Paint damage
Paint is an important part of the car's rustproofing and should therefore be checked regularly. The most common types of paintwork damage are stone chips, scratches, and marks on the edges of wings, doors and bumpers.
Touching up minor paintwork damage
To avoid the onset of rust, damaged paintwork should be rectified immediately.
Materials that may be needed
Colour code
The label for colour code is located on the car's door pillar and is visible when the right-hand rear door is opened.
Exterior colour code
Any secondary exterior colour code
It is important that the correct colour is used. For product label location, see Type designations.
Repair minor paintwork damage such as stone chips and scratches
Before work is begun, the car must be clean and dry and at a temperature above 15 °C.
Apply a piece of masking tape over the damaged surface. Then remove the tape to remove any loose paint.
If the damage is down to the metal, use of a primer is appropriate. In the event of damage to a plastic surface, an adhesive primer should be used to give better results - spray into the lid of the spray can and brush on thinly.
Before painting, gentle polishing using a very fine polishing agent may be carried out locally if required (e.g. if there are any uneven edges). The surface is cleaned thoroughly and left to dry.
Stir the primer well and apply using a fine brush, a matchstick or similar. Finish off with a basecoat and clearcoat once the primer has dried.
For scratches, proceed as above, but mask around the damaged area to protect the undamaged paintwork.
Note
If the stone chip has not penetrated down to the meal and an undamaged layer of paint remains in place, fill in with basecoat and clearcoat as soon as the surface has been cleaned.