Methods of paintwork repair - AH98.00-P-9408-01A

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The automotive industry, paint manufacturers, various specialist associations and automotive insurance companies have, in recent years, taken a closer interest in improved painting techniques, new painting materials and cost-effective repair methods.

Because of this development there are sometimes differences of opinion in the assessment and definition of painting work. According to the trial results and practical experience available to us, we therefore consider it necessary to describe the various repair methods. By complying with the instructions below and reaching a clear agreement with the customers, erroneous assessments and differences of opinion regarding the type and scope of necessary paintwork repairs can be avoided.

Partial paint job

Single-coat paintwork (standard finish)

Partial paint jobs (painting areas demarcated by panel edges, beads or trim pieces) are no longer a problem today.

With the aid of the new painting materials and painting technique it is possible to carry out a partial paint job so that it is almost identical to the original paintwork.

Variations in the luster of adjacent surfaces can be evened out by touching-up the old paintwork. An absolute, total color match is just not possible with paintwork repairs. In special cases the color can be subtly shaded (refer to the paint supplier's instructions).

Two-coat top coat

Several methods are available for the partial touch up of a two-coat top coat that can be applied depending on the damage case (scope of damage, affected part, condition and age of the vehicle, color). We urgently recommend that the customer be advised accordingly. If necessary, the service adviser must consult a paint specialist.

Method 1 (paint "on edge")

Paint entire section using base coat and clearcoat.

This is a low-cost repair. Greater differences in shade may occur with this method. These differences in shade generally occur in the base coat. Mat spots and luster differences in the clear varnish can usually be buffed out.

Method 2 (finish matching within section)

Coating of base coat on faulty positions in part and runout into other area. Painting the entire part with clear varnish.

This method should be used wherever possible.

Method 3 (finish matching on adjacent sections)

Either application of base coat over the entire section and transition to adjacent sections or application of clearcoat over the entire section and over all adjacent sections.

When painting an entire section (or several sections), this method provides the best results with regard to color matching. The smooth transition from factory finish to matched finish and back to factory finish means that any color difference is no longer visible to the eye.

Method 4 (touch-up painting)

Runout of base coat and overlapping of clear varnish. After drying, buffing out the blended clear lacquer.

Touch-up painting is only applicable to old vehicles in terms of the long-term quality concerns of Daimler AG.

The use must be coordinated or agreed with the owner after following consultation on the relevant technical and financial aspects.

An absolute, total color match is just not possible with paintwork repairs. A difference that is detectable to the human eye is far more likely to occur with metallic finishes than with solid colors. This depends especially on the color mixing, manufacture and blending of the paint etc. Slight detectable off shades must therefore be accepted.

Gloss finishes

If the damage to the vehicle's paintwork is so extensive that sectional repair using the methods described above is no longer cost-effective, a complete paint job will be necessary.

Only the materials tested and approved by Daimler and manufactured by the following companies may be used for paint repairs:

DuPont Performance Coatings, http://pc.dupont.com, (Standox, Spies Hecker)
BASF Coatings AG, http://www.basf-coatings.de, (Glasurit, RM)
PPG Industries International, http://www.ppg.com, (PPG Auto Refinish)

The working specifications must be strictly complied with. Furthermore, specialist skills and experience are essential. Even so, color differences are still possible with paintwork repairs. This must be taken into account when selecting the repair method.

On clearcoat systems with higher scratch resistance be sure to follow the instructions provided (service information).