture below the paint is pretty soft on all makes and models. Welcome to SPF

 

40 degree angle. I have one of those cheap electric power washers from Lowes. Pretty low PSI that I've used on all 3 of my cars.

lesson learned I suppose?

 

I felt the rocker to my wifes 2018 Honda CRV and my 2017 Lexus GSF, the rockers are smooth and just as hard as the body's paint.

There is a vast difference in feel between rocker and the body on the taco tho...

 

How close was the tip to the truck when washing it?

 

I use my harbor freight pressure washer on my truck without any issues. I use a 65 degree tip and I make sure I keep the tip at least a foot away from the paint.

Luckily the damage is in a more hidden area of the truck. I would use a paint pen to touch it up.

 

My wife uses the high-pressure brushless car washes exclusively and her 2017 CRV paint is still perfect. Pressure washers are safe, It's the operator,

However, I think Toyota has always had paint consistency issues, Have a look at the three-year-old blue 3rd gen trucks with the clear coat coming off,

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/paint-issues.587961/#post-19623543

 

Probably about six inches away.

Yeah I don't buy that pressure washers are not safe for cars. I can see how its not safe if you have the washer inches away, but I never do it from inches away.. I've exclusively have used pressure washers the past 10-12 years on my cars, never had any paint issues arise from just simply power washing...

 

What psi is the pressure washer?

Is it possible the installer of your rocker steps chipped the paint on install, used touch up paint, and you pressure washed that said paint off?

 

I've jumped off bridges and lived. 90+ ft cliff into water. I lived but was pushing my luck, just like your pressure washing.

 

Sounds like a 1500-1700 psi. Highly unlikely this caused the damage. Even at close range.

 

I installed the steps and didn't even bump up against the rocker panel.

Yeah its a Ryobi pressure washer, 1500 psi I believe.

 

Only thing to do now is shoot a YouTube video so we can see the proof, and warn others.

 

I parachuted out of an Airplane 22 times and lived. Even went to Afghanistan for a year in the middle of nowhere and lived. I clean my hands off with my pressure washer after i'm done cleaning my cars cuz they are filthy, it doesn't even hurt my skin.... So..?

 

Lol they cut steel at 2K psi, depending on the tip design. 35psi can blow through your skin. I can go on...

 

That tip isn't included with Ryobi.

 

Your luck ran out with the pressure washer is what I meant. If you wash your hands with a pressure washer you might want to learn a bit on what can happen. Good luck.

 

Happy Friday everyone.