Cracked car paint is not only unsightly, it can also cause bigger problems. On exposed metal, rust will form more quickly, which will then spread under the paint and damage all body panels. Even small chips from gravel can cause serious problems if not repaired properly. Fortunately, most chippings can be fixed at home with some basic tools and experience. You may not be able to restore the paint to the condition of a new car, but this will prevent rust from spreading to the body and cover up any build-up well enough that other people won't notice.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Fixing a Minor Chip
Step 1. Determine the severity of the clot
The common chips that occur in car paint can be classified into 3 categories: small, medium and large. Small category romps are generally less than 18 mm in diameter and can take some time to fix. The medium category rompal has a diameter greater than 18 mm, but less than 25 mm, and the rompal with a diameter of 25 mm or more is included in the large category. Other factors that can make chipping on car paint more difficult to repair include rust and peeling paint.
- Small chips should be cleaned of rust and less than 18 mm in size.
- The peeling paint should be removed and this will cause the repair area to be larger than the “small chip”.
Step 2. Buy a touch up paint pen
Unlike scratches, which can usually be polished or wet sanded, chipping on a car body must be treated by applying paint to the metal. Car paint not only enhances the appearance of the car, but also protects the metal underneath from the effects of the weather. If metal is exposed to air and moisture for too long, oxidation and rust formation will occur. Use oil paint to help prevent rust from forming. This kind of grease is easy to use and comes in a variety of options. You can find the right one for your car. Lubricant is specifically designed to repair small chips.
- Check the sticker on the inside of a car door manufactured after 1983 for the paint code. If the paint code isn't clear, take a picture of the sticker and show the salesperson the image at the nearest auto parts store. He can help choose the right color.
- Some shops may ask for a Vehicle Identification Number (or VIN) to ensure they find the right paint code. The VIN can also be found on a sticker on the inside of the door.
Step 3. Clean the area around the chip
Before painting, it is important to wash the area thoroughly. Applying paint over the dirt can spoil the finish. In addition, the paint may fall off and expose the same chips. Rinse the area to be repaired, then wash with warm water and soap. Rinse again and allow to dry completely.
Make sure the car body is completely dry before applying paint
Step 4. Use a scuff-removal polish to cover the chip
Once the car is completely dry, remove the paint cap and place the tip of the paint pen in the center of the chipped area. You may need to press gently to remove the paint, depending on the type of product used. You may not need to move the pen to cover small chipped areas as the paint will release and spread over the entire surface, but you can also move it to one side if you want more paint to come out. Use paint to cover a slightly larger area than the chipped area as the paint will shrink slightly once it dries.
- Don't let the paint drip off too much. The color of the paint will be the same, but the drops of paint will be clearly visible.
- If you accidentally get too much paint off, wipe off the excess paint right away.
Step 5. Let the paint dry unwashed and polish it
Make sure the paint is completely dry before washing it off, as you could scratch or damage the new coat if it's still sticky. Depending on the type of paint, you may have to wait about an hour before the paint is completely dry. Some products may take a full day to dry. Once the paint is completely dry, wash the entire car and apply a fresh coat of wax.
- Gently touch the paint to see if it is dry. If it feels sticky, it means the paint hasn't dried.
- Apply a new coat of wax to help make the car paint color more uniform and shiny, while also helping to protect the paint from chipping in the future.
Method 2 of 4: Repaint Medium Size Chips
Step 1. Clean all the dirt
The diameter of the medium category rump usually ranges from 18-25 mm. Due to its larger size, you will often find dirt trapped in it or along the edges of the paint. Remove any dirt particles with your fingers or tweezers before cleaning the area. If you wash the chipped area without cleaning it first, the dirt can stick to the sponge and be dragged along, causing fine scratches on the undamaged paint.
- Using tweezers will make it easier for you to pick up any debris that might be stuck in the paint before you wash the car.
- Sometimes you can blow off the surface of the chipped area or use canned water to remove debris.
- Make sure the paint doesn't peel off during the cleaning process. Peeling paint will make the chip even wider.
Step 2. Wash the area around the chip
After you have removed the dirt from the chipped area and its surroundings, wash the area in the same way you would wash a small chipped area. First, rinse the area, then use a sponge to apply warm water and soap. After that, rinse once again. Make sure the car is completely dry before applying paint.
Washing the chipped area ensures that no debris or dirt deposits are trapped under the fresh coat of paint
Step 3. Use rubbing alcohol to remove grease and oil
Once the area around the chip is clean and dry, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol, Prepsol or varnish on a washcloth and use it to clean the area once again. This will remove any grease or oil in the area, which can make it difficult for the primer to firmly adhere to the metal. The surface may look clean, but a small amount of grease or oil can spoil the entire painting process.
