how to fix minor car scratches - Auto Simple

Nobody likes finding a scratch on their automobile. Whether caused by a tree branch, bicycle handle, or shopping cart, scratches in the paint are ugly, potentially expensive to repair, and can cause rust problems if left untreated.

Learn step-past-step instructions for fixing pocket-sized paint scratches on your automobile with the Turtle Wax Scratch Repair Kit.

Car Scratch Beefcake and Scratch Repair Warnings

clear coat, basecoat, primer, and metal layers of car paint scratch

Source: bestseekers.com

WARNING: A successful auto scratch repair takes very conscientious attention to item and some instruction. Read this guide and follow any commercial products' instructions very advisedly.

If you can run your fingernail over the scratch without it catching, and so it'due south probably only a clear glaze scratch. For minor blemishes such every bit these, we would recommend using a product that is more express in telescopic, such as Meguair'south G17216 Ultimate Compound, Turtle Wax T-241A Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover, or Barrett-Jackson Car Scratch Remover. These top-level blemish products can too be used to restore swirl marks, water spots, and faded head lights and tail lights.

If, however, your fingernail does catch, yous accept a deeper scratch and will want to decide whether to do the repair yourself or take it into a professional. If you tin see metal, that is a very serious scratch. No scratch repair kit volition be able to restore a deep scratch completely. We suggest seeing a professional as soon as possible if you lot see metal. Exposed metallic volition rust. Broad and deep scratches are not covered in this guide.

We've seen a lot of success with the Turtle Wax T-234KT Premium Grade Scratch Repair Kit, so we volition be referring to this production in the guide beneath. If you your fingernail catches on the scratch, but you don't see whatever metal, this is a good kit to utilise. Exist careful every bit the kit includes abrasive sand pads that require delicacy, precision, and attending to detail. Follow manufacturer instructions exactly.

How to Remove Minor Automobile Scratches

You'll need two principal things when fixing most paint scratches, the exact pigment match and the clear coat layer that goes on top. If the scratch hasn't gone through the primer, you can skip the touch on-up paint step.

  1. Await for Your Manufacturing plant Paint Lawmaking

If your scratch is only a clear coat scratch, then yous don't accept to worry well-nigh finding any pigment. Deeper scratches, however, crave the additional awarding of new primer and paint.

To aid yous find the right paint touch-up product, look for the factory-paint code on the sticker in the driver side doorsill or on a plaque under the hood. If yous are unable to find the exact color match at the auto parts shop or online, take the car to your auto dealer.

Remember, this guide is for pocket-sized scratches only so if you need to cover a big area, go with a professional. Touching up large areas past hand volition always accept imperfections. A professional will spray it and restore it to like-new conditions. If you tin can go your insurance to pay for it, do that instead.

  1. Launder and Dry the Car

First, make sure the surface is cleaned with soap and h2o. Once you lot've dried the area completely with a make clean textile, finish cleaning with a few gentle wipes of a rag and denatured alcohol. Permit the area to dry out completely.

  1. Mark Off Area with Blue Painter'due south Tape

Information technology's a skilful thought to marking the scratch off with some blue painter's record, peculiarly if it's close to any trim or plastic.

If y'all are applying touch-up paint, mark off the expanse as close equally yous tin. This will help proceed the primer and paint from spreading.

If you lot only need to add together a pocket-size corporeality of paint and you lot accept some experience in automobile care, you lot may be able to repair it yourself. If you have any doubts, bring it into a professional person detailer.

Steps for touching up paint:

  • Mark the expanse off as close as you lot tin can with bluish painter'south tape. This will foreclose the primer or paint from covering besides large of an area.
  • After the expanse is clean and dry, apply a very small corporeality of primer into the scratch or fleck with a very fine brush. Allow the primer to dry. Expect a twenty-four hour period to exist sure.
  • Side by side, put a small amount of paint over the primed area (brand sure the car pigment color is an exact match!). Practice on some paper or metal earlier applying to your car. You desire to get the technique down start. If yous are using a paint pen, depress the neb to release the paint onto a newspaper or metallic surface, not the car. Dab the tip into the paint and gently make full in the afflicted area. If you but accept spray pigment, spray into a cap or container and employ a fine artist'south brush to employ the basecoat. Depending on the bear on-up paint you buy, you lot'll desire to apply different strategies. Still, the same principles apply. For best results, information technology'due south a good idea to use a fine artist's brush and dab very lightly.
  • Await at least one hour to apply a 2d coat of paint, if necessary. After adding the paint, remove the blue painter's record and permit the paint to dry. We recommend letting it dry out and cure for a 24-hour interval or two before moving on to the side by side steps.

