anyone else having this discoloration?

Attaboy · 09-06-2009, 11:40 PM

popped the hood this morning and noticed circular discolorations on the plastic battery and brake fluid covers. coincidentally, they line up to holes in the hood frame. the spots dont wash off.. its almost like there was some sort of out-gassing from the holes in the hood that caused the plastic to discolor.

i've had this car since mid april.. 3000 miles and this just now started happening. i'm not fired up and pissed off about it.. i dont really care for the chintzy plastic covers anyway... just wondering if anyone else has this issue and also what might be causing it.

frost · 09-06-2009, 11:43 PM

Don't have that issue.

noodles · 09-07-2009, 12:30 AM

have you had any of the high temp issues that some people on the forum are experiencing? If so then it is probably some kind of off gassing. Its obviously a defect so it should be covered by warranty.

Lone Wolf 75 · 09-07-2009, 12:33 AM

I have 1500 miles on my 370Z and I do not have that issue. Do you park outside in the sun often? My guess would be that the spots may have something to do with that.

By the way, nice choice in music, although a garage is an intersting place for a NIN poster. I've seen them in concert three times and they are the best concert performances I have ever seen.

3SeventyZ · 09-07-2009, 10:53 AM

I have over 14K miles on my 370 and do not have these discolorations.

6MT · 09-07-2009, 10:54 AM

Nothing like that on mine. And water spots do wipe off the covers (easily).

Attaboy · 09-07-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodles

have you had any of the high temp issues that some people on the forum are experiencing? If so then it is probably some kind of off gassing. Its obviously a defect so it should be covered by warranty.

no high temp issues enoucntered at this point... unless you call living in tx a high temp issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf 75

I have 1500 miles on my 370Z and I do not have that issue. Do you park outside in the sun often? My guess would be that the spots may have something to do with that.

By the way, nice choice in music, although a garage is an intersting place for a NIN poster. I've seen them in concert three times and they are the best concert performances I have ever seen.

my z stays in the garage the majority of the time. i'll take it to work on Fridays as long as there is no threat of bad weather (almost got stuck in a hail storm 2 days after purchase) and cruise it on weekends. those days i take the car to work are the only times the car is left in the sun for more than 8 hours.

nice catch on the poster... it's actually a rare, "closer to god" concert sized poster from the downward spiral tour era. scored it at the NIN/David Bowie show in Denver back in 95. couldnt bear to let it go, so i put it in the garage next to the coolest thing i own. I've seen NIN 7 times now.. the Lights in the Sky show was BAD-***!!. missed the "wave goodbye" tour though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6MT

Nothing like that on mine. And water spots do wipe off the covers (easily).

i wish they were water spots.. i would have wiped them off by now. i think the discoloration is due to either temperature or chemical reaction of some sort. i'll probably get them replaced someday when i have nothing else better to do.. or ping someone that's doing a weight reduction and buy from them.

thanks guys for all the feedback thus far on this really unimportant issue.

mcphelps · 09-07-2009, 11:46 AM

Where/how do you wash your car? My guess would be car wash chemical reaction.

Attaboy · 09-07-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcphelps

Where/how do you wash your car? My guess would be car wash chemical reaction.

i wash the car at home by hand. i only use soap if she's really dirty. this car will NEVER go to a carwash unless i can find one who will wash by hand and who is as OCD about their car as i am.

most of the time i just use a damp synthetic chamois to wipe off the dust. if i do have to use soap, i use as little as possible, and only where needed (usually front bumer and for getting soot off the exhaust tips). i assume we all know how questionable the paint quality is on our Z's and what soap can do to a car's finish when you're trying to keep it showroom sparkly.

i had originally thought washing may have something to do with it, but when washing, the water does not get into the area where the discoloraiton occurs.

NeedforZ · 09-07-2009, 01:29 PM

Very strange indeed. Mine sits outside during the work week in the boiling sun and I don't have anything like that. I wash weekly with Maguires gold but no water gets up into the hood. Maybe something was left over from manufacturing that you can't see and it melted then dripped out? It could be cosmoline.

I have a VW that leaked an oily gunk out of the back fender well onto my driveway. I figured it was a blown shock that was leaking. Took it to the dealership and they said VW still used cosmoline as a rust preventative on some parts of the chassis. Yep that same yellow-brown waxy goop they used in WWII for firearm preservative is still used in the automotive industry. BTW, it melts between 130-150F. Not sure if its in the new Z's. I've found references of cosmoline being used on older Nissans and Datsuns.

zilent_jay · 09-07-2009, 02:01 PM

attaboy... you made me curious so I went to see if mine had the same discoloration, and sure enough it does.

bluzman · 09-07-2009, 04:31 PM

About 17,200 miles - no marks.

