BMW Blog

My car is new and from day one, I clay bar, polished, and waxed it. The finish is smooth as glass and perfect, except for one area.


I have one fine scratch about the width of a hair and 4 inches long near the door handle.

So I don't need to polish the whole car or anything like that. I just need to take care of the one fine scratch..

What's the best thing to do? Is there a polish that is the same color as the paint?

Seems like touch up paint will leave a more noticible raised and irregular area on it that what's already there.

Again, about the width of a human hair and 4 inches long. Looks like a key mark that was done by the dealer when holding keys in hand while opening the door.




Have you tried ScratchX yet? That would be my first try product for something like that.
I use Kit Scratch Out

works like a charm, great on headlights too

i dont know for sure about all, but i dont think these products actually remove the scratch, they just do something to the paint and the scratched area to make it less noticeable. cuz when i look at some angles the scratch is still there, but in general its virtually invisible
Have you tried ScratchX yet? That would be my first try product for something like that.


SO I see the two replies above.


Is is ScratchX or Scratch out?

The answer is no, I havent used these products before.

HELP!
SO I see the two replies above.


Is is ScratchX or Scratch out?

The answer is no, I havent used these products before.

HELP!

ScratchX is made by Meguiars. You can pick it up at WalMart. Comes in a black tube. I don't know about "Scratch Out" by Kit. I've never used that one. ScratchX by Meguiars does more than fill. While it does have some fillers, it is also a mildly abrasive swirl/scratch remover.

You didn't post any pics, so it's hard to tell what you're dealing with for sure, but from your description, I would think there's a good chance that you can completely or almost completely remove the scratch with ScratchX. It may take more than one application.

If the scratch catches your fingernail when you run your fingernail across it, you may not completely be able to get it out without more aggressive means, but ScratchX is a good place to start.

Use a foam applicator, like the foam pads you get when you buy many waxes. If you have any quick detailer spray(Like Meguiars Quick Detailer, also available at WalMart), mist the whole pad with it first so that you're not rubbing a dry applicator on your paint. Put about a dime size blob of ScratchX on the pad, spread it over the scratch, then start rubbing in the direction of the scratch. Don't rub in circles. You may have to use a bit of pressure. Don't worry, you can't really hurt your paint with ScratchX, it's VERY mild. Work it until the product is nearly gone and there's nothing left but a light haze. Gently buff that haze off with a good MF towel. Check your work. If you can still see the scratch, then try another application, perhaps with more pressure. Check your work again. Look like it's gone? Gently clean the area with a little isopropyl alcohol. This will clean away any fillers that the ScratchX may have left and allow you to see if you actually eliminated the scratch or if the fillers just hid it. If it's gone after the alcohol, then all you need to do is apply a wax or sealant to put some protection on the area that you just stripped. If it was gone, then reappears after the alcohol, then you know the fillers were hiding it. Then at least one more application. Check your work. Gone? Now you decide if you want to do the alcohol wipedown again, or if you just want to seal it and be done (fillers will wash away eventually and you'll have to do it again if you didn't totally eliminate the scratch).

If you're unable to completely remove it with ScratchX, then you would need to step up to something a bit more aggressive. Don't worry about that until after you try the ScratchX.

There are other polishes available that don't have fillers, but most of them have to be mail ordered. Scratchx is pretty good for spot treatments like this and available cheap at WalMart.

Good luck. :)
yeah use the meguiars scratchX then cuz we get different stuff here and that one sounds a lil better
Buffer and Polish, FTW. Fixing that scratch would be a Piece o cake.