Light Scratch Repair Overview
The first step in repairing a scratch on your car is to identify what type of scratch you are dealing with. The chart below shows the different types of scratches you might encounter on your vehicle.
First, you will need to determine if the paint scratch is fine or deep.
The easiest way to do this? You simply feel it with your fingernail!
Basically, a scratch can be repaired with the process on this page if:
1. You cannot actually feel it or;
2. You can feel it, but your fingernail does not catch on the scratch.
If you can feel the scratch and it catches your fingernail (or you see the primer color or bare metal) you should head over to our deep scratch repair page.
If you are dealing with a simple clearcoat scratch, oxidation, or stain, the area can most likely be sanded, buffed, and polished back to perfection following the process below.
The 5-Step Repair Process:
1. Prepare the Surface — Clean and remove dirt from the scratched area.
2. Sand the Scratch — Starting with your 2000 grit sandpaper, begin sanding the area. Always sand at an angle – never perpendicular - to the scratch. Be sure to feather the edges of your repair area as well. Clean the area again and move to your 2500 grit sandpaper, repeating the same process, before finishing with 3000 grit sandpaper. Wipe the area down one final time before continuing.
3. Refine the Scratch — Attach the disc pad holder to a drill and the compounding pad to the disc pad holder. Using a quarter-sized amount of rubbing compound, buff the sanded area. Ensure scratches are removed from the surface.
4. Polish and Restore Shine — Switch to the polishing pad. Apply a quarter-sized amount polish/finishing compound onto the pad. Polish the area until your desired level of shine has returned.
Note: Always keep your drill between 1000-1200 RPM. Any faster and you run the risk of burning through your clearcoat.
5. Protect the Repaired Area — For added protection, apply a quality car wax to the repaired area. Do the entire vehicle (if desired).
Products mentioned in this post: