Topic: Touch up paint Mazda CX-5 Rodium white

[Slow_lane]

Well it happened. My first mishap with our 2023 Mazda.    Got a couple small scratches on the corner of the rear bumper. Completely my fault. The scratches are through the paint and some black plastic is showing.

Rhodium White Paint code 51K

So I went to the auto parts store I have always gone to to have them custom mix some touch up paint.  They told me they cannot provide me a match as this is a 3 stage paint. The white paint has a pearl like finish in it. Crap!!! So I went to Mazda. They have touch up pens. But the pens only have a pressure activated tip that allows paint to come out. I wanted access to the paint to load into this touch up tool I use. Similar to this.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CQ56PWB1/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0CQ56PWB1&pd_rd_w=gddby&content-id=amzn1.sym.516c2169-755e-413a-a38a-68230f4ab66f&pf_rd_p=516c2169-755e-413a-a38a-68230f4ab66f&pf_rd_r=9ZSJYWFHCTXZWZRPADT7&pd_rd_wg=wcaQt&pd_rd_r=096bdf2b-4be7-4266-92d6-251b54964eed&s=kitchen&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw

So now I seem to have little choice but to try and find something online. I really just want paint that gives me a good match to fill in these very small scratches and to fix future stone chips. Not really too interested in complicated process. Nothing I have found online so far is getting great reviews or do not ship to Canada. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with ordering touch up paint online.

Looking for a product recommendation for touch up paint please.   

UPDATE: Despite my doubts about the Mazda touch up pen, I called the dealership and had them order me one. If I do not like the pen I may see if I can get paint out of the pen to load in my tool. But would still like to find another paint option.

[Blueprint]

Pearl white paints are always a female dog to match up. I was always curious as to using a hobby airbrush to touch-up car paint - there are multiple discussions on the web, such as here : https://www.reddit.com/r/airbrush/comments/hivltk/anyone_try_car_touch_up_paint_through_an_airbrush/ Depending on the nature of the scratches, the tip in that thread of using a flexy Bondo spreader with touch-up paint then wiping the excess is worth a try.

There must be a few videos on this sort of repair. With a pressure regulator, you can use a hobby airbrush on a shop compressor.

On the Odyssey I managed to repair a bit of rust on a rear fender lip and get a perfect match with paint, but black is more forgiving. Sanding, buffing, no hard tape line and wax remover fluid for overspray removal was the key to a smooth finish. It lasted through one winter, still looked fresh in spring.

[JohnnyMac]

Our old Santa Fe had a pearl white paint job.  The pen had the white color on one end of the marker and a combo of pearl and clear at the other end. 

I too dislike the marker/pen touch up paints and much prefer the old school little brush and bottle set up. 

My question for you, if the Mazda pen is similar to the one our old Santa Fe had, why don't you just take the marker tip out of the paint end and dump it into a different container, thus allowing you access to the liquid more easily.  That why you have the best matching paint and can still use the clear/pearl part as a marker (or take that out also and just have to small viles of paint).

[Blueprint]

Oh and come to think of it, the Mazda touch up pen has two ends, unless I mix it up with the Subaru's. There's the felt-tip wide thing at one end, a thin pen-like tip at the other, and one end unscrews to access the paint and a brush fixed to one end cap. I have to check it out in the garage.

[Slow_lane]

Oh and come to think of it, the Mazda touch up pen has two ends, unless I mix it up with the Subaru's. There's the felt-tip wide thing at one end, a thin pen-like tip at the other, and one end unscrews to access the paint and a brush fixed to one end cap. I have to check it out in the garage.

I do not have it in my hands yet but the guy at parts counter told me that it only has the thin pen like tip. No access to paint. I may practice on my work bench and if promising give the repair a shot with this pen. Or maybe just slice it open to get at paint. We will see.

I may try to try ordering a bottle online but was hoping someone could steer me to a product they have used.

[Slow_lane]

I ended up buying a touch up pen from Mazda. Despite what the parts guy stated the paint inside the pen is accessible. You just unscrew the tip off the end. Shows they do not know their products.

I was told that the paint in this pen is a combination both paint and clear coat all in one.  (2 people told me that). I was told to shake it like hell before using it. Which I did.

So a couple days ago I made attempt to touch up my minor scratches by loading the paint into a special artists pen. I cleaned the area and before painting. I then cleaned the scratches with rubbing alcohol to ensure there was no contaminants. Filling the scratches was tricky for me. In the end the result was ok but not great. I do much better on stone chips

Today I was looking at the scratches and it looked like they needed a bit more paint. So I decided to give it another go. In prepping I once again cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol. To my surprised almost all the touch up paint I had applied came right off. Why did this new paint not hold up to a simple wipe with rubbing alcohol? I am confused. 

So the good news is I back to where I started and can get a fresh crack at touching up scratches with hopes of doing a better job. The bad news is I am not sure I trust this paint. Is it going to hold up to waxing and washing down the road.

One other issue is that the paint is not a great match on the bumpers. I think it would be a good match on body panels but the bumpers (where the scratch is) have a slight variation in color. Buy the way.... the paint on the bumpers is super super thin.

[Slow_lane]

I am re-posting my question without background story.

Is it normal that Mazda touch up paint applied to scratch 2 days previous would come right off with rubbing alcohol when trying to prep it for a 2nd coat?