Does a reading over 1000 on a paint thickness gauge necessarily indicate body filler work?
3 Answers
A reading over 1000 on a paint thickness gauge indicates that the vehicle has undergone body filler repair. Here is relevant information about paint thickness gauges: 1. The normal reading range for an automotive paint thickness gauge is between 120 microns and 180 microns. If the paint thickness falls within this range, it typically indicates original factory paint. However, paint within this range isn't always original, as some manufacturers may cut corners, resulting in paint thickness below 120 microns. Readings above this range suggest the vehicle may have experienced scratches or undergone repainting. 2. If the gauge shows a reading exceeding 1000 microns, it indicates the vehicle has suffered severe impact and undergone body filler repair. 3. Higher readings from the paint thickness gauge generally mean the vehicle has experienced multiple collisions or severe impacts.
I've seen many cars with partial repairs; high paint thickness gauge readings don't necessarily indicate body filler work. New cars with thick factory primer layers can also show elevated readings, which is particularly noticeable in German vehicles. Areas like door sills and trunk drainage channels often have factory-applied sealant buildup, where readings of 1200-1300μm are completely normal. To determine repairs, look for abrupt thickness variations - suspicious areas typically show 300μm+ jumps compared to adjacent panels. Consistently high readings across the vehicle might simply reflect factory application methods. Recently I inspected a Honda with 1300μm hood readings that initially suggested filler work, but upon inspection it was all factory sealant. Always cross-check by hand-feeling panel edges - repaired areas with body filler will have unnatural contours and detectable seam transitions when running fingers along them.
During maintenance at our factory, we found that paint thickness gauge readings of 1000μm do not necessarily indicate bodywork repairs. Some vehicles leave the factory with excessively thick primer coatings—for instance, readings of 1100μm on the front fenders of American pickup trucks are quite common. What truly warrants caution are the telltale signs of body filler application. For example, if the hood shows three measurement points around 900μm but suddenly spikes to 1500μm at one spot, such wave-like fluctuations usually indicate localized repairs. Also pay attention to value distribution patterns—repair technicians often apply thinner filler along door waistlines but deliberately pile it up to 1300μm near rubbing strips to conceal imperfections. The most accurate method remains inspecting weld points behind interior panels: factory spot welds display fish-scale patterns while aftermarket welds appear rough and often show rust marks.
