[Manhattan]

Actually, I doubt a rock did this. the edges of the chip are crisp and I can't imagine a rock cutting into the metal like this. I'm guessing it was a piece of metal. Either way, it's ugly.

The paint chip looks normal. It was the snag on the microfiber wash mitt that told me this was not the typical chip. I verified that it is not paint, i.e. a sharp leftover edge. My iPhone did a decent job confirming this.

So, what do I do? I don't want tap the shard flat - that will leave an odd blemish - after touchup - at best; a good spot for rust to form, at worst. Part of me wants to get out the Dremel and that fine-pointed stone and (gulp) grind that burr away. The other part of me keeps saying, "Dude, this is a 2023 BMW and you are not that good."

Thoughts?
(blue tape to give the camera something to focus on)

trying to post a pic

[Phillies8008]

I personally would absolutely not take a dremel to it. Maybe someone here has that sort of skill, but all I'd do is turn a hopefully small repair into a definitely large one. Were it me, I'd suck it up and take this to a good auto body shop to at least get their opinion before I started doing anything. A regular old rock chip is one thing, but a metal burr is another. Measure twice and cut once, as it were.

[John in VA]

Mask it off, cut the burr off with a razor blade, sand it down a bit if it still stands proud, touch it up!

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by Manhattan

Actually, I doubt a rock did this. the edges of the chip are crisp and I can't imagine a rock cutting into the metal like this. I'm guessing it was a piece of metal. Either way, it's ugly.

The paint chip looks normal. It was the snag on the microfiber wash mitt that told me this was not the typical chip. I verified that it is not paint, i.e. a sharp leftover edge. My iPhone did a decent job confirming this.

So, what do I do? I don't want tap the shard flat - that will leave an odd blemish - after touchup - at best; a good spot for rust to form, at worst. Part of me wants to get out the Dremel and that fine-pointed stone and (gulp) grind that burr away. The other part of me keeps saying, "Dude, this is a 2023 BMW and you are not that good."

Thoughts?
(blue tape to give the camera something to focus on)

trying to post a pic

Dang that sucks. FWIW, PPF would not have saved you here lol. Apply some black touch up paint and call it day LOL.

[fiveightandten]

Wow, that’s crazy. Depending on how robust that burr is, you could potentially remove it with a razor. An effective trick here is to wrap tape around the edges of the razor so when you do your cutting with the middle it can’t actually contact the paint.

Your tape thickness determines how close you get to the paint. Start thick and remove tape for closer contact as you’re confident you won’t cut into the paint.

If the metal burr is too thick for a razor to take it off, this won’t be effective, but it’s worth mentioning.

[Manhattan]

Love the tape on the razor trick. I'll try that. I did try the cut the burr with a razor, but really only used enough force to confirm it wasn't paint. it didn't budge. I'll tape up - the area around the chip and the razor - and try again.

Any suggestion a source for good touch-up paint?

[John in VA]

Dr. ColorChip has a good reputation for ease of use & match.
https://drcolorchip.com/

[Manhattan]

Thanks John in VA!

[Elderado82]

Please don't use a Dremel on your paint. A rotary tool can easily jump and turn a tiny chip into a massive clear coat repair.

Here's how I would go about this: I'd first clean the area with Isopropyl Alcohol, then apply automotive masking tape exactly around the perimeter of the chip to isolate it. Next, use a flush cutter, also known as a sprue cutter, to snip the metal burr off flush with the panel in one clean cut. Then I would use a fiberglass sanding pen to gently scrub away the last bit of the burr and prep the bare metal for paint.

After the burr is gone, apply a tiny drop of bare-metal primer or rust converter into the crater using a micro-dabber or a toothpick to seal the exposed steel. Do not skip this step! Once the primer cures, you can apply the touch-up paint as John in VA recommended. Dr. ColorChip is perfect for this.

[walterm321]

Originally Posted by John in VA

Dr. ColorChip has a good reputation for ease of use & match.
https://drcolorchip.com/

I've used it for front bumper rock chips on my G30 for a couple years now. It honestly worked beyond my expectations. It's not very expensive and is easy to use.