Remove Scratch From Inside The Door

[harry42ka1]

Hi There,

I have a 2009 RX350. I have got a scratch from gas cylinder on the inside of the door. Basically, it is on the plastic. the scratch is about 6 inches long. Not very deep but it looks ugly.

Anyone has any remedy to clear that out or at least make is less visible.

Thanks,

Harry

[maseace]

Maybe try some fine grit sandpaper? Mask of the surrounding area first. And apply some vinyl/plastic protectant to minimize the appearance of the scratch.

[RX400h]

You might also want to try Meguiars ScratchX. I use it all the time on clear coat scratches. It really saves the day, sometimes.

[harry42ka1]

thanks guys! i will definitely give it a try.

[harry42ka1]

hi RX400h,

i read online that Meguiars ScratchX is for paint scratches. The scratches i have are inside of the door on the hard plastic part (right above the door pocket). Will Meguiars ScratchX still b helpful?

[RX400h]

Hello, Harry,

Clear coats are technically, plastics (polyurethane or acrylics), so it should remove very shallow scratches. I'd have to look at ours, but if the surface to which you are referring has a textured finish, removing a scratch may be a bit difficult, if not impossible without changing the surface finish.

[maseace]

Meguiar's also makes PlastX for plastic, but it's for polishing shiny plastic such as the headlights.

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G12310-PlastX-Plastic-Cleaner/dp/B0000AY3SR

[cduluk]

No no nooooooo, for your purpose, you should NEVER use a rubbing compound or polish like Scratch-X, etc.

Assuming you're truly referring to the textured hard plastic trim (vs vinyl or painted surface), use of a rubbing compound or polish will NOT remove even the smallest scratches. More importantly, it will only make the plastic SHINY as heck! This shine will be nearly impossible to remove, unless you use a pressurized air etcher (walnut shell) to dull the plastic.

I've dealt with this stuff a lot... I can give you the best info, but first i'll need you to post pictures of the damaged area. If you can't figure out how to upload on here, you can go to tiny-pic.com, upload the image, and copy/paste the link into the text body here.

I'll do my best to help! :)

[RX400h]

As I mentioned, a textured surface is in essence, "a whole nuther ballgame". On a smooth surface, using an abrasive compound can work as long as the same reflectivity as the surrounding area is duplicated.

[harry42ka1]

hi there,

here is the picture of the scratch i have inside the door.

Please help.

Thanks,

Harry

[harry42ka1]

Hello Cduluk,

As requested, I have posted the pics for your reference. Please guide.

Thanks,

Hardev

[cduluk]

Hello Cduluk,

As requested, I have posted the pics for your reference. Please guide.

Thanks,

Hardev

Got it!

OK, so that's indeed on the part of the door that's just plastic (vs vinyl). I would suggest rubbing the scratched area with steel wool; You can go to home depot and get some steel wool, they usually come in clear bags with different "fine/coarse ratings" ranging from 0, to 00 to 000 or something like that. Get some that's really fine, and another that's a grade less than that. Experiment with each on the scratch and see what works best. End with the finer grit.

Break off a piece of wool about the size of a quarter, rub it into a ball, and rub in circles over the scratch, while applying significant pressure. You'll see it smooth the surface out. Keep going until you are happy with the remaining size of the scratch, but not too much so it removes the "leather" pattern of the plastic.

When you think the wool has done as much as it can, the surface will still appear "lighter" than the rest of the surrounding plastic. To get the surface to match, you can rub the affected area with a cotton T-shirt (wrapped around your finger) aggressively. The abrasion will make the surface match the surrounding area.

And if you're as picky as i am, i would get a small "etcher" (they make ones using a can with pressurized air, attached to a cup of ground up walnut shells) and blast the affected area, along with a feathering of the adjacent plastic, to make it all match. Just make sure to mask-off the rest of the door (such as the wood, etc.) as the etcher will etch (dull) anything.

[harry42ka1]

Thank you for the response. Definitely, it is a lengthy process but i am sure it will have good results. thanks again.