How to Determine Whether the Primer or Bare Metal is Exposed?
2 Answers
You can directly judge by color; bare metal appears as a shiny metallic silver, while the primer color is relatively dull. The methods for dealing with scratches on a car are as follows: 1. Hairline scratches: Hairline scratches can generally be removed by polishing or applying a rubbing compound. Usually, a light wipe is enough to make the hairline scratch disappear. 2. Light scratches: For light scratches, simply prepare a tube of toothpaste. Toothpaste is highly effective for shallow scratches that have not damaged the car's primer, especially for marks left by other vehicles' paint during minor collisions or residues from sticky products like adhesives. 3. Moderate to deep scratches: Moderate and deep scratches cannot be repaired by polishing. If the dent area is small (not exceeding 5mm), it can be filled with putty to level the surface, followed by touch-up painting.
Last time my car got scratched, I quickly got out to check and noticed that if the scratched area appeared grayish or dull, it usually meant the primer was exposed because the protective layer beneath the factory paint has that tone. If you see a particularly shiny reflection, a metallic texture, or even some rust, it’s definitely bare metal showing. That’s exactly what happened to me—the spot felt rough and uneven, and within a few days, rust spots started forming. I ended up spending a few hundred bucks to get it repainted; otherwise, the rust would have spread and affected the car’s structure. My advice: if you get a scratch, first clean the area with a wet cloth and inspect it under natural light to check for color depth and gloss changes. Primer usually doesn’t reflect much light, while bare metal will show a metallic hue. Also, gently run your finger over the surface—if it’s smooth, it might just be a primer issue, but if it’s rough or has rust flakes, act fast. Regular car washes can also help prevent such issues by keeping the body clean and making it easier to spot minor damage early.
