spider441

Hi all,
I know it is only the beginning, but got the first paint scratch on the new Q7. Not sure how it happened and what caused it, as I am extra careful by parking away from other cars. Anyway, I will really appreciate if you can give me some advice on how to remove it.

Thanks a lot,

SlizSam

Wow that's a doozy, on a black one to. that's my problem, I have a couple myself, and they really stand out on the black - not sure what to do myself to properly fix

iconoclast

if you don't know what to do then take it to a shop... you'll create more damage than repair and it will cost you just as much (assuming since you're asking this question you don't already have the products and tools to repair it.)

VAG-Fan1

I'll 2nd this advice. The technique for getting this to come out can be a bit finnicky and is probably best done by an expert. If you have no experience with this stuff, don't try it at home.

If it were me (some prior experience detailing), I'd do a VERY LIGHT wet sand with 1200 or 1500 grit and then use a fine buffing compound and foam pad on a buffer. Fine compound won't easily take out the sanding marks, but it will let you work down slowly with reduced risk of cutting through the clear and getting into the base coat. It won't be perfect this way, but will dramatically reduce how conspicuous the scratch is.

I sort of decided years ago that trying to keep a show or showroom quality finish on a daily driver, particularly while having kids, was a fool's errand. So when stuff like this happens, I actually try do less to fully correct the blemish and try to focus on minimizing its appearance. I'd say you can spend less than 50% of the time necessary to make it perfect, but still get 80 to 90% of the "5 ft" visual result.

SamLV

I just make them less obvious between visits annually for full paint restoration, because I gave up years ago on perfection for a daily driver.

I hand rub using two McGuire products. The first is the paste scratch remover. The second is their best wax. That is done by hand only. I can't recall the product names exactly, but they both live in the trunk for the car wash visits. That leaves almost no swirls and passable results.