A customer pointed out a tiny run in my clear coat that I almost missed

He brought his truck back and said, 'Look right there in the sun, it's like a little worm.' I started using a bright LED work light at a low angle on every panel before I call a job done. Do you guys have a specific light you like for your final check?

4 comments

4 Comments

paige3313mo ago

Grab a cheap LED light bar from the hardware store, the kind you can plug in. Honestly, I angle it almost flat against the paint and slowly walk it down the whole panel. Tbh, it shows every single flaw you'd miss under normal shop lights. That low raking light trick is the only way I can sleep at night after sending a car out.

angela5873mo ago

Skip the plug-in light bar and get a cordless inspection light. The cord always gets in the way when you're trying to move it around the car.

betty_wells3mo ago

So @angela587, do you find the battery life on those cordless ones lasts long enough for a full detail check?

jennifer83323d ago

Take angela's advice and get one of those cordless lights with a magnetic base (they're cheap on Amazon, like $25). You can stick it to the hood or roof while you walk around the car, and the battery lasts through two or three full details before needing a charge. Just make sure you get one with adjustable brightness - the 2000-lumen ones are way too harsh for final checks, so keep it on the lower setting for paint inspections.

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