What To Do When Your Paint Starts Chipping

Auto Paint | Auto Paint Repair

Person using a power polisher to buff a red car door. The tool has a white buffing pad.

Auto paint: it chips and we can fix it. From a simple rubbing compound to all-out computerized paint matching, let us take you through the works. Your car’s lacquer can chip for any number of reasons. And, no, it’s not because of your car’s age or because you forgot to clean and wax it that time, although some older models are slightly more prone to a chip or two. For example, even the weather and bird droppings can be the culprit behind a chip or two as the paint can weather and degrade naturally. Heck, some of the crazy-scale hail storms have been the most common reason we see folks rolling into our shop over the years looking for chipped paint repair. So, let us take you through the different ways you can address auto paint chips, no matter the cause…

Use a Rubbing Compound

For small chips and when you’re out and about looking for a quick fix, the best thing to get your driving gloves on is some rubbing compound. Otherwise known by many names such as T-Cut, Chipex, Dr. Colorchip, PaintScratch or Chipex. What this magical thing does, is act as a light abrasive material to remove the top color coat on your car. As it is a “cutting” compound, it breaks down the paint around the chip and allows it to effectively cover the area of missing paint. Plus, it makes it look shiny and new. Although, it doesn’t make it invisible; if you know where to look, you can see it from 10 feet away at a 5mph speed.

Find an All-in-One Paint Repair Kit

Another DIY for an auto paint solution is to have your handy chip repair kit ready. You can often find these in general places such as your local auto body shop, a hardware store, from your car’s manufacturer or even just on Amazon. These boxes have to be purchased to the make and model of your car just to ensure the paint is the right color. They’ll contain instructions, a blending solution, a microfiber cloth, some touch-up paint, some wax, a pair of latex gloves and some applicators for paint repair. And, while they’re designed for you to crack on, it’s still recommended to take your kit to the professionals for a cost-effective quick-fix.

Do a Full Sand and Repaint

Depending on the size of your chip or how many smaller chips you have in an area, it can just be best to go for an entire panel sand and auto paint. The job will have to be done in the shop by ASE-certified technicians and paint experts. This is to make sure it is done right and you’re not driving away with a car door the opposite color to the rest of your ride. When you head to DACC, a mechanic will talk with you through your options based on your car’s make, model, age, rust and chip damage. Then, when you’ve agreed on which panels need some TLC, it’s time to get moving. First, the panel will be removed, then it will be cleaned, sanded and we might even use a rust remover laser for severe rust and corrosion. Then, it’s another clean before heading over to the paint zone to get some computerized paint repair matching and make sure it’ll be like it was the day it rolled out of the dealership. This can be the most expensive route as well as the most time-consuming as you’ll have to book in time with your mechanic. However, it does fetch the best auto paint results that last. Out of the three choices we’ve presented, it really all depends on the damage caused, how quickly you need the job fixing, what you have to hand and how effective you want the fix to be long-term. There are, of course, some other routes of care we can suggest for auto paint chip repair such as sanding down the problem area and giving your wheels a full make-over with a car wrap. This covers the paint loss area while offering a layer of protection as well. To find out for sure which route you need to take, give our team a call at (972) 242-0092. Here at the Dealership Autoplex Collision Center, we’re here to keep your car looking as good as it did in its heyday. Link to: “Why Doesn’t My Bumper Match My Car?” Link to: “Your State-of-The-Art Auto Body, Frame and Paint Facility” Link to: “Paintless Dent Repair; an FAQ”

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