man polishes car paint 

In the event that you find a new scratch on your car, you may want to correct the issue yourself. With us, you can learn how to easily remove paint scratches and other ways to make your car like new again, such as removing the smoke smell. We'll also help you learn how to determine if a scratch is indicative of more serious damage, which requires professional care. Our service professionals at Elgin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram are here to help, so check out our guide below!

Schedule Service

Remove Scratches from Your Car's Paint

Finding scratches on your car can be both frustrating and baffling. Depending on the severity, scratches can damage the car's paint job, and even small marks are real eyesores! While some scratches can be waxed or buffed off, others aren't so simple.

Unfortunately, a few scratches are inevitable over the lifespan of a vehicle, but they can always be removed. There are a few different types of scratches, but the most common are clear coat scratches. Follow along as we detail removing clear coat scratches from you car.

Removing Clear Coat Scratches

Clear coat scratches only affect the vehicle's clear coat, and they can be acquired in many ways. Sometimes they can appear due to rock chips, or when road debris kicks up and nick the paint. In other cases, your car may have gotten scratched in the parking lot while you're shopping. Regardless of how the scratch came about, removing these types of scratches is simple and easy.

  1. Run your fingernail across the scratch to determine if it's deep or not. If your nail doesn't catch, the scratch isn't deep. If you nail catches, the scratch is deep, but no worries. As long as it's in the clearcoat, you'll be able to remove it.
  2. Clean the area with soapy water and a towel. You want to make sure that no dirt or debris gets rubbed into the paint and cause more damage.
  3. Next, tape off the scratch so you'll know exactly where it's at. As you start fixing the scratch, it may become difficult to see where the scratch is.
  4. Now that the area is taped off, you want to sand the scratch down. If the scratch is deep, use 3000 grit sandpaper; if it's fine, use 5000 grit. Smooth out the area by going against the grain of the scratch. Before you start sanding, make sure you spray down the scratch and the sandpaper with water.
  5. Continue respraying and sanding the scratch until it disappears. If you started with 3000 grit, move to the 5000 grit to blend the scratch into the surrounding area.
  6. It's time to polish! With the scratch completely gone, clean the surface again. With a microfiber towel, use a swirling motion to add "fine" polish onto the area. Once the area is polished, use a microfiber towel to remove any excess polish and lightly buff the surface.
  7. Add wax to the surface to protect your clear coat and add a protective layer to your paint.

Now that you're finished, your vehicle should be scratch free!

Note: This method won't work for deep scratches. If a scratch has exposed your car's primer, a correction and touch up is needed to restore your car's original paint. While this can be done at home, it's time intensive and may require special tools. It's best to leave the job to a professional to ensure that it's done correctly.

Car Paint Repair in Elgin

If your car's scratches require more than a simple DIY fix, contact our Elgin CDJR service center. Our staff have the know-how to remove all scratches from you car's exterior. Reach out to schedule an appointment today and learn how to fix a car dent, about tire maintenance, and other car service availability.