Paint quality: Orange peel?

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WoodlandHills

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2014
Messages
751
Location
SoCal
While washing my i3 today I noticed that there really seems to be quite a variation in the quality of paint on the various parts. The color is all uniform, but the orange peel is quite pronounced on all panels. Not only that, but the uneven surface varies from part to part, it is very obvious when comparing the clarity of reflections between the fenders and the charging and fuel flaps. My smart has painted plastic panels too, but they are painted by much better robots and there is nearly no orange peel in the surface. The same with our old Infiniti: much smoother paint surface.

I really like this car, but once the novelty wears off and you begin to look at it like any other car, there really are some quality and build issues. Just like any new car introduction...... This is our first BMW since I had a 2002 back in the '70s and they seem to be a bit of a let down. Not sure if it is unrealistic expectations from owning several MB cars or just the nature of 2014 cars in general. Part of my feeling is caused by software issues that keep me from using features as promised such a slow and glitchy Bluetooth, the entire Guess-o-Meter display, the buggy iRemote, etc. but given how automated our cars have become software is just as or even more important than hardware.

The cheesy robot sprayed paint is not the end of the world, but kinda sucks on a $55k car.....
 
Welcome to the trough of disillusionment :p http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

I would raise it with your dealer, and get them to send some photos back to HQ - you might not get the answer your want...but its better to make BMW aware otherwise stuff never gets fixed.

Without pictures its hard to say, but there was areas of mine that had been badly washed and waxed pre-delivery that made the paint work look a bit off. As I am sad and have way too much time I spent some time giving it a good wash and clean and now all is looking ace.
 
Mine has orange peel. I also follow Corvettes and it's a common complaint there too.

My understanding is that almost any paint job that isn't given many hours of personal wet-sanding attention (like the exotics) will exhibit orange peel to some extent. Composite panels may be more prone to it than metal panels because they can't use an electric charge to help lay down the paint evenly.
 
noticed the Orange on all of the i3's I looked at. I'm sure Merax is correct about the challenge painting composite body work represents. I polished mine with a orange peel pad, it's less noticeable maybe 50% but I didn't work the paint as hard as I could have not wanting to remove too much clear coat.
 
I'm kinda surprised more i3 owners haven't piped up about this.

Anyhow, I was thinking about it and just checked my finish. It's awesome, No detectable orange peel unless maybe I get out the really strong glasses :geek: . Maybe it's a bad luck or paint color issue, or both. I have Laurel Gray. I'd be curious to know if your black bonnet is showing the same signs, or different.
 
The movement by car companies to a Water based paint system to prevent rust did not help either. it left paint with a lower quality. just look at cars from the early 90's compared to the paint on cars now.
 
This is orange peel indeed, my Laurel grey i3 also has "orange peel", it is even worse on the door panels because BMW has painted my door panels (because of dents) again. Anyway, all BMW's have orange peel, on plastic parts it is even worse. Even my 2004 645ci S has orange peel, also worse on the plastic parts (but not so bad as the i3). Maybe a good car cleaner can sand it away... But i'm not sure about it with the i3.
 
the frunk on mine is the only panel with orange peel, but i don't like it and told BMW i could have done better by hand but they didn't seem interested in doing anything.
 
Just washed and polished my car after getting it a month ago, the paint definitly has a good amount of orange peel, but then again BMW's are pretty know for it..

FCTHYIT.jpg
 
I'm usually the first one to report such defects as I've often been the recipient of a badly-prepped new car. I think the last three or four cars I've owned were washed with sandpaper before they gave them to me. I've paid to have this corrected (expensively) several times. I'm happy to report that, at least for once, my i3 (white) has a very good paint job and the frunk, which is the place I'd probably have been mostly likely to notice this, is actually flawless. The place I bought my car is lucky...their entire car lot is stored, for the most part, indoors. On a side note, that was a fun shopping experience in cold New England...not having to go outside to pick something out.
I did just notice that the roof doesn't seem to be painted...you can see the carbon fiber?
 
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