Try to figure out scratches on the car.

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:15

I bought a 5 year old car a few months ago. When I got it, the car had the odd mark on the body work. Today was the first time I got to wash the car and took it to the local BP car automatic car wash. I get home and find the car has a lot of scratches on the body work. So my guess, its either the car wash or possibly when the was sold, it may have had some sort of wax to mask the marks.
My questions if I may ask:
Is it possible that car sales can wax and hide marks and scratches.
Can a car wash cause marks and scratches?

ShiWarrior · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:19

assuming its one of those automatic car washes, then yeah it can scratch it,
but so can going to hand cash wash , if they keep using the sponge if they have dropped it, then it will have grit on it

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:23

ShiWarrior said:
assuming its one of those automatic car washes, then yeah it can scratch it,
but so can going to hand cash wash , if they keep using the sponge if they have dropped it, then it will have grit on it

Hmm thanks. Is it worth me contacting BP about this?

dlockers · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:25

tsobo said:
Hmm thanks. Is it worth me contacting BP about this?

No, it is pretty universally accepted that auto car washes with great big twirly whacky brushes will probably be overly aggressive to clean shiny gloss paint.

It's a convenience thing for people who don't live/don't want to pay/don't have the time for a hand car wash.

You can probably buff them out but unless they're down to bare metal it shouldn't be an unexpected consequence. They also used to pinch your aerial.

andy_mk3 · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:27

tsobo said:
Can a car wash cause marks and scratches?

They are the biggest cause of swirl marks and scratches beyond anything else.

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:29

no idea what said:
They are the biggest cause of swirl marks and scratches beyond anything else.

Thanks, the shape and form of the marks, give me the impression that these could have been caused by the car wash. Do I take it up with BP or its a waste of time?

naefeart · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:33

Chalk it down to experience and dont use automated car washes.

Maccapacca · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:35

Don’t understand if it’s only swirls and you’re that picky why you’d take it through a car wash?

andy_mk3 · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:39

tsobo said:
Thanks, the shape and form of the marks, give me the impression that these could have been caused by the car wash. Do I take it up with BP or its a waste of time?

Just take it as experience and avoid in future to be honest.

Either take it to a hand car wash, which is still far from perfect but better than an automatic car wash, or wash it yourself.

Kenai · 27 Feb 2021 at 17:54

Probably a bit of both - more than likely a dealer has given it a coat of something like SRP that's a filler polish and will hide a lot of light swirls relatively well and then the automatic car wash has not only stripped this off but topped up with a few more scratches for you too.

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 18:05

Kenai said:
Probably a bit of both - more than likely a dealer has given it a coat of something like SRP that's a filler polish and will hide a lot of light swirls relatively well and then the automatic car wash has not only stripped this off but topped up with a few more scratches for you too.

, so the srp filler will only hide the marks temporarily?, which may be the case.

Diagro · 27 Feb 2021 at 18:13

Photo

pugheaven · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:17

Get the tcut out and go over it or use a paint correction tool but be very very careful if you do that. It'll probably be a combo of the dealers waxed to within an inch and now youv'e washed the car a few times you really see the car. Mine's going in for a paint correction and ceramic coating in 3 weeks and it'll only be hand washed by my dainty digits.Like said above, even the local hand wash guys, I see them drop their sponges and rags all the time.. i always see them brushing against paint work with zips off tops etc. it's one of those, convenience v's quality... if you value you're paint do NOT use either hand or machines and do it yourself. It's what I do with all my cars tbh. At least I know my gear is clean and tbh if I drop anything it goes in the bin. Rags are only cheap, why take the chance!

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:20

pugheaven said:
Get the tcut out and go over it or use a paint correction tool but be very very careful if you do that. It'll probably be a combo of the dealers waxed to within an inch and now youv'e washed the car a few times you really see the car. Mine's going in for a paint correction and ceramic coating in 3 weeks and it'll only be hand washed by my dainty digits.Like said above, even the local hand wash guys, I see them drop their sponges and rags all the time.. i always see them brushing against paint work with zips off tops etc. it's one of those, convenience v's quality... if you value you're paint do NOT use either hand or machines and do it yourself. It's what I do with all my cars tbh. At least I know my gear is clean and tbh if I drop anything it goes in the bin. Rags are only cheap, why take the chance!

Thanks, the scratches are really superficial, so been looking into t cut. Which is the best one, in your opinion, as there are so many variant?

ShiWarrior · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:22

i use T-Cut colour fast, if its a black car, get it in black

thats my own personal opinion

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:23

ShiWarrior said:
i use T-Cut colour fast, if its a black car, get it in black

thats my own personal opinion

Hmm so with tcut does it have to be color specific? As mine is some orange colour?

ShiWarrior · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:24

just get a close match

pugheaven · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:35

tsobo said:
Thanks, the scratches are really superficial, so been looking into t cut. Which is the best one, in your opinion, as there are so many variant?

there's a couple. If using TCUT you can just use the original white one or go for a colour match, it really makes no odds as you're literally taking off a fraction of the laquer and probably use a colour wax. However, I generally in the past have used Maguires Ultimate Compound Colour/Restore which does the same as TCUT but I love Maguires products. It works and will take things out of paint. if you want to do a good job and get the paint as good as can without a proper paint correction; 1). Wash Car by hand 2). Dry car by hand 3). You can clay the whole car yourself (using pads is easy) or just jump straight to 4). use Maguires Ultimate on the whole car and take your time and then buff off and finally 5). Maguires Wax or any wax of your taste. Job done.

if you use glay bar/pads, you'll be amazed at the crap that comes off your "clean" paint... seriously I clayed a black Saab years ago and wow... was like glass the finish. The decision should be, once washed, run your finget tips over the paint. is it like glass or can you feel roughness? if rough, you should clay as this is crap bonded to your paint!

All depends how far you wanna go fella. it's just hard work but can be done cheaply!!!

ShiWarrior · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:39

tbh, it might just come out in a polish

i.e.

wash car
polish car, add wax as per normal routine

get some photos up of some scratches so we can help a bit better

tsobo · 27 Feb 2021 at 19:43

ShiWarrior said:
tbh, it might just come out in a polish

i.e.

wash car
polish car, add wax as per normal routine

get some photos up of some scratches so we can help a bit better

Thanks, how do I attach pictures on here when using the forums on my mobile?

Try to figure out scratches on the car.

Tea Drinker