What to Do When Your Car Gets Scratched?
2 Answers
Solutions for minor car paint scratches: 1. First, inspect the location of the scratch, whether it's on the front bumper, rear bumper, or another part of the car; 2. Generally, the front bumper, rear bumper, and fuel tank cover are made of plastic with thinner paint layers. If the scratch is minor and you prefer not to repair it, a touch-up pen can be used for treatment; 3. If the scratch is on other parts of the vehicle, the type of car paint needs to be considered. For solid color paint, a touch-up pen can also be applied; 4. For metallic or pearl effect paint, the scratch will be more noticeable, requiring a spray paint treatment at a 4S shop. Typically, 4S shops perform spray painting on the entire panel.
When the car gets a bit of paint scratched off, I'm the kind of person who often deals with such issues. Usually, the first step is to clean the scratched area with a clean cloth to remove dust and grease, so that the subsequent steps can be effective. Then assess the depth of the damage: if only the surface clear coat is damaged, you can gently wet sand it with 2000-grit sandpaper, but don’t press too hard to avoid damaging the primer. After sanding, rinse it clean and let it dry. Then apply a touch-up pen or spray paint, making sure the color matches your car’s paint code; otherwise, the color difference will be obvious and the effect poor. When spraying, keep a distance and apply evenly, doing it in two or three layers with a few minutes of drying time between each layer. Finally, use polish to restore the gloss. For deep scratches that expose the primer, you may need to apply some filler to level it out or take it to a professional shop, as they have all the equipment and good craftsmanship to avoid future rust risks. Throughout the process, tools like paint and sandpaper are essential, and the total cost can range from tens to hundreds. However, ignoring small scratches can easily lead to them expanding into dents or rust, increasing repair burdens.
