Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Service & Repair Manual: Paintwork structure of a factory finish

This page gives the exact layer structure of a Volkswagen Golf Mk7 factory paint finish: sheet steel, zinc phosphate, electrophoretic primer, intermediate surfacer and 2-pack top coat, with a total conventional solid-colour thickness of approximately 80–120 µm.

Structure of a solid-colour (uni) paint finish, conventional Coat thickness approx. 80-120 µm 1 -  Sheet steel 2 -  Zinc phosphate 3 -  Electrophoretic primer 4 -  Intermediate surfacer 5 -  2-pack uni (solid-colour) top coat

Structure of a uni (solid-colour) paint finish, waterborne paint Coat thickness approx. 80-130 µm 1 -  Sheet steel 2 -  Zinc phosphate 3 -  Electrophoretic finish 4 -  Waterborne surfacer 5 -  Waterborne base coat 6 -  2-pack clear coat

Structure of metallic and pearlescent finish (waterborne paint) Coat thickness approx. 80-130 µm 1 -  Sheet steel 2 -  Zinc phosphate 3 -  Electrophoretic finish 4 -  Waterborne surfacer 5 -  Metallic or pearlescent waterborne base coat 6 -  2-pack clear coat

Structure of a two-coat paint finish (conventional) Coat thickness approx. 100 µm 1 -  Sheet steel 2 -  Zinc phosphate 3 -  Electrophoretic finish 4 -  Intermediate surfacer 5 -  Uni (solid-colour) top coat 6 -  2-pack clear coat

Structure of the 2010-process finish (waterborne paint) Coat thickness approx. 80-120 µm 1 -  Sheet steel 2 -  Zinc phosphate 3 -  Electrophoretic finish 4 -  Waterborne base coat (special-effect coat) 5 -  2-pack clear coat

Structure of a three-coat paint finish (waterborne paint) Coat thickness approx. 80-140 µm 1 -  Sheet steel 2 -  Zinc phosphate 3 -  Electrophoretic finish 4 -  Waterborne surfacer 5 -  Waterborne base coat (colour-determining base coat) 6 -  Waterborne base coat (special-effect coat) 7 -  2-pack clear coat   Note   The specifications of coat thickness are approximate because thickness can vary depending on colour and differences between horizontal and vertical surfaces.   The specifications may be exceeded by individual vehicles which have been repainted once or several times. However, this need not be communicated.

Questions & answers

Paintwork structure of a factory finish — Volkswagen Golf Mk7

What is the Golf Mk7 factory paint structure?

For solid colours: zinc phosphate layer, cathodic dip primer, surfacer, top coat — total approximately 80–120 µm. For metallic/pearl: add a base coat and clear coat layer.

What is cathodic dip primer on the Golf Mk7?

An electrophoretic coating applied to the bare body shell that provides the primary corrosion protection layer. It is the foundation for all subsequent paint layers.

General notes

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