You're probably one of those drivers who thinks there's no need to fix cosmetic damage as long as your vehicle is running.
While this may be true for minor scratches and scratches, there are many factors to consider when your vehicle is damaged deep enough to touch the metal on the car's surface.
The longer you put off repairs, the more likely it will rust and the more your vehicle's value will drop.
Common causes of car scratches
Improperly washing and drying your car.
Car washing may seem like an easy bucket and sponge deal, but if you're not careful, you can end up scratching the surface of your vehicle.
Any dirt on the sponge or cloth has the potential to scratch the surface of the car. Carefully rinse off any debris from the sponge, or consider using a microfiber cloth to clean the car.
Automatic car wash.
After washing many vehicles in a day, dust and grit can build up on the brushes of automatic car washes. This basically turns them into sandpaper and can damage your vehicle's surface.
Even a touchless car wash isn't without its risks -- the high-pressure stream can push dirt and grit across the surface of the car.
Be very careful when using an automatic car wash to avoid scratching the surface of the vehicle.
Road debris and rocks.
For every stone that flies towards the windshield and leaves debris, other stones fly into your vehicle's finish line. Other road debris, such as sticks and loose gravel, can also cause damage to your car.
If you are driving in such a dangerous area, slow down and drive carefully.
car accident.
This goes without saying, but vehicle collisions can result in vehicle scratches. Due to the severity of car-to-car crashes, this damage can extend deep into the paint.
When your car is involved in any type of accident, even a minor one, the damage should be assessed and repaired as soon as possible.
Keying and destruction.
Thankfully, this is the least common of the common causes of scratches, but vandalism and keying do occur and can cause scratches on the surface of a car.
Keying is an act of vandalism that involves an individual scratching the surface of a vehicle with a key. If you suspect that your car is locked, you should notify local authorities immediately.
The importance of repairing car scratches
Car scratches and rust
While minor surface scratches that can be sanded by hand usually pose no risk of rust, deeper scratches should be repaired immediately to avoid this problem.
The longer the deep scratches on the surface of the car, the more water, mud, road salt and debris can reach the metal and cause rust.
Rust can erode the metal of the vehicle and spread, leaving holes in it the longer it is left. These holes can eventually lead to dangerous structural problems and compromise the integrity of the vehicle.
For this reason, most provinces and states will fail inspections if the vehicle has significant rust damage.
car scratches and value
Scratches on a car, no matter how minor, can affect the value of the car.
When shopping for a used car, buyers focus on the aesthetics of the vehicle and consider any potential future repair costs.
When selling a vehicle, you might think spending a few hundred dollars to fix a scratch isn't worth it, but many people buy damaged cars at low cost, fix them, and then sell them for a higher price.
The look of your car definitely has value.
Degree of scratches on the car
Not all scratches are the same, and the extent of the scratches must be assessed before making repairs.
Your car's surface consists of four layers: metal, primer, paint and varnish. The extent of the scratches depends on how deep the scratches penetrate into these layers.
Class 1A: These are clear coat scratches that do not penetrate the vehicle's paint layer. They are small and easy to polish.
Class 1B: These scratches penetrate deep into the clear coat, but do not touch the paint. These can be repaired by machine polishing.
Level 2: Once a scratch has damaged the paint layer, the damage needs to be sanded and sanded before repainting.
Grade 3: The risk of rusting from scratches reaching the primer is very low, but should be repaired as soon as possible.
Grade 4: Once the scratch reaches the metal, it will slowly rust over time. Damage needs to be cleaned and repaired.
How car scratches are repaired
If your vehicle has scratches in need of repair, an auto body repair specialist will first determine the extent of the damage. Depending on the severity of the damage, appropriate repairs will be made.
Light scratches are lightly sanded and polished with an abrasive. It has been given another polish before being sealed with wax.
However, deeper scratches require more work. Before refinishing paint, remove scratches with solvent. It was then sanded and polished with rubbing compound - and the process was repeated again before applying the clear coat.