Surface
Repainted panels: what a paint gauge can show and what it can't
Compare adjacent panels and mirrored spots. Published repaint figures from AUTO BILD and PPG, and why a reading is not proof of an accident.
Also listed as repainted panels, repaint, refinish
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Short answer
A repainted panel often reads thicker than its neighbors, so compare adjacent panels and the same spot on the other side of the car. DeFelsko says a significant difference between adjacent panels strongly indicates repainting, and AUTO BILD gives above 200 µm as typical for manual repaints, as rough guidance. The gauge shows thickness, not the cause: factories sometimes repaint, and app color codes are the maker's interpretation.
Key facts
- Gauge method
- Magnetic on steel, eddy current on aluminum, ultrasonic on plastic and fiberglass[3]
- Gauge mode
- Fe or NFe on metal panels[4]
- What the reading includes
- The repaint plus the original layers underneath, as one number[2]DeFelsko: magnetic and eddy-current gauges make no distinction between layers.
- Published thickness figures
- AUTO BILD (2021): manual repaints typically above 200 µm. PPG Refinish (ANZ): remove or sand back refinish films of 300 µm or more[1][5]AUTO BILD calls its figures rough guidance for its market; PPG's is regional refinish advice. Neither is a repaint threshold.
- Polishing note
- Not confirmedNo source we checked gives a polishing limit specific to refinished panels.
Watch out for
- A difference is an observation, not a verdict. DeFelsko says a significant difference between adjacent panels strongly indicates repainting, but the gauge shows thickness, not the cause, and factories sometimes repaint.
- Mirror the spot. AUTO BILD advises comparing the same spot on both sides of the car; it also says interpreting readings takes experience with vehicle generations and paint systems.
- App colors are the maker's reading. NexDiag's NexPTG app color-codes panels as factory, repaired or repainted with its SAPL system; that is the maker's interpretation, not proof.
What fits
Product details below are the seller's own description unless a source is shown. Pick the variant named for each item.
Fe/NFe combination gauge
UNI-T UT343E Fe/NFe coating thickness gauge (Bluetooth, 0-2000 µm)Choose the UT343E (Bluetooth, 0-2000 µm), the only variant listed.
UNI-T specifies it for ferrous and non-ferrous substrates with automatic or manual substrate identification. The AliExpress store uses UNI-T's name, but UNI-T's own where-to-buy page links no AliExpress store, so treat the seller as unconfirmed. UNI-T's page lists CE and UKCA marks only.
Sold by UNI-T Official Store
View on AliExpress Opens aliexpress.us
Questions
How do I spot a repainted panel with a paint gauge?
Measure consistently around the car and compare adjacent panels and mirrored spots. DeFelsko says a significant difference between adjacent panels strongly indicates repainting; AUTO BILD gives the same mirrored-spot advice.[3][1]
Is a thicker panel proof of accident damage?
No. A gauge shows thickness, not the cause. AUTO BILD and DeFelsko both note that some vehicles are repainted at the factory, and AUTO BILD calls its repaint figures rough guidance.[1][2]
Do app color codes prove a panel was repainted?
No. NexDiag's NexPTG app color-codes panels with its SAPL system, which is the maker's interpretation of the readings, not independent proof.[6]