Fixing A New Car Scratch With Touch-up Paint

You just walked out of the local mega-mart, bags in hand, and noticed that something was wrong with your car. It looks scratched! After close inspection, you see that the mark isn't rubbing off and that your new car is now scratched. What to do - get out the touch-up paint?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Touch-up paint is one of the worst things you can do.

10% of the time, touch-up paint is the right way to fix a scratch. If the scratch is large, if bare metal is showing, and if the scratch is a circular area the size of a fingernail, touch-up paint is the way to go. But I don't think anyone who isn't a pro should use touch-up. It's hard to apply, and most of the time it's overkill.

Most scratches can be fixed with a process called "wet-sanding". Wet sanding is done by a professional, and it involves moving paint and clear coat molecules around to reduce the appearance of a scratch. It works on light scratches, but deep scratches are another matter.

You can find out if your new scratch is big or deep with a couple of simple tests. When you gently pass your fingernail over the scratch, can you feel a bump? Does the scratch stretch over the entire length of the vehicle or of an individual body panel? If the answer to either of those questions is "yes", then you need to see a body shop and you may need to call the insurance company. Big or deep scratches can be expensive to fix, but not always. Make sure to check around.

If the answer to both of the questions above is "no", then you've got a light scratch in your new car and fixing it is easy. Go to a local body shop, preferable one with a written guarantee, and ask them for an estimate. Expect to pay around $40.

With all repairs, nothing works 100%. There's a good chance that the local body shop will remove most of the scratch, but often times a small scratch remains. Relax. You're probably the only one that sees it because you know where to look. You can be happy that it looks a lot better than it did before.

Article Source: http://www.search4allinfo.com

Author Jason Lancaster, a car business veteran, developed AccurateAutoAdvice.com. You'll find accurate advice on new car warranties and touch up paint.

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