Is a Small Paint Chip from Door Impact Serious?
3 Answers
You can go to a repair shop for touch-up paint. When performing paint repair, be sure to choose a professional facility. If you don't want to visit a repair shop, you can use a touch-up pen to dab the area to prevent door rust. Relevant information about car paint is as follows: 1. Automotive body paint is quite complex, consisting of four layers from the inside out: the electrocoat layer, primer layer, basecoat layer, and clearcoat layer. 2. The electrocoat layer primarily serves an anti-rust function: After the entire vehicle body is assembled, it is immersed in an electrocoating bath to form this protective layer. 3. Above the electrocoat layer is the primer layer: This layer also provides rust protection and enhances adhesion for subsequent paint layers. 4. Above the primer layer is the basecoat layer: This layer mainly serves an aesthetic purpose. 5. The outermost layer is the clearcoat: This protective layer safeguards the basecoat while also enhancing the paint's glossiness.
It's all too common to accidentally scratch off some paint when opening the car door. I remember how heartbroken I was when I first got my new car. But honestly, the key is to see how deep the scratch is. If it's just a thin layer of clear coat that's been rubbed off, at worst it'll look unsightly, but it won't cause any immediate issues. However, if the grayish-white primer underneath is exposed, or worse, you can see the black metal panel, then you really need to take care of it right away. Rainwater or car wash water getting into the scratch, with the metal panel directly exposed to air, will inevitably lead to rust in no time. Once the rust starts spreading, the cost of repainting will be much higher. The metal sheet on the car door isn't very thick to begin with, and if it rusts through, repairs will be even more troublesome. My advice is to find a reliable paint shop and get it fixed as soon as you can for peace of mind.
My neighbor didn't fully open his garage door the other day, and when he pushed the car door open, it hit the wall, chipping off a small piece of paint. He's been quite upset about it. Actually, the severity depends mainly on two factors: the size of the area and the depth. For a scratch the size of a coin that exposes the grayish-white primer underneath, it doesn't affect the door's functionality in the short term, but it's particularly prone to water seepage during rainy days, which can corrode the edges of the paint. This is especially noticeable on white cars, as over time, an unsightly yellow stain will form around the area. I suggested he use a touch-up pen for a temporary fix. Although the repair marks are visible up close, it at least seals the surface to prevent rust. When he has time, he can go to a professional shop for a partial repair, which will yield a more natural-looking result.
