Meguiars Scratch X2.0 scratches clear coat

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cycledrum, Feb 7, 2009.

  1. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    So, I worked on a fine, 4" scratch with a tiny dab of Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0 using a 100% terry cloth as recommended.

    The scratch was lessened, made more inconspicuous, But,

    the clear coat around the scratch is now totally dull and hazy and is quite conspicuous. I rubbed in a straight line, not circles, good thing. I washed the area again, yep, the finish is damaged.

    The label says 'Totally safe on all paint finishes'

    Uh huh. This stuff won't be on my car ever again.

    Scroll down to bottom of link to see their claims on this product.

    http://www.meguiars.com/estore/prod...aint Care>Auto Paint Cleaners&sectionID=11301
     
    #1 cycledrum, Feb 7, 2009
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    that's not good. Is that the orange box?

    You can get a touc-up paint that has a clearcoat side and try and remedy that if you wish.
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Feb 7, 2009
  3. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0 came in a black plastic bottle. The bottle said 'Safe on all finishes'. The product is a white cream.

    Verified - Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0 did indeed scratch the clear coat, dulling and hazing the finish 4" x 1/2" width over the original scratch. I wiped with a terry cloth and water to make sure the finish was dulled. Yep, it was dulled by the Scratch X 2.0. That's the bad news.

    The good news is, and I do not work for the company below ....

    I picked up Nu Finish Scratch Doctor Clear Coat Scratch Remover in the bright orange plastic bottle commonly available at local auto parts stores.

    This Nu Finish completely removed the hazed, dull scratched clear coat area. And it minimized the real scratch.

    I used a 100% terry cloth bonnet to apply and remove the Nu Finish. I looked at it in the sun at every angle, and the clear coat scratches are gone. This is a exemplary product.
     
    #3 cycledrum, Feb 7, 2009
  4. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    And I got my $10.86 back from AutoZone for the Meguiars stuff. Got the Nu Finish from Pep Boys.
     
    #4 cycledrum, Feb 7, 2009
  5. liverbomb88

    liverbomb88 Push the Button!

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    See my post in your other thread. The new Megs ScratchX 2.0 has new abrasives that make it much more aggressive than the first generation ScratchX (what's on that webpage link you provided). Hopefully this post will forewarn others.
     
    #5 liverbomb88, Feb 7, 2009
  6. liverbomb88

    liverbomb88 Push the Button!

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    I would not advise putting touchup paint on top of micromarring. It can be polished away with a lighter polish, like the NuFinish.

     
    #6 liverbomb88, Feb 7, 2009
  7. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    THis is new to me. I used ScratchX 2.0 on my car about a month ago. Came out looking perfect. What were you using to apply it? Did you wash the car before applying it? If you didn't wash the area, dirt may have scratched it
     
    #7 sdtundra, Feb 7, 2009
  8. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    I washed the small area with a soaked microfiber terry cloth, so dirt did not scratch the clear coat.

    Applied it with a 100% cotton terry bonnet, new from the package.

    I used another similar terry bonnet with NuFinish to remove the haze.

    Scratch X is listed on meguiars website as being clear coat safe.

    Scratch X 2.0 is not listed on their website, yet it is in stores. I recall the 2.0 package did not say it was clear coat safe, only that it was 'safe on all finishes'.
     
    #8 cycledrum, Feb 8, 2009
  9. lilblkblt04

    lilblkblt04 New Member

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    While I don't have a Prius, sdtundra asked me my opinion on this thread. I am a little bit of a Meguiar's freak (don't work for the company) and I'm just going give my opinion on this topic. I voluntarily decided to reply to this thread.

    I was a beta tester of this product before it even went to production so I have plenty of use and knowledge of it.

    My best suggestion for further use would be to use a foam applicator pad, not microfiber or terry towel. The reason for that is because this product has a little more bite than the previous versions and using a terry towel will scratch the paint on some occasions.

    Try that in the future instead of terry toweling and post to this thread so I can see your results. I will try to get my hands on a Prius and test it with different applicators and see what I get.

    Thanks,
    lilblkblt04
     
    #9 lilblkblt04, Feb 8, 2009
  10. liverbomb88

    liverbomb88 Push the Button!

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    Also, clear coat hardness varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even sometimes varies between different colors within the same model of car. I think ScratchX 2.0 was too abrasive for your Prius, and you did the right thing by getting the micromarring out with a lighter polish.
     
    #10 liverbomb88, Feb 8, 2009
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