On the outset, a scratch repair pen may appear to be a good idea. What’s not to enjoy about making fast repairs to your car’s finish by drawing a line over the damage? The reality is, the outcomes are not always like what you see on TV. Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois, also serving folks in Waterloo, Southern Illinois, Millstadt, Freeburg and New Athens, are pleased to show you these interesting test results.
For one thing, we found they do not work properly on anything but the smallest of surface scrapes. And, they have a very large possibility of making the damage look worse.
Marketed as an easy way to avoid expensive auto body shop bills, manufacturers say that anyone can get professional results from the pens, which generally cost ten dollars or less. We sampled three different ones to see if the claims were true.
We also found that the pens can be tricky to use, and that it’s not easy to get the thin, even line necessary to neatly fill scratches without overdoing it. With applicator tips that are about as wide or wider than a typical scratch, our sampled products make it difficult to avoid applying too much filler, and leaving a visible residue that’s more noticeable than the damage you’re attempting to repair. And getting rid of that residue might require sanding and buffing it out, and potentially some touch-up paint.
As a rule, these products won’t help on any scratch that’s deep enough to feel with a fingernail, or if you can see primer or bare metal. For harm of that sort, you’ll need more than clear filler and a steady hand. The only way to repair damaged paint is with more paint.
We made scratches in the test panels with a key and the end of a bolt, and then used the products according to manufacturers' directions on both the panels and the pre-scratched vehicles. This involved washing and drying the damaged area, shaking the pen to mix the contents, dabbing the tip on a piece of paper towel to get the product flowing properly, and carefully drawing the pen across the surface of the scratch. After applying the products, we moved the samples to the roof of our building where they were allowed to weather for four weeks.
From certain angles, the repairs looked just as good as advertised in the TV ads. But other angles revealed a ridge of very noticeable excess clear coat. The results had the look of an amateur job, at best, and often the repair was far more noticeable than the initial scratch. The Simoniz and DuPont products advise clearing off any excess with a paper towel, but we found this only made things look worse, as it smeared the paint across the undamaged surface.
Our advice is to save your money and skip these quick fixes for small scratches or try a cleaning polish instead.
For deep scratches, a visit to your local Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, IL may be your best bet.
For one thing, we found they do not work properly on anything but the smallest of surface scrapes. And, they have a very large possibility of making the damage look worse.
Marketed as an easy way to avoid expensive auto body shop bills, manufacturers say that anyone can get professional results from the pens, which generally cost ten dollars or less. We sampled three different ones to see if the claims were true.
What we tested
The Simoniz Fix it Pro ($10), DuPont Pro Fusion Color ($8), and Turtle Wax Scratch Repair Pen ($10) are all widely available online or in auto parts stores. Claimed to work with any color of paint, they contain a permanent clear coat much like the protective outer layer used on new cars from the factory. But what their packaging does not make entirely clear is that these pens are strictly for surface scratches in the clear coat. If the damage goes into the paint below, you’re out of luck.We also found that the pens can be tricky to use, and that it’s not easy to get the thin, even line necessary to neatly fill scratches without overdoing it. With applicator tips that are about as wide or wider than a typical scratch, our sampled products make it difficult to avoid applying too much filler, and leaving a visible residue that’s more noticeable than the damage you’re attempting to repair. And getting rid of that residue might require sanding and buffing it out, and potentially some touch-up paint.
As a rule, these products won’t help on any scratch that’s deep enough to feel with a fingernail, or if you can see primer or bare metal. For harm of that sort, you’ll need more than clear filler and a steady hand. The only way to repair damaged paint is with more paint.
How we tested
For our evaluation, we used the same lab-grade black test panels we purchase for car wax testing. These panels are painted and clear coated with automotive finishes. We also tried them on two vehicles with pre-existing light scratches: a silver Toyota Sienna minivan and a dark blue Honda CR-V.We made scratches in the test panels with a key and the end of a bolt, and then used the products according to manufacturers' directions on both the panels and the pre-scratched vehicles. This involved washing and drying the damaged area, shaking the pen to mix the contents, dabbing the tip on a piece of paper towel to get the product flowing properly, and carefully drawing the pen across the surface of the scratch. After applying the products, we moved the samples to the roof of our building where they were allowed to weather for four weeks.
The results
All three of the products filled the scratches, and we saw no significant difference worth mentioning between them in either ease of use or effectiveness.From certain angles, the repairs looked just as good as advertised in the TV ads. But other angles revealed a ridge of very noticeable excess clear coat. The results had the look of an amateur job, at best, and often the repair was far more noticeable than the initial scratch. The Simoniz and DuPont products advise clearing off any excess with a paper towel, but we found this only made things look worse, as it smeared the paint across the undamaged surface.
Our advice is to save your money and skip these quick fixes for small scratches or try a cleaning polish instead.
For deep scratches, a visit to your local Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, IL may be your best bet.