Paint & Coatings Chevrolet Aveo I

Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products

Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products

Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products

Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products

Basecoat/Clearcoat Paint Systems

All paint finish repairs of rigid exterior surfaces must meet GM standards. The GM Approved Refinish Materials book GM P/N GM4901M-D identifies the paint systems you may use. Always refer to the latest revision of the 4901M-D book. All approved products, including volatile organic compound (VOC) compliant regulations are listed in the system approach recommended by the individual manufacturer. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for the detailed procedures for materials used in the paint system in the painting repairs of rigid exterior surfaces. All components of an approved paint system have been engineered in order to ensure proper adhesion between layers.

If necessary, spot repairs or color blending in an open panel can be done. However, do not blend clearcoat in an open panel. Always apply clearcoat to the next break point, body side molding, feature line, or the next panel.

Do not mix paint systems or substitute a product of one manufacturer for another manufacturer's product. If incompatible products are used together the following problems may occur

1. Lifting of primer coats caused by overly aggressive solvents in subsequent layers
2. Loss of adhesion between layers due to incompatibility of resin systems
3. Solvent popping or pinholing due to inappropriate solvent selection
4. Poor through-curing due to incompatible hardener resins or insufficient reactivity
5. Gloss reduction due to incompatible resins and/or solvents
6. Poor color accuracy due to pigment interactions with incompatible resins and/or solvents
7. Film defects, such as craters, blisters, orange peel loss of gloss, due to the use of inferior quality raw materials in incompatible products

Anti-Corrosion Treatment and Repair

Anti-corrosion materials providing rust resistance are used on the interior and the exterior surfaces of the metal panels. These materials include the following metals

Scheme 1

1. One-sided galvanized zinc
2. Two-sided galvanized zinc
3. Zinc-iron alloy steels

These treated metals are used on the following components

1. The fenders
2. The doors
3. The quarter panels
4. The rocker panels
5. The lids
6. The floor pans
7. The wheelhousings
8. Other critical parts

Metal conditioners and primers are used on interior and exterior surfaces, along with protective waxes on the interior surfaces, in the areas where moisture might accumulate. Sealers are applied along the exposed joints and the moisture-repelling asphaltic sound deadeners are applied inside the wheel wells, the doors, and on some underbody components.

Scheme 2

Any procedure that disturbs these special treatments, such as panel replacement or collision damage repair operations, may leave the metal unprotected and result in corrosion. Proper recoating of these surfaces with service-type anti-corrosion material is essential.

Metal conditioners and primer coatings are applied to all metal panels at the time of vehicle manufacture. After repair and/or replacement parts are installed, all accessible bare metal surfaces must be treated with metal conditioner and reprimed. Refer to the GM Approved Refinish Materials book GM P/N GM4901M-D which identifies the paint systems you may use. Always refer to the latest revision of the 4901M-D book. This operation is to be performed prior to the application of sealers, waxes, deadeners, and anti-rust compounds.

Scheme 3

Anti-corrosion compounds are light-bodied materials designed to penetrate between metal-to-metal surfaces, such as pinch weld joints, hem flanges, and integral panel attaching points where metal surfaces are difficult to coat with conventional undercoating materials, and are inaccessible for painting. The materials that are suitable for interior and exterior are listed in the chart below. Conventional undercoating is recommended in order to coat large areas such as replacement door and quarter outer panels, floor pan sections, lids, hoods, fenders, etc. During undercoating operations, care should be taken to prevent the material from being sprayed into door and quarter panel hardware mechanisms such as door locks, glass run channels, window regulators, and seat belt retractors. On the underbody, the material should not be applied to any moving or rotating part, energy absorbing bumper components, or shock absorbers. After undercoating, ensure that all body drain holes are open.

Interior Protectants

The following products are available from GM Dealer Equipment (for technical information, call 187-Permatex [1-877-376-2839])

Anti-Corrosion Treatment and Repair

Exterior Protectants

The following product is available from *ECP, Inc. Contact them at 1-800-323-3521 or www.ecpinc.net.

Anti-Corrosion Treatment and Repair

The following products are available from your local *3M® distributor (or call 1-800-521-8180, ext. 779-5165).

Anti-Corrosion Treatment and Repair

*We believe these sources and their products to be reliable. There may be additional manufacturers of such material. General Motors does not endorse, indicate any preference for, or assume any responsibility for the products from these firms, or for any such items which may be available from other sources.

Scheme 4

These sealers are intended to prevent water and dust from entering the vehicle, and also are anti-corrosion barriers. Sealers are applied to such areas as rear compartment lid hem flanges, wheelhouse, quarter outer, floor, cowl, roof, and various other panel-to-panel attaching points. The originally sealed joints are obvious and any damage to these sealed locations should be corrected by resealing. Attaching points of new replacement panels should be resealed. Replacement lids and doors will also require sealing in the hem flange areas.

