Paint damage

Updated 06/08/2023

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

Primer1 - for e.g. bumpers, there are special adhesive primers available in spray cans.
Base coat and clear coat - are available in spray cans or as touch-up pens/sticks2.
Masking tape.
Fine sand paper1.

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.

P3+P4-14w20 VIN label with 1 annotation for color code, not China and Saudi Arabia

It is important that the correct colour is used. For product label location, see Type designations.

Repairing minor paint damage such as stone chips and scratches

Before work is started, the car must be clean and dry as well as 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 has reached down to a metal surface (sheet steel), it is preferable to use a primer. In the event of damage to a plastic surface, an adhesive primer should be used for better results - spray into the spray can's cap and brush 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). Clean the surface thoroughly and allow to dry.

Stir the primer well and apply using a fine brush, matchstick or similar. Finish with base coat and clear coat 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 base coat and clear coat as soon as the surface has been cleaned.