Fill in paint scratches with a pen? That's how it's done!

Reading time 5 Min.

It happens after brief contact with garage walls, branches or bicycle handlebars: scratches on fenders, hood or doors. Here are a few tips for fixing this type of damage. Whether the car has to go directly to the workshop for repairs depends on the depth of the scratches. Stick to your fingernails not stuck in the paintwork scratches, you can try to repair the damage yourself. However, if the color of the scratch deviates from the original paint, then it has penetrated into the primer, if not into the sheet metal. To avoid rust, the car should be taken to the workshop for painting as soon as possible.

The professional: Remove deep paintwork scratches with Smart Repair!

The deep If there are scratches, it is advisable to have the damage repaired professionally - either in a smart repair workshop or with a smart repair specialist. With this service, minor cosmetic damage, such as scratches, can be repaired quickly and inexpensively Spot painting or touch up touch-up with an airbrush gun. However, the repair process quickly reaches its limits with large scratches and especially on horizontal surfaces. For example, repaired areas on the bonnet can quickly become visible due to light reflections. Repainting the entire bonnet is the better solution here.

Auto Repair Tips

• Compare smart repair quotes from different garages in advance, as prices can vary widely.
• Photograph the damage before the repair so that you can make a complaint if necessary.
• Clarify the details directly on the vehicle: i.e. what needs to be done and how much it will cost.

Treat surface scratches yourself

This is usually sufficient for fine scratches Polish with a standard car polish. It contains tiny, microscopic abrasive particles that smooth out scratches and fill in small indentations, masking the scratches so that they are hardly or not at all visible. The procedure is as follows:

• Clean the area to be treated carefully with warm water or foaming car shampoo to avoid rubbing dirt particles into the paintwork. (soak coarser dirt first, then spray off with a hose)
• The scratches are then cleaned with benzine and a cotton swab to remove even the smallest dirt particles.
• Air dry or hand dry with a soft, clean cloth (terry cloth, microfiber).
• Apply polishing paste in small circular movements and if necessary carry out/apply a finish according to the instructions. (Caution: polish dries quickly!)
• Remove any residue with a clean, soft cloth.

Do it yourself with a repair kit

If you're concerned about repair costs, for example because your vehicle is older, you can try removing scratches with a repair repair yourself. It is important to remember that spot repairs can result in deviations from the other components. Therefore, it is actually best to treat the entire component at once. Repair kits are available from car dealerships and of course from accessories. They usually contain two different ones polishes, emery cloth and polishing cloths. After thorough cleaning (see above), apply both agents one after the other and polish as described in the instructions.

DIY for stronger scratches

If the damage to the paintwork is extensive and it is not possible to repair it with a polish or a repair kit, we recommend a Touch-up pen. Many car manufacturers offer touch-up sticks that match the car's color code. The often three-digit code is usually on a metal plate or sticker, for example under the hood, on the inner edge of the driver's door (B-pillar), under the trunk lid or in the operating instructions. After thorough cleaning of the damaged area (see above), simply put a few drops of the repair pen on a rubber spatula and carefully pull over the scratch. After the paint has dried, any excess paint can be removed with a liquid paint restorer and a polishing cloth. The surface is then divided into small sections with car polish and polished and finally a seal is applied. The latter consists of predominantly waxy substances and protects the paint from environmental influences.

Home remedies: Better not to use them!

Toothpaste: The trick of using conventional white toothpaste instead of the often expensive polish is popular but should still be viewed critically. If the abrasive particles are not fine enough, they can even damage the paintwork. In addition, one is missing Finish, which largely brings a real polish and permanently seals the treated area. Nail polish: Nail polish is taboo. Aside from being difficult to find the exact color, this correction is not permanent. In the summer, nail polish can blister or simply chip off in the heat.

What happens if scratches are not treated?

Deeper scratches that damage the primer should be done for a number of reasons not on your own be treated. In addition to the unsightly appearance Rust the biggest problem. If you don't get it repaired correctly, the area will start to rust over time, which will end up leading to a more complicated repair.

The following note is essential: For safety reasons, tuningblog recommends all repair, inspection and maintenance work exclusively to be carried out in a specialist workshop! Although our information is summarized to the best of our knowledge and belief, we cannot assume any liability for the content. All information is therefore "without guarantee".

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

In this tuningblog category there are guides and instructions for common defects/repairs on the vehicle and for installing accessories/tuning parts. Our articles explain in a simple way common defects and the corresponding repairs and they also explain how the first signs of a defect become noticeable. In most cases, we also have initial clues to the repair instructions in our repair instructions approximate costs listed. The goal of ourAuto Repair Guide“ is to create a head start in knowledge for the next visit to the workshop with initial tips. This may save you from tedious troubleshooting and you may even be able to do small things yourself. The same applies, of course, to the installation of accessories/tuning parts. Here, too, we would like to help with the implementation with instructions and tips. There are many other posts on this as well. Below is an excerpt of the last and HERE there are all previous instructions.

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