Notes On Force Drying Of Vehicle Paints - Ah98.00-P-9408-03A

Model 907, 910 

Model all (4xWD, CAR, Light transporter, smart) 

The vehicles must be thoroughly cleaned before they are brought into the painting facility.

Greases and oils, in particular, must be thoroughly removed from the paneling because these can color the top coating yellow at temperatures of approximately 80°C.

A check measurement on the component surface can be taken using an infrared temperature measuring instrument. A temperature of 80°C in the drying facility corresponds to an object temperature on the vehicle surface of approx. 60°C to 80°C. The following measures are required:

• Open the fuel filler cap.
• Disconnect ground line on battery.
• Cover rear lamp units.
• Cover registration stamp on license plate number.
• Remove fire extinguisher, spray cans, fuel canisters, CDs and other loose objects from the vehicle interior.
• Electronic component parts, such as control units, sensors, airbags or seat belt tensioners, may only be heated to a maximum object temperature of 90°C.

  In case of doubt, check temperature at these points with a series of measurements (remove electronic component parts beforehand) using a mercury maximum thermometer during the baking phase. The electronic component parts do not need to be removed if the maximum permissible temperature is not exceeded.

• The recommended drying times for the approved paints must not be exceeded.

  All approved materials, paint partners, technical information and manufacturers are stored in the After-Sales Portal under the "Paint Technology" category.

The following points must additionally be observed for vehicles with high-voltage batteries: 

• Ensure that the drying time is not exceeded.
• The battery temperature must be less than 30°C before the drying process. The maximum length of stay for vehicles in the drying facility must not exceed 60 min at 80°C because otherwise the battery cells may be permanently damaged.
• Remove ignition key during drying process and place in a clearly visible location in vehicle.
• Opening the engine hood opens the engine hood contact switch and deactivates the climate control preconditioning functions.
• The fault memory must be read out and, if necessary, deleted after work has been completed and the vehicle has cooled down.
• For P1 hybrid vehicles (e.g. Model 221), the state of charge of the high-voltage battery must be greater than  45 % before paint drying in the drying facility. This ensures that P1 hybrid vehicles start after paint drying.
• P2 hybrid vehicles (e.g. Model 212, 222) start the engine via the 12 V battery. A minimum charge level of the high-voltage battery is not required for the engine to be started.

The following points must additionally be observed in the case of vehicles with gaseous fuel drive or fuel cell: 

• Ensure that the drying time is not exceeded.
• For vehicles with fuel cell, the battery temperature must be lower than  30°C before the drying process. The maximum length of stay for vehicles in the drying facility must not exceed 60 min at 80°C.
• Remove ignition key during drying process and place in a clearly visible location in vehicle.
• On vehicles with fuel cell, the H₂ fuel fill may be a max. of 150 bar (at 15°C).

  Vehicles are only allowed to be brought into buildings if the H₂ lamp is not  lit.

• When accepting a vehicle with gas system, it must be ensured that the system is leaktight.
• The fault memory must be read out and, if necessary, deleted after work has been completed and the vehicle has cooled down.