Touching upward minor scratches and other blemishes with pigment requires exercise. Brand sure you lot feel comfortable applying very pocket-sized amounts of paint onto newspaper or metal commencement.

PRO TIPS:

  • Don't apply any touch-up paint in direct dominicus or if temperatures are below 50°F.
  • Simply in case you practise apply too much paint to the area, brand sure you have paint/lacquer thinner to rapidly clean it up.

  1. Prime the Clear Glaze Pen (from Turtle Wax Scratch Repair Kit)

If you don't need to add together any primer or pigment, you'll desire to skip those steps and spring to this one. First, prime the clear coat pen past pressing it confronting a slice of newspaper or metal to get it flowing. And then, fill the scratch in completely with the clear coat pen using gentle dabs and wipes. Wait for it to dry. You lot may want to look overnight, especially if it is a wider or deeper scratch.

  1. Sand the Surface with Proper Pad

This is the pace to watch out for. The Turtle Wax Scratch Repair Kit comes with 4 different abrasive pads, #1 being the almost abrasive and #iv the least abrasive.

The problem for nigh users is that they use too much pressure, neglect to lubricate the area beginning, or use the wrong sanding pad. Ensure the pads and the surface are lubricated with the Spray Lubricator. Otherwise, yous can cause even more scratches. You should never dry sand the affected area, only moisture sand with the Spray Lubricant that's included in the kit.

Commonly the #1 sanding pad is not needed. The abrasive #1 pad if for deeper scratches when you are using touch on-up paint, just normally y'all can start with #2 if you used touch-up paint. Take your time, follow instructions exactly, and use the proper level grit pad. Exist very careful with the corporeality of pressure you lot use.

  1. Mark off the scratch, 1 inch above and one inch below, with blue painter's tape.
  2. Lubricate the surface with the Spray Lubricator. Spray directly on the expanse.
  3. Lubricate the #2 pad (if you used impact-upward paint) or #3 pad (if no bear upon-up paint was needed) by spraying the lubricator directly on the pad.
  4. Gently wet wipe the #2 or #3 pad in the direction of the scratch.
  5. Next, lubricate the surface and the next pad that's less annoying. If you started with the #iii pad, motility on to the very fine #4 pad. If yous started with #two, employ #3 side by side, and terminate up with #4. Brand sure they are all fully lubricated and utilize very gentle wipes in the direction of the scratch.

We cannot stress this plenty—exist extremely careful with the pressure y'all use when using the sanding pads. Very light rubbing is all that is necessary.

To remove the hazy area created when blending in the touch on-up paint with the pads, move on to the next step.

  1. Utilise Polishing Chemical compound/Paint Stop Restorer

Before you movement on the Polishing Compound step, remove the bluish painter's tape. To restore the gloss to the affected surface area, apply the Polishing Compound (from the Turtle Wax Kit) to a corner of your microfiber material and buff the scratch in the opposite direction of the scratch/sanding wipes.

For this step, y'all can utilize pressure. Utilise two or three fingers behind your microfiber textile and firmly wipe the expanse in perpendicular strokes to the scratch/sand marks. Y'all may accept to wipe for over a minute or ii.

Afterwards around twoscore strokes, wipe the expanse with a clean, dry cloth. Inspect your work and echo the process if you lot all the same see sand marks. On the reapplication of the polishing chemical compound, you tin can employ round motions to help alloy everything in.

  1. Apply a Coat of Wax

If you had any wax on the car, this procedure will have removed it. Employ a coat of wax to the area you worked on so information technology shines like the remainder of the motorcar.

And you're done!

Fixing motorcar scratches yourself all depends on the length and depth of the scratch. If you lot take any major scratches, take your vehicle into a professional person.

If you lot have whatever questions, don't hesitate to speak with one of our Online Specialists or give us a call:

Chattanooga, TN – (423) 551-3600

Cleveland, TN – (423) 472-2000

Dayton, TN – (423) 775-4600

Dalton, GA– (706) 217-2277

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