Paint Chip Repair

A few weeks ago I got three chips in the front passenger door courtesy of
my neighbors weed-whacker. The chips went down to the primer. Two of
the chips were slightly larger than the tire pictured on your trunk-release
button. I used up a bottle of Langka trying to fix these chips, but was
able to repair them. Actually better than repair, you'd never know they
were there. Here's how:

Langka suggests letting the paint dry 45-90 minutes. Perhaps it's BMW
touch-up paint or the fact that NY is humid, but 90 minutes was not nearly
long enough. I let the touch-up paint dry for 18 hours, your drying time
may vary.

Wrap the card Langka provides in some t-shirt material about 3 times. Make
sure there are no gathers in the material creating 'high spots'.

Place Langka (about the size of a nickle) in the center of the card. Place
card directly on top of touch-up. After 18 hours the touch-up is resistant
to Langka but lightly rub the card back and forth until you start to see
the touch-up paint on the card then STOP.

Once you've started to erode the touch-up blob, you need to start paying
close attention to what you are doing because you can easily wipe off all
the touch-up paint. Two things are now very important; how you hold the
card and the direction you wipe.

You must use the card to wipe in only one direction i.e. left to right.
After you've wiped over the touch-up, lift the card from the body panel,
and repeat. DO NOT, under any circumstance, reverse direction (right to
left).

Holding the card... this is probably the most important aspect of the
entire process. When you wipe the card over the touch-up, only two fingers
should be pressing down on the card and these fingers MUST be at the far
end of the card. The center of the card should be the only area of the card
coming in contact with the touch-up. No pressure from your fingers or hand
should be exerted on the center of the card. As you wipe, a 'smudge' of
touch-up paint will be visible on the body panel in the direction you chose
to wipe the card. Keep going, this is a lengthy process.

From time to time you will need to add more Langka, but only a small dab is
needed. Once the paint smudge disappears from the body panel, you will need
to alter the direction you are wiping the card by 45 degrees. Again, a
smudge will appear. Continue wiping until it vanishes. Change direction 45
degrees and continue...

Prior to changing direction of the card, wipe the dried Langka off the body
panel. DO NOT use a microfiber rag to do this. DO NOT rub back and forth,
wipe in the same direction as you are using the card.

Always bear in mind that Langka is "eating away" at the touch-up paint and
therefore weakening what is left behind. Back and forth rubbing will
destroy your touch-up. Any pressure from your hand or fingers directly over
the touch-up will ruin it as well.

Again, this is a long process, but you can make perfect repairs.

Hope this helps,
John D.