2 Things To Avoid When Attempting A Car Repair For Scratches

There are many minor car repair tasks that a driver can attempt without formal training. Many car owners want a car that looks great, and when there are scratches on the paintwork, it can be annoying. A scratch on a car will affect the aesthetic appeal, but it’s also a vector that could allow corrosion to enter the bodywork. As such, it’s a great idea to repair that scratch, but many people approach this in the wrong way, and they may even cause more damage. In this article, we will look at two things that you should avoid when you attempt a car scratch repair.

1. Ignore the Car Scratch

When you think about car repairs in Perth, it’s likely that most drivers will imagine some major problem where the bonnet is open, and mechanics are scratching their head. Most car repairs are not like this at all, and the vast majority of repairs are corrections of minor issues. This is equally true with scratches on the paint; this isn’t a catastrophic situation that will prevent the car from working as intended, but it won’t go away on its own.

When the paint on a car has been scratched the clear coating that offers protection for the car's bodywork has become compromised. This means that the paintwork is at an increased risk of further damage including corrosion. The longer that the owner waits to resolve this issue the worse it will get. Eventually, the corrosion will penetrate down to the bodywork and rust will begin to form. When you fix the car scratch quickly, you can protect your car and the paintwork from further damage.

2. Just Touch Up the Affected Area

When many drivers notice minor scratches on their car's paintwork the first instinct is to buy some matching car paint and touch up the affected area. Every driver has seen the little cans of touch up paint at the auto stores, so this must be a valid tactic. Some drivers may even know someone that successfully use touch up paint to get their car looking as good as new again.

Using car touch up paint may be a viable option if you have an older car that would be uneconomical to fix correctly. However, if you have a new car or a classic car that you care a great deal about, car touch up paint is simply not an option worth exploring. In fact, in most cases the touched up area will probably look worse than the car scratches did in the first place.

Car touch up paint is hard to apply, the car body surface has to be prepared in a specific way, and even then the car paint may not cover or stick properly. If you’re planning to do this outside, dirt and dust can settle on the surfaces as you prepare them or as they dry and this will ruin the finish.

If you’re looking for the best “car repair near me” save yourself some time and go with the team at AHG Auto & Tyre Service who can provide you with an obligation free quote for your repairs.