Flanged joints, overlap joints, and seams should be sealed using a quality sealer of medium-bodied consistency. The sealer used must retain its flexible characteristics after curing and be paintable.

Scheme 5

Open joints which require bridging of the sealer in order to close a gap should be sealed using a heavy-bodied caulking material. Follow the label directions for the material selected.

Color application may be required in order to restore repaired areas such as hood, fenders, doors, quarters, lid, roof, engine compartment, underbody, and inner panels to original appearance. When this is necessary, conventional refinishing preparation, undercoat buildup, and color application techniques should be followed.

Scheme 6

Deadener materials, the spray-on type, are used on various metal panels in order to provide corrosion resistance and joint sealing. They control the general noise level inside the passenger area of the vehicle. When deadeners are disturbed because of damage, are removed during repair operations, or a new replacement panel is installed, the deadener material must be replaced by a service equivalent material. The application pattern and location of deadener materials can be determined by observing the original production installation.

Scheme 7

Cleaning of the interior and underbody panel surfaces is necessary when original galvanized, or other anti-corrosion materials have been burned off during welding, or heating operations. Removal of the residue from burning will require additional care in such areas as interior surfaces of box-type construction, and when configurations of the metal panels limit access to interior surfaces. One or more of the following methods will remove the residue

1. Sandblasting is an excellent method for cleanup and preparation of open joints, underbody components, and hem flange areas. Sandblasting is most effective and should be used.
2. When access is possible, scraping with a putty knife or scraper can be used.
3. A jet of compressed air will remove most residue and could be effective in limited access areas.

Paint Identification

The basecoat/clearcoat paint is factory applied in the following 4 layers in order to give the finish a high gloss look

1. A cathodic immersion primer
2. A primer/surfacer
3. A basecoat
4. A clear top coat (clearcoat)

Service Precautions

1. Avoid washing vehicles in direct sunlight.
2. Avoid using strong soaps or chemical detergents.
3. Use brushless type automatic car wash equipment.
4. Avoid using products containing acids, unless specified in order to correct a condition such as rail dust.
5. Do not use brushes or brooms in order to remove snow or ice from vehicles in storage or on lots.
6. Cleaning agents and water should be dried promptly and not allowed to dry on the surface. Drying with a soft chamois is recommended.
7. Standing rinse water should be dried promptly and not allowed to dry on the surface. Drying with a soft chamois is recommended.
8. Do not polish vehicles unless a surface condition exists that can only be corrected by polishing. Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) or «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) .
9. If a surface condition does exist, the repair approach should be one of less is best, the very least it takes to correct the condition.
10. Avoid removing too much clear coat whenever possible, use paint gauges before, during and after polishing. Refer to «Paint Gages»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__paint-gages) .
11. Use only the products recommended in this procedure (or their equivalent). Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) or «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) .
12. Ensure that any power polishing equipment does not exceed the requirements in the polish manufacturers recommendations. The final process step typically uses an orbital type polisher with speeds of 1,500-2,000 RPM. Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) or «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) .
13. Do not use wax or silicone type products in order to hide swirl marks, this damage will reappear later and cause customer dissatisfaction.
14. Specific conditions on the paint (environmental damage, rail dust, etc.) may be corrected by: Refer to «Environmental Fallout (Acid Rain)»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__environmental-fallout-acid-rain) . Refer to «Rail Dust Damage Repair»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__rail-dust-damage-repair) .

Repair Procedure

1. Thoroughly wash the repair area with Liquid Wash and Wax GM P/N 1052870 or the equivalent.
2. Readings of the paint film build should be taken prior to the operation. Refer to «Paint Gages»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__paint-gages) .
3. Apply a small amount of the appropriate material to repair area and smear evenly with the pad. Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) or «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) .
4. With the polisher running at approximately 1,500-2,000 RPM, polish the repair area. Keep the pad flat against the panel while applying heavier pressure for 4-6 seconds. Then, polish with lighter pressure for 6-8 seconds. Feature lines and panel edges should be hand-rubbed in order to avoid burn-through.
5. Inspect the repair area frequently. Add more of the appropriate material as needed.
6. Always blend or feather the outer edges of the repaired area.
7. After buffing, inspect the repaired area.
8. If swirls are still visible, repeat the buffing procedure.
9. Clean the repaired area using a clean soft, non-scratching cloth with a 50/50 mixture of Isopropyl Alcohol and water.
10. If sanding is required, refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) or «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) .

Environmental Fallout (Acid Rain)

Since the severity of the condition varies from area to area, proper diagnosis of the damage extent is critical to the success of repairs. Perform diagnosis under high intensity fluorescent lighting, on horizontal surfaces, hood, roof panel, rear compartment lid after the surfaces have been properly cleaned. There are 3 basic types of acid rain damage

Slight Clearcoat Damage - Wet Sanding, Finesse Polishing

Note. Refer to Clearcoat/Ultraviolet Screeners Notice in Cautions and Notices.

