What to Do When the White Paint on a Car is Scratched?
4 Answers
The method to deal with scratches on white car paint is: 1. Clean the scratched area thoroughly; 2. Soak sandpaper in water and wrap it around a hard cotton block; 3. Use the sandpaper to smooth out the scratched area; 4. Prepare tape and a cloth to cover areas that do not need touch-up; 5. Combine the touch-up pen with a mini spray can; 6. Start spraying from a certain distance from the scratch; 7. Spray blending clear coat on the touched-up area and let it dry. The methods for maintaining car paint are: 1. Remove dust from the car body promptly before use; 2. Rinse the car thoroughly after rain; 3. Avoid washing the car under direct sunlight; 4. Use dedicated neutral running water for washing; 5. Wipe in the direction of water flow, from top to bottom gently; 6. Remove stains like tar and bird droppings promptly; 7. Avoid frequent car paint polishing.
I've got plenty of experience with this! Last year when I was reversing, I scraped against a utility pole and got a white streak on the right door. If the scratch hasn't exposed the black primer, you can actually make fine scratches fade significantly by rubbing them hard with toothpaste on a damp towel for about ten minutes. If the primer is exposed, you'll need to buy a touch-up paint pen. Search online using the first six digits of your VIN to match the exact paint code. Before applying, use sandpaper dipped in water to smooth out any rough edges. Remember to apply thin layers over small areas multiple times, and polish only after it's completely dry. My rule of thumb: DIY for scratches the size of a fingernail, but for palm-sized damage, head to a repair shop. Never try to make do with correction fluid or white paint—otherwise, the whole area will peel after getting wet in the rain. After touching up, avoid washing the car immediately; wait three days for the paint to fully cure.
As a semi-expert who helps friends check cars all day, I recommend handling it in three steps. First, check the scratch depth: if your finger feels a dent or reveals a black metal layer, it likely needs professional repainting; if it's just surface white paint wear, a bottle of scratch wax polish costing a few dozen yuan can fix it. Second, consider the area: scratches the size of a mirror cover can be DIY-repaired to save a couple hundred yuan, but if the entire door is scratched, professional sheet metal work is needed. For tools, I suggest buying an online kit with gold oil sandpaper, and remember to get paint with pearl powder for pearl white cars. The key technique is to clean oil stains with alcohol before painting and to spray paint with a shaking motion to avoid buildup. Color difference after repair is normal; it will blend more naturally after a couple of months in the sun.
Actually, there are three types of white car paint. Scratches on ordinary solid-color paint are easier to deal with—if the clear coat is scratched, buy a repair kit with clear coat polish. For pearl-effect paint, choose a metallic repair pen and apply blending clear coat after filling. The professional repair process is quite complex: the technician must sand off the surrounding clear coat, fill the dent with epoxy resin, then apply three coats of color paint and two coats of clear coat. I’ve seen some shops use heat lamps for half-hour curing, achieving near-factory results. Key reminder: exposed metal must be treated within two days, or rust stains will spread noticeably on white cars. Don’t rush to claim insurance for minor scratches—three claims can raise next year’s premium by over 800 yuan.