- You can simply rub the rag into the chipped area and along the edges.
- Keep in mind that this will remove the wax, even the varnish on the other paint. So, avoid rubbing the area with paint that is still good. You just need to rub the patchy area gently.
Step 4. Apply a primer (primary) on the metal
Automotive primers can be purchased at your local auto parts store and at major stores such as Ace Hardware. Base paints are sold in small bottles with brushes, unlike the scuff-removal polish you use for small scuffs. Use the applicator brush to apply the primer to the clean, dry metal. Be careful not to touch the surrounding paint. You only need to apply the base paint thinly and evenly on the areas that are not covered with paint.
- If you accidentally apply primer to a coat of paint around the chipped area, it will rise to the surface causing an uneven and visible appearance.
- Don't use too much primer. Immediately remove the dripping paint until it is completely clean.
- Make sure the primer is completely dry before moving on to the next step. If it feels sticky, it means the paint hasn't dried.
Step 5. Apply the polish using the applicator brush
Medium and large scuffs should be treated with a car polish that comes with an applicator brush instead of a pen. Although the paint is the same, the method of application of these two products is slightly different. For medium-sized chips that tend to be small, using a pen oil may do the trick. Shake the paint to mix well, then dip the tip of the applicator brush into the paint. Press the applicator brush in the center of the chipped area, and move it around slowly, allowing the paint to adhere to the metal and spread. Dip the brush once more, and apply pressure to the same area, while allowing the paint to drain from the brush and adhere to the vehicle. Do not brush the brush like painting the walls of the house.
- You may have to repeat the process several times to cover the entire area of the chip, but this method allows the paint to spread more evenly.
- Don't be tempted to apply a lot of paint to speed up the process. Applying too much paint at a time can cause the paint to drip or form air bubbles.
Step 6. Allow the paint to dry and repeat the same procedure if necessary
Check the final result after the paint has dried. If the paint has covered the chipped area and the edges are blending with the surrounding paint, you can move on to the next step. If the surface of the paint is lower than the surrounding paint or if you still see metal, add another coat of paint using the same procedure as before.
- The paint may stand out from the surrounding paint when you apply it. Do not worry. The paint will shrink as it dries so it spreads evenly.
- Patience during this repair process will help you get the best end result.
- Make sure the paint is completely dry before moving on to the next step (it may take a few hours).
Step 7. Wash the car and apply a coat of wax
Even if the repair is only done on a small part of the car body, it is important to apply a coat of wax to the entire surface of the car to ensure that the paint shine is uniform. The wax coating protects the paint from the effects of the weather and prevents the paint from fading in the sun. If you don't apply a fresh coat of wax to the entire surface of the car, the paint will fade, causing a slightly different color. You'll need to apply wax to the freshly painted area to protect the new paint and create the same shine as the rest of the car.
Make sure you wash and polish the entire surface of the car to protect the paint and get a uniform shine
Method 3 of 4: Preparing to Fix a Large Chip
Step 1. Check the damage level
Larger lumps usually have a diameter of 25 mm or more. Large chips may be the most difficult to repair because the area to be repaired is easier to see. If the chip is a few inches in diameter or the paint continues to peel off and lead to a larger chip, you may need to take it to an auto paint shop to have the damaged body panels or even the entire car painted. Before you start, make sure you are absolutely sure that you can repair paint damage with paint on your own.
- Grease can only be used to treat chips less than a few inches in diameter.
- Do not try to apply paint over an old, chipped coat of paint as the paint will peel and repair efforts will be wasted.
Step 2. Use tweezers or a toothpick to remove dirt and old paint chips
Large chips tend to accumulate dirt so you'll need to clean them before moving on to the next step. Use your fingers or tweezers to remove any large debris and try blowing the area or using canned water to remove any accumulated dirt. It's a good idea to get rid of the peeling paint as it will no longer stick to the metal and will eventually fall off along with the freshly applied paint. Remove the peeling paint with the help of nails, tweezers, or a toothpick.
- Be careful not to peel off any good paint around the area.
- Make sure you don't scratch the good paint with the tools you use to remove chipped paint or debris.