1. Select a small test area on the damaged panel.
2. Readings of the paint film build should be taken prior to the operation. Refer to «Paint Gages»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__paint-gages) .
3. Wet sand the damaged area using an ultra-fine sandpaper and rubber sponge sanding block. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for detailed procedures for the materials used in the repairs. During the wet sand process: Use ample amounts of water. Work slowly in order to prevent removing too much clearcoat.
4. Remove the excess water with a rubber squeegee and inspect the area. If wet sanding has repaired the damage, continue the sanding procedure on the entire panel.
5. Apply a finesse-type polish with a foam pad. Remove any swirl marks with a dual action orbital polisher and foam pad. Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) or to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) . If, during the repair, you suspect or observe that etching has penetrated into the basecoat, too much clearcoat has been removed during sanding or base color is transferred to pad during polishing, the affected areas may require clearcoat/basecoat application or refinishing.
6. Polish the entire vehicle after all damage has been repaired.

Surface Level Contamination Repair

Note. Refer to Clearcoat/Ultraviolet Screeners Notice in Cautions and Notices.

1. Thoroughly wash the repaired area with Liquid Wash and Wax GM P/N 1052870.
2. Dry the area thoroughly.
3. Clean the affected area with silicone, wax and grease remover.
4. Neutralize left over acidic residue by cleaning damaged areas with mixture of baking soda and water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 1 liter or 1 quart of water. Rinse thoroughly and dry the panel completely.
5. Apply finesse-type polish with a foam panel. If damage has been repaired, remove any swirl marks with dual action orbital polisher and foam pad. Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) or to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) .
6. If some damage remains, refer to Slight Clearcoat Damage-Wet Sanding, Finesse Polishing.

Paint Gages

Use a paint gage before, during and after the sanding process in order to accurately measure how much clearcoat has been removed. Paint gages measure the total thickness of the finish and when used, determine how much clearcoat has been removed during the repair process. Paint gages range from magnetic pull type to sophisticated electronic types and are available from a variety of sources. The older magnetic type gages, at best have a 5 percent accuracy range and are not sensitive enough to detect removal of 0.020 mm 0.5 mil (0.0005 in) clearcoat. The newer type magnetic gages have improved accuracy ranges. Most gages are confined to checking either ferrous metal (steel) or non ferrous metal, aluminum panel. At this time, there are no viable gages for reading film thickness on composite (SCM Doors, RIM Fenders) panels. The more sophisticated (ETG) electronic paint thickness gages digital type gages are able to read film thickness on both ferrous and non-ferrous metal panel. Digital (ETG) gages may have an accuracy range of 1 percent and include thickness standards for recalibration. The following paint thickness gages are available. Call 1-800-GM-TOOLS for information

Paint Thickness Gages

1. 147-5437-ETG Standard Model
2. 147-5437-ETG-P Standard model with print option
3. 147-5437-N-ETG-N Non-ferrous model for aluminum panels
4. 147-5437-NP-ETG-NP Non-ferrous model with print option
5. 147-54437-SD-ETG Steel and aluminum gauge

Clearcoat Thickness

The clearcoat on the vehicle is typically 0.059-0.078 mm (1.5-2 mils [0.0015-0.0020 in]) thick. The clearcoat contains ultraviolet screeners. Removing more than 0.5 mils (0.019 in) of the clearcoat may result in early paint failure.

Rail Dust Damage Repair

Rail dust damage comes from the tiny iron particles produced from the friction between the train wheels and the track. It can also be deposited on vehicles if stored near any operation producing iron dust, i.e., steel ore yards. This dust can either lay on top of, or embed into the paint surface. It is usually diagnosed as bumps in the paint surface or rust colored spots in the paint.

1. Move the vehicle to a cool shaded area and ensure the vehicle surfaces are cool during the removal process.
2. Thoroughly wash the repair area with Liquid Wash and Wax GM P/N 1052870 or the equivalent.
3. Wipe the area dry.
4. Clean the affected area with silicone, wax and grease remover.
5. Perform the removal process according to the manufacturer's directions of the type of repair material used, Gel Type Oxalic Acid or Clay Type Non-Acid Based. If, upon inspection, some particles are still present, the process may be repeated. If the damage has been repaired, complete the repair to the entire panel.
6. Polish the entire panel after the removal process. Refer to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-3m-products) or to «Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings__clearcoat-repair-specifications-meguiar-products) . If small pits remain in the clearcoat after all of the damage has been repaired, refer to «Clearcoat Repair w/o Repainting»(/chevrolet/aveo/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#paint-coatings) .

See also:
• Clearcoat Repair Specifications - Meguiar Products
• Clearcoat Repair Specifications - 3M Products
• Paint Gages
• Environmental Fallout (Acid Rain)
• Rail Dust Damage Repair
• Clearcoat Repair w/o Repainting