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Car Scratch Removal Made Easy

9/29/2017

10 Comments

 

By Steve Temple, automedia.com

Today's two-part urethane paints consist of a clear coat on top of the color coat. While this system preserves the color by protecting against UV rays and provides a brighter shine, it can also get scratched fairly easily. Just rubbing your rag on a dusty surface, or having grit in the cloth itself, can leave fine lines and swirls.

Visible lines

If polishing and waxing isn't producing the smooth finish you'd like to see on your vehicle, but you can't feel the scratches with your fingernail, then a simple liquid scratch remover might do the trick. Note, however, that not all car scratches are the same. Some marks may be due to rubbing against a bumper from a car or shopping cart. The material coming into contact with your finish might be softer, and simply leaving behind a bit of material on top of the paint.
If that's the case, it may come off easily with a spray for removing tar, bugs and adhesives. Be sure to use a product specifically designed for marks on paint, as acetone or types of solvents might damage the paint. If the mark is still there after using the spray cleaner, try using a soft-grade rubbing compound (it's easy to penetrate the clear coat, so don't overdo it). You'll need to use a polishing compound to remove any fine scratches left by the rubbing compound, and then finish the job by sealing the surface with a good car wax.
Medium-depth scratches that you can feel with your fingernail require a more aggressive method of repair than simply using rubbing and polishing compounds. Bad scratches that penetrate to the color coat can require touch-up paint and possibly professional care.

Smooth operator

For the medium-depth scratches, use a car scratch remover kit. The system is fairly easy to use, requiring three separate steps and a common household drill. As with the rubbing compound mentioned above, less is more. The idea is to take off a very thin layer of the clear coat, but still leave enough on to protect the paint. And you'll need to protect the finish with a good wax or synthetic polish to bring back the shine.

Scratch removal tips
  1. If buffing, polishing or using a rubbing compound doesn't get scratches out, a more intensive approach could work, especially if the scratches don't penetrate to the color coat. Evaluate the depth of the scratch by running your fingernail over it. If you can feel the scratch but your fingernail doesn't catch, you can probably repair the damage.
  2. After washing the damaged area with soap and water, spray water on both the finish and the abrasive pad.
  3. Even though a 3,000-grit pad can feel soft, still only rub gently on the scratch until a bit of foam appears. After about 10 seconds of rubbing, wipe off the slurry with a wet paper towel to see if the scratch has disappeared. Don't overdo it, as the clear coat is not thick.
  4. The area being rubbed will dull slightly, depending on the angle of the light. The following steps will eliminate this discoloration.
  5. Insert the buffing wheel into a standard household drill. Note: A variable-speed trigger makes it easier to control the speed of the buffing wheel, as it's important not to let it heat up.
  6. To prevent splattering, smear the compound around by hand before starting the drill.
  7. Apply only light to medium pressure (enough to slightly compress the pad at a flat angle), operating the drill at slow to moderate speeds. Overlap the area slightly until the compound begins to dry, applying progressively lighter pressure.
  8. Remove any residue with a clean, dry microfiber towel. Make sure there's no dirt on your towels, or you'll just make things worse.
  9. Switch out the pads (they can be rinsed for reuse) and apply the remover to a clean pad. Scratch remover is typically thinner than the compound, so use care when squeezing it out or you'll have too much on the pad.
  10. Again, first smear the liquid without turning on the drill to minimize splatter.
  11. Using a light speed setting, polish the compounded area, overlapping it slightly.
  12. Buff the area with another clean microfiber towel until the finish matches the surrounding paint. Look at the area from various angles to ensure that all the scratches and compound have been removed. Repeat the previous step if needed. Protect with a polish or wax as a final step.

Source:

​https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-maintenance/basic-car-maintenance-tips/car-scratch-removal?stat=318514&socialnet=preview
10 Comments
Jake tylor link
11/17/2017 11:07:12 pm

Thank you for sharing such an useful article with us. Cars needs maintenance regularly for avoiding any type of major problem. The thing is, we should avoid any type of possible damage to our car. By chance, if car get a scratch then should be removed by using the above tips. And if the damage is major one then the car should be taken to a trusted repairing shop for repairing.

Reply
James Madison link
1/30/2018 11:13:51 pm

Car are very precious for car owner. If by any chance scratch happen in car, definitely it is a headache for car owner. The best way to deal with this issue is take your car to a automotive technician who can easily remove scratch from your car with the process of detailing and remodeling.

Reply
Seth young link
4/17/2018 04:44:16 am

First of all, one should drive very carefully in order to prevent any types of collisions. However, if minor collision occurs, then suitable initiatives needs to be taken in order to repair the damage. We should take our vehicle to the reliable professionals in order to repair the damaged components of the vehicles. Aside, vehicles should be provided with suitable insurance coverage in order to deal with such situations.

Reply
Kenneth Gladman link
11/19/2018 01:58:47 pm

I have a neighbor that tried buffing out a scratch and a dent on his own. He ended up doing more damage than what was originally done. This is why I think I would rather go to a professional with my car.

Reply
Alonso Lucas link
3/13/2019 05:59:19 am

Scratches are just about unavoidable. But with a careful repair job, a deep scratch can be completely invisible. Wax removes the scratches from the paint. One of the most typical chores that a car parent can do to maintain his speed machine is to wash his speedster and put a simple layer of wax for shine. Wax acts as a protective shield for the paint that stays promising to remove the scratch. Polishing can remove scratches that are superficial in nature. A simple layer of wax makes your vehicle shiny, but the amount of shine depends on the color of your vehicle.

Reply
Shemekia Bailey link
3/15/2019 01:06:25 am

Scratches are unavoidable. In case of minor collisions, the appearance of scratches is a must. To remove scratches, we should wash the car first and then we should try to buff out surface scratches with toothpaste or other scratch removal product and a microfiber towel. If it does not work as the scratch is too deep, we should sand down the area and repaint it. In any of these methods of scratch removal, we should first wash the car to remove the dirt & debris from the scratches. Polishing can remove scratches which are superficial in nature.

Reply
Kate Welling link
3/28/2019 11:58:07 am

It's nice to remember the scratch removal tips that you were mentioning. It would be nice to go to an automotive shop for this. I'll look into finding one near me.

Reply
Jolie link
2/3/2020 01:14:35 am

Every car owner including me is painful when my car is scratched. It's not only about the car appearance, but also the expense. So I think we can deal with this by following these detailed instructions or asking any one who are experienced in this problem.

Reply
Eliza Harding link
12/3/2021 05:28:39 pm



Thank you for the advice that you can use your fingernail to evaluate the depth of the scratches on your car and if your fingernail does not feel the scratch you can probably repair the damage. My brother mentioned to me that he found out deep scratches on his car windshield yesterday morning and he does not know if he can fix him by himself alone as he is very busy at work and doesn't have time to do DIY. He is hoping to find a professional who can do the scratch repair.

Reply
Mia Evans link
2/3/2023 02:07:11 am

Thanks for helping me understand that scratches can be removed using polishing compounds, but it has to be sealed with wax afterward to finish the job. I can imagine how helpful it would be to be hiring a professional at a car body shop to finally fix the scratches on my sedan. To be honest, I have no idea where I got those issues, but it would definitely be usual for my property because I have no garage, yet.

Reply



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