Step 3. Remove any rust on the surface
In large chip areas, the metal surface is exposed to more moisture, increasing the risk of rust. Remove rust by applying a small amount of rust remover solution (CLR) to the metal using a cotton swab. If the rust penetrates deep enough to form holes in the body or a cotton swab can penetrate the metal, it means that the rust has damaged body parts and cannot be repaired simply by applying paint over it. A car paint shop can determine if that amount of rust can be removed and repaired or if you need to replace a damaged car body component. If the rust doesn't penetrate the metal, you can simply apply the rust remover solution with a different cotton swab until there is no more rust stuck to it.
- Once the rust is no longer on the cotton swab, wipe the area with rubbing alcohol to remove the chemical and any remaining grease or oil.
- If you don't remove all the rust that has already formed, the new coat of paint will peel off along with the rust particles.
- Stopping the spread of rust will prevent you from spending a lot of money in the future on expensive auto body repairs.
Step 4. Sand the edges of the chipped paint
Use fine sandpaper (2000 grit is fine enough that it won't create new scratches) to smooth out the edges of the paint around the chip so it can disguise any repairs to be made. A edge of paint that contrasts sharply with the paint surrounding the chip will make the repair visible to the naked eye, but a round, thinned edge can help new paint and old paint blend more effectively. Do not wet the sandpaper as you normally would in a wet sanding process at a car paint shop as this will cause rust to form on the metal surface. Instead, use dry sandpaper and replace it with a new one if the surface starts to become clogged with paint particles.
- Try sticking a piece of sandpaper to the end of a small wooden stick to help you control the angle of sanding, but this is just a suggestion and not mandatory.
- Sand the edge of the chip until it is round and not too noticeable when seen with the naked eye.
- Rinse the sanded area to remove any new deposits that have formed.
Method 4 of 4: Repainting Big Chips
Step 1. Apply an automotive primer
Once the chipped paint is sanded, clean and dry, you can apply the primer as you would a medium-sized chip. Apply a light coat of primer to the metal surface using an applicator brush. Don't apply too much primer to prevent it from dripping and hitting the old paint or causing the repair to look uneven.
- Allow the primer to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
- You may have to wait a few hours before the base coat dries and is completely "solid". Read the directions on the label for the exact timeframe.
Step 2. Rub the primer with wet sandpaper
After the primer has dried, it may look textured due to brush strokes or uneven distribution. Use sandpaper and a hose for wet sanding. Turn on the water tap and hold the hose over the chip so the water can directly flush the dry primer. Then, use sandpaper to gently scrub the surface of the primer. Be careful not to hit the paint around the chip until the base coat is even.
- The wet sanding method will help produce an even and smooth primer.
- Let the primer dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Step 3. Apply automotive polish on top of the base coat
Use the same method as you did when repairing a medium-sized chip, and apply the paint over the base coat. Start at the center and let the paint spread evenly. Repeat this process until the new paint covers the entire surface of the primer. You may have to apply multiple coats of paint, or just once, depending on the type of paint you purchased.
- Let the new paint dry completely before you apply the next coat.
- If you apply new paint before the base coat is completely dry (after wet sanding), you will see swirls of gray on the new coat of paint.
Step 4. Once the new coat of paint is dry, do wet sanding
Wait until the coat of paint is completely dry, repeat the wet sanding process on the new paint to smooth and even the surface. Make sure you use a very fine sandpaper (2000 grit or higher) and run water over the paint while sanding so you don't damage the area you just repaired. Dry sanding will result in scratches on the paint.
- If you make a mistake or find a problem during the wet sanding process, let the paint dry first, then apply a fresh coat of basting paint.
- Sand the repaired area until it is completely flat and parallel to the surrounding area.
Step 5. Apply a layer of transparent paint
Some topical paints are sold as a package with a small container of transparent paint, but sometimes you have to buy them separately. A coat of clear paint is varnish-based and should be applied lightly over fresh paint using the brush applicator provided. You can also use a small, fine paint brush. Apply a layer of transparent paint on top of the new paint. The transparent paint will protect the new paint while providing a healthy shine that will blend into the surrounding paint once you apply the wax coat in the next step.
- Apply only a light layer of transparent paint over a fresh coat of paint.
- A fresh coat of paint may look slightly different from the surrounding paint after you've applied the transparent paint, but remember this difference is hard to see if you're not too close.
- Wait for the transparent coat of paint to dry before continuing with the repair.
Step 6. Wash and polish the entire surface of the car
Once the repaired area is completely dry, wash and polish the entire surface of the car to ensure that the wax coating is evenly distributed. Polishing the car will allow the freshly painted area to blend into the surrounding paint and make the difference less noticeable. You may have to wait a few days before polishing to make sure the coat of primer, fresh paint, and transparent paint is completely dry to minimize the risk of damage to the new paint.
