artinshak

Hi Everyone,

I just noticed a few scratches on my Piano Black Wood Interior. Any suggestions to remove those scratches? Or if you know a good professional detailer around the Los Angeles area!

Thank you

1bad540

scratch out by meguires followed by some good wax may hide most of them.

Merserybenze

I have the same interior and removed my scratches using Polywatch scratch remover (Amazon).

1bad540

Hmm any pics of the b4 and after? I cleaned up my dash peice w scratch x and good wax but could def use 1 more go.

pierno80

How was the result ?

DABRONX

You will laugh but a fine line Sharpie works amazing. There is no way to remove a scratch as its lower than the surrounding finish. The only way would be to lower the surrounding finish to its level which involves removing paint from your finish. I would rather fill and shine where you see it less. All those so called level 3 finishes where these guys destroy paint jobs making them look like glass but removing too much of clear coat where it no longer protects the base.

1bad540

I dont think hes talking deep nasty scratches, more like car wash wiped the wood w dirty towels scratches. In the watch world we call them swirlies. Piano blk shows them the most. I bet a 3" random orbital would take care of them real quik...

PilotMB

I used the Polywatch product as well, and rubbed the surface lightly for about 1 minute. I used a clean microfiber to polish off the residue.

The scratches caused by the dealer's contracted car washers are now gone. I suspect I'll have to be a bit more clear asking them not to clean the inside of my car. I hate to be like that; but, as we all know, those wood trim pieces are not cheap.

RJC

You're doing the right thing. 1) I hate collateral damage 2) Most every business needs to/should know when they screw things up. There's far too much ineptness these days that needs correction and when we don't voice our dissatisfaction, there's little to no motivation for the business to ever change/improve.

JamesCLS500

I also have a deepish scratch enough to see white on my Piano Black ashtray lid. Any hope for me, Mercedes wants $550.00 for a new lid 2 month back order.

Crazy

PilotMB

PolyWatch is really more for the light scratches. You can always try, and then maybe use a fine point sharpie to hide the white. I feel your pain on the trim parts. I’ve had to replace my trim pieces in the past, and it truly was highway robbery.

1bad540

U can remove the peice and have a good body shop resparay it to match. A friend of mine has all his bmws trim painted black by body shops and it always looks good.

JamesCLS500

Yes I have tried fine pens in the past but they tend to be a mat finish and against the lacquer well.
Nevertheless I'll give the body shop a try you never know.
Thanks for the inputs much appreciated.

PilotMB

I don't know if this will help anyone out. But on the off chance it might, I'll post.

So the scratching of my interior trim has been an ongoing problem with the service techs, mostly on the door pieces. And given that most of them look at you sideways when you point it out, even if you took pictures beforehand, I decided to try a different approach. There's a clear film product out there called "Xpel", which you can apply over the top of the interior trim pieces. I took my GL450 in to have it professionally done by a shop here in town that recently detailed my car. All my trim pieces are now protected and you can't even see the film or any edge lines. I have the Poplar style trim, which is dark and easily shows fine scratches. I removed the fine scratches using Polywatch, then had the Xpel film applied.

The aggravation and anxiety of having to worry about trim pieces being scratched every time I have my car serviced is now history. IMHO, the few hundred bucks for installation was well worth the cost. The film is "self-healing", wipes up easily, and has a 10 year warranty. Disclaimer: I have no stock or interest in the company that makes "Xpel". I just wanted to share a product that has made my life more easy, and it might be something that helps you.

Now, I can worry about more important things.

MichaelinChicag

Great idea! I'm a big fan of Xpel and have used it on exterior parts for years. I'll have to talk to my guy about applying it to my piano black interior trim, especially the cover for the cupholder section. Thanks for the tip.