Hi all,
After visiting service center to adjust passenger door, two areas of the paint were chipped near the edge of the door frame. I can physically remove the base paint from the middle damage, so the clear coats are definitely removed.
What are my options here?
After visiting service center to adjust passenger door, two areas of the paint were chipped near the edge of the door frame. I can physically remove the base paint from the middle damage, so the clear coats are definitely removed.
What are my options here?
- Leave as is. Damages are not really noticeable, and I'm sure the car will endure comparable damages as time passes.
- Will the paint damage become nucleation point for damages in the future, such as paint peeling due to weather and environment?
- Self repair. My assessment for the repair processes is the following. Processes are extrapolated from this video, and I will get a paint/clear kit from scratcheshappen.com (please recommend better sources if possible)
- Damaged areas between the panels are impossible to repair, and I will ignore them.
- Prep and smooth the surface: Feather rough edges of the clear coat to ensure smooth surfaces across clear coat and base coat with wet sand paper
- If primer is exposed: apply layers of base paint (from Tesla repair kit) and sand down after paint cures
- Apply clear coat, such that it is taller than the undamaged clear coats
- Let cure
- Wet sand the extra clear coats
- Machine polish with polishing compounds
- Get opinion from a body shop
- Tesla SC promised they will repair in the upcoming visit, but given this paint damage and prior damages in interior trims, I may be risking more damages in other parts of the vehicle with this option.