I have the C230 Sport Coupe and I've been getting a lot of shallow scratches on my hood / sides. I was hoping that I could just compound them out but a friend told me that my glossy black paint will get tarnashed and become dull if I do this. I've waxed it a couple of times since I got it this past summer but the scrathes are still pretty visable. Should I bring it in to mercedes for a detail or how would I go about fixing these small scratches myself?

 

I own a black car, I take care of all my paint defect issues. You need to do three things, clean your paint, polish out the defects, and protect it when you are done.

Cleaning: this is done by using a clay bar on the paint with a lubricant. OR... using a rotary buffer with a cleaning compound. A good detail shop will do this and step two...

Polishing: this is basically removing the paint by friction to level the surface with a rotary buffer and a cutting liquid compound designed for this process (clear coat paint jobs do no use rubbing compound). Also done with ultra fine sandpaper (2000-2500 grit often called color sanding). These methods wear off the the paint surface to smooth and remove the scratches if they extend partially through the clear coat only. Major defects require repainting.

Your friend is correct in that you can polish out the defect with a strong enough material that a haze or cloud will appear. This is removed by a finer polish and requires practice.

I would let a good detail shop do these jobs and watch them work so you learn their techniques. That is what I did and then practiced on a less expensive vehicle. I spent $300 for tools and materials and now, with about 50 hours of practice, can deal with anything that comes my way and feel good about taking care of my own car.

Protection: Find a good wax you will use, wash with proper techniques (clean wool pad, quality body shampoo and care to not grind dirt into the paint.and enjoy your car!