[Loubaru]

Well I brought my car in to the dealer for the 07 ecu reflash (which didn't really help) and I forgot to tell them not to wash my car. They washed it and now the car is covered with little scratches in the clear coat (I think they use one of those old school car washers that drag rags/brushes over your car, this is a black car). They aren't really that noticeable but this is a brand new car and it pisses me off. I brought it back to them and got them to agree to fix it their f* up.

My question is what is the best way to fix these little scratches without thinning out my clear coat too much? I would assume they could just be buffed out but will this thin my clear coat? Also, are the dealer's equipped to solve paint problems? I don't want to have a mechanic that knows nothing about paint trying to fix my paint.

[STI23]

i would try wash, clay, some meguairs scratch x, and then a nice wax only after all scratches are gone. maybe before that, complain to the dealership and demand they fix it.

[Loubaru]

They are going to fix it. all of them are light except one on the hood that will have to be at least buffed out. I was wondering what I should have them do? Do dealerships have paint people?

[STI23]

depends on if they have a body shop. some dealerships have their own collision centers. man, you're car is brand new so they should do what ever is necessary to get it back to new condition. you may want to speak to them further about how they are going to fix all of this and voice your concerns. voice all of them, especially if you don't feel comfortable about the methods they'll be using.

[amg destroyer]

Originally Posted by STI23

i would try wash, clay, some meguairs scratch x, and then a nice wax only after all scratches are gone. maybe before that, complain to the dealership and demand they fix it.

[Peleg]

No bodyshop needed.

You'll need a polisher, pads and some Meguiar's # 9 or scratch X.

[house poor sti]

Peleg is right, no body shop needed. Just polish yourself, 'cause no one will do it with the kind of care you want them too'. Heck, dealer will be vindictive when they buff out anything on your car, they won't tell you that they didn't rewax. Hence, the first drop of moisture on your freshly polished and unwaxed car will cause likely cause a nasty water mark if you don't get it off immediately. So remeber, once you are done polishing, make sure to apply your wax or glaze before driving around. I have really appreciate the Meguiar NXT Tech Wax stuff for the ultra quick ease of application. May not be as thick as the Gold class stuff, but takes a fifth of the time.

[Loubaru]

Originally Posted by house poor sti

Peleg is right, no body shop needed. Just polish yourself, 'cause no one will do it with the kind of care you want them too'. Heck, dealer will be vindictive when they buff out anything on your car, they won't tell you that they didn't rewax. Hence, the first drop of moisture on your freshly polished and unwaxed car will cause likely cause a nasty water mark if you don't get it off immediately. So remeber, once you are done polishing, make sure to apply your wax or glaze before driving around. I have really appreciate the Meguiar NXT Tech Wax stuff for the ultra quick ease of application. May not be as thick as the Gold class stuff, but takes a fifth of the time.

This is my first nice car, so I don't know much about keeping paint looking good. But why would it create a watermark that wouldn't come out after buffing if unwaxed?

[Nachos Libres]

Originally Posted by CKLewis

This is my first nice car, so I don't know much about keeping paint looking good. But why would it create a watermark that wouldn't come out after buffing if unwaxed?

Polishing basically removes a very thin layer of paint which removes the small scratches you are talking about. Polishing also removes whatever wax or sealent you have on the paint, which is what protects the paint from chemicals, water spots, sun, etc. Basically you want to polish, which removes the scratches, then wax, which makes the car shine, and then use a sealent, which protects the wax and the cars paint. I personally use Zaino but Meguiars is good and so is a lot of other products.

[Acejam2k]

If I was in your position I would go to AutoZone and get:

Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze.



It's basically a polish, that will polish all the scratches out. Then after you apply the polish, then put on a nice coat of wax. Not only will the scratches be gone, but your car will have a VERY nice shine. The polish essentially polishes the paint and shines the car up, and then think of the wax as a protective layer.

I've played around with a bunch of different waxes, but in terms of consumer brands Meguiar's Gold Class liquid is nice, but I've found that Meguiar's NXT TechWAX is also very nice, and lasts a bit longer. It gives the paint a nice deep glossy shine to it.