Attaboy · 09-07-2009, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilent_jay

attaboy... you made me curious so I went to see if mine had the same discoloration, and sure enough it does.

sorry to hear that.. didnt mean to prompt you to find a problem with your car that you wouldnt have found so soon otherwise.

yours actually looks a little more pronounced than mine. maybe it's just the lighting.

your car is black too.. i wonder if it's something to do with the paint? none of the others who have weighed in so far are in a MB 370 unless i brain farted missed one.

Pushing_Tin · 09-08-2009, 11:44 AM

My car is black too, and while it's not as bad as both of yours, I can see the circles too.

StLRedrider · 09-08-2009, 11:54 AM

no mysterious crop circle's here

09-07-2009, 10:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
3SeventyZ Track Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: MD/DE Posts: 626 Drives: 350Z, 370Z, SRT8 Rep Power: 475	I have over 14K miles on my 370 and do not have these discolorations. __________________ 2009 Magnetic Black 370Z Sport 6MT

09-07-2009, 10:54 AM	#6 (permalink)
6MT A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: ITU Zone 2 Posts: 22,459 Drives: Reliant Robin Rep Power: 1790	Nothing like that on mine. And water spots do wipe off the covers (easily). __________________ Andrew 2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold 2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

09-07-2009, 02:01 PM	#11 (permalink)
zilent_jay Base Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: OKC Posts: 96 Drives: 2009 MB Base Sport Rep Power: 16	attaboy... you made me curious so I went to see if mine had the same discoloration, and sure enough it does. Last edited by zilent_jay; 09-07-2009 at 02:13 PM.

09-07-2009, 04:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
bluzman Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 349 Drives: Red Touring 7AT Rep Power: 16	About 17,200 miles - no marks. __________________ My Gallery

09-08-2009, 11:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
StLRedrider A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: St.louis,Mo Posts: 17,755 Drives: O9Sprt/Touring,p-51 Rep Power: 60	no mysterious crop circle's here __________________ Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today J.Dean

09-06-2009, 11:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
frost Retired admin Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Winterfell Posts: 106,613 Drives: Your Wife Crazy Rep Power: 0	Don't have that issue.

09-07-2009, 12:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
noodles Base Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: SoCali Posts: 61 Drives: Mazda (for now) Rep Power: 16	have you had any of the high temp issues that some people on the forum are experiencing? If so then it is probably some kind of off gassing. Its obviously a defect so it should be covered by warranty.

09-07-2009, 12:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
Lone Wolf 75 Base Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Future Age: 49 Posts: 191 Drives: 09 370Z PG 6M Rep Power: 16	I have 1500 miles on my 370Z and I do not have that issue. Do you park outside in the sun often? My guess would be that the spots may have something to do with that. By the way, nice choice in music, although a garage is an intersting place for a NIN poster. I've seen them in concert three times and they are the best concert performances I have ever seen.

09-07-2009, 11:46 AM	#8 (permalink)
mcphelps Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ Age: 66 Posts: 113 Drives: 09 Sprt/Tr/Nav PG M6 Rep Power: 16	Where/how do you wash your car? My guess would be car wash chemical reaction.

09-07-2009, 01:29 PM	#10 (permalink)
NeedforZ Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 163 Drives: 370z Touring 7AT Rep Power: 16	Very strange indeed. Mine sits outside during the work week in the boiling sun and I don't have anything like that. I wash weekly with Maguires gold but no water gets up into the hood. Maybe something was left over from manufacturing that you can't see and it melted then dripped out? It could be cosmoline. I have a VW that leaked an oily gunk out of the back fender well onto my driveway. I figured it was a blown shock that was leaking. Took it to the dealership and they said VW still used cosmoline as a rust preventative on some parts of the chassis. Yep that same yellow-brown waxy goop they used in WWII for firearm preservative is still used in the automotive industry. BTW, it melts between 130-150F. Not sure if its in the new Z's. I've found references of cosmoline being used on older Nissans and Datsuns.

09-08-2009, 11:44 AM	#14 (permalink)
Pushing_Tin A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 2,875 Drives: E63 AMG Rep Power: 228	My car is black too, and while it's not as bad as both of yours, I can see the circles too.