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Small scratch on the rear driver's side bumper

7.2K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  MINICooperS  
#1 ·
Good Day to All!

I am hoping for a little help and/or advise.

This may seem petty to some, but it's driving me nuts!!! I like to keep my vehicles clean and 'flawless' .. especially since the Patriot is relatively still showroom new.

A few weeks back, I happen to notice a small scratch on the rear driver's side bumper. It's not a deep/wide scratch, but it was enough to show white. You can feel the scratch with your finger nail.

My Patriot was purchased back on March 13th and has Black Clear Coat Exterior Paint.

I went to a local detailing shop, that does excellent work, and asked about buffing or compounding out the scratch. I was told that they could do it .. it would lighten up the scratch, but they do not really recommend it since the paint is still fairly new.

So here's my question ..

Should I just purchase a small amount of 'touch-up' paint and cover the scratch myself, or consider a body shop and pay the extra $$$ to get it taken care of?

If I go the 'touch-up' route, will it blend in with the rest? Remember, the scratch is not that deep, not very long .. maybe 4" straight down and on the rear bumper on driver's side.

What do you think?

Comments? Suggestions?

Thanks for your input in advance!

Michael
 
#2 ·
there is no easy/chip fix,
as DIY yourself to hide such scratches, i would buy factory touch up paint,
do not apply it directly with its brush, as the brush is larger than you would need,
instead if you have old brushes around, cut a few hairs out, and use those,
i have also taken matches, split them and used them as a brush,
only need like a drop on the tip,
over time, will probably get more scratches, when theres considerable damage to 1 panel then consider getting it professionally done.
first 1-2 years is usually the worst for noticing every little scratch.
 
#3 ·
I know how you feel. On the last snow fall of this past winter, I also got a little scratch when someone slid into my back bumper. It was about a 1 or 2 mph hit from a VW toureg.

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Luckily it was just the bumper cover. I have parts on order to get it fixed, but I did manage to find some pretty close match color tape!

Image


I'll do a nice write up and pictures of removing the bumper and replacing the parts.
 
#5 ·
I know how you feel. On the last snow fall of this past winter, I also got a little scratch when someone slid into my back bumper. It was about a 1 or 2 mph hit from a VW toureg.
Luckily it was just the bumper cover. I have parts on order to get it fixed, but I did manage to find some pretty close match color tape!
Image

I'll do a nice write up and pictures of removing the bumper and replacing the parts.
i like the matching tape,
may have to look for tan colored tape :)
Image
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#6 ·
True, but then people wouldn't have seen it might walk right into the corner! :p
 
#7 ·
todde702 .. you're a trip!!!!!

I've read a lot of your posts .. like the knowledge base along with the humor! ;-)

You got a "little" scratch?!?!?

Well mine must be minute comparably ..


This is the 'scratch' I want to make .. 'go-away'!
 
#11 ·
Small scratches like that are tough to fix. One method might be to carefully tape (very closely to) both sides of the scratch, dab the paint in, then use a brand new razor blade like a putty knife to level and remove excess paint while it's still wet. That would be dragging the blade across rather then pushing it, cutting edge first BTW.
 
#8 ·
Ignatz had an altercation with some barbed wire while ambling through some brush. The scratches look to be similar depth to yours (surface only). I used Turtle Wax Color Magic. Its a cheap fix and its invisible for several months afterward, though I do refresh it every so often.

For such a small scratch, I'd avoid the touch-up paint. No matter how careful you are with the tiny little brush, you're bound to have a thick layer that's much more visible than the scratch, even if its the same color.

I'd suggest avoiding the abrasive waxes that claim to fill scratches -- All they do is borrow surrounding paint to fill the scratch, and they still must be refreshed every so often like the color matching wax, only gradually you will wear down the surrounding paint until you get a light spot there.

IMHO, your situation is exactly what the color-match waxes are intended for. Todde702's problem is too much for wax to cover. I had a bumper-thumper with another car when Ignatz was young and another H&R parking lot incident on the other end of the bumper. While not as bad as todde702's, there were some creases and scratches that showed down to the black and I resorted to touch-up paint. Better than the black, and better than todde702's taping job, but my best work still left visible marks. The only real alternative for a perfect job, large or small, is to spend the $$$ on a new bumper cover.
 
#10 ·
i drove through some brush and needless to say i scratched my jeep up but its not bad enough to concern me yet
 
#12 ·
let me start off by saying .. "aroundincircles" .. if my Patriot looked like that, I would be in some serious hurtin' .. I WOULD BE CRYING!!! never mind keeping myself up at night :icon_rolleyes:

todde702 .. the mrs. is very good with a paint brush. She has a very steady hand along with some of those really fine brushes with the really small bristles. If I do go the 'touch-up' route ( which I am more leaning towards ), I think I will give her a go at it.

i think the 'paint matching wax' is more like using white rubbing compound to me .. stealing paint from around the area scares me. i feel like it would lead to other painting issues down the road.

i would like to thank you all for your input .. gave me options to consider.

as always, all of your comments and suggestions were taken to heart!!!

thanks again,

michael
 
#15 ·
i think the 'paint matching wax' is more like using white rubbing compound to me .. stealing paint from around the area scares me. i feel like it would lead to other painting issues down the road.
Sorry if I was unclear. I was suggesting the use of colored wax, not compounding waxes. Colored waxes bring their own color with them; compounding waxes steal the surrounding paint to fill in the scratch. Indeed, since neither solution is permanent and must be repeated, a compounding wax will eventually generate a light spot in the paint. A colored wax simply wears off and must be replaced.
 
#14 ·
First scratch

The first scratch/dent is the hardest.
I got mine backing into the garage... OUCH!
Then loading a chair into the back, #2.
Now that the car is no longer perfect,
I can relax and enjoy.

After all,
it is a car,
meant to be driven in an imperfect world full potential hazards.
I suppose I am glad it was me,
instead of someone else in a parking lot......:doh:
 
#16 ·
Just meant as an update ...

Waiting for the weather to cooperate with me .. Humidity in the northeast has been terrible. I want to wash the Patriot first before I start with the 'repair' work. I'm not sure if the touch-up paint is affected by humidity as house paint is, so I am waiting for it to cool down some.

Next week, the week of July 22nd looks promising. Once I have taken care of the scratch, I will post pics for those interested.

Michael :)
 
#18 ·
I have some tiny scratches too, and had the same idea. I was going to go for the single bristle style brush, multiple layers over multiple days until there's enough paint to look level with the rest. But by all means try it for me first :) lol
 
#20 ·
I had the dealer use Armor All body compound to remove some small scratches for free. It worked. Other than that, pay the few hundred bucks to get the door/panel/whatever repainted. Don't bother blending unless the scratch is very close to another panel. I've had 3 paint jobs so far.