Tesla does not approve clear coat blending or spot repairs for any paint repairs. Instead, when applying clear coat, cover the entire panel following the paint manufacturer recommendations. The Tesla-approved method is to blend the base coat color as necessary and then apply clear coat to the entire panel, edge to edge.

A blended clear coated area is not robust, and over time the edges of the clear coated area will lift and discolor, making the repair area edge very noticeable. Because the thickness of the clear coat in a blended area thins at the edges, over a period the blended edges of the repair area will become visible.

After painting, it is acceptable to “bake” (force dry) the vehicle in a paint booth with the HV battery installed as long as none of the following parameters are exceeded:

• Maximum baking time: 45 minutes.
• Vehicle temperature before baking: Less than 35° C (95° F).
• Maximum HV battery temperature during baking: 60° C (140° F).
  CAUTION

  Before baking, if the battery temperature cannot be determined, the vehicle must be in an ambient temperature below 35° C (95° F) for at least 12 hours before the baking starts.

If these parameters must be exceeded for any reason, contact Tesla Collision Repair before proceeding.

After a structural repair has been completed, apply an anti-corrosion coating to all bare metal parts of the vehicle body structure and any metal fasteners used in the structural repair. After the vehicle has been refinished, apply an anti-corrosion coating inside body cavities with a 360-degree spray wand of suitable length via factory access holes in the vehicle structure.

Tesla service components do not come with factory seam sealer already applied. Use only seam sealer designed for automotive collision repair applications, and:

• Refer to the technical specifications of the sealer product being used for instructions on proper surface preparation and application of the product.
• Apply seam sealer over 2k primer or scuffed e-coat.
• Apply seam sealer to all seams and folded hems.
• Apply seam sealer to additional seams in the repair area as deemed necessary by the technician performing the repair.
• Apply seam sealer to match the appearance of factory-applied seam sealer.

After a structural repair has been completed, install expanding foam in any location where expanding foam was removed during the repair process.

After a repair is complete, inspect the repair area to locate and identify wires, wire harnesses, wire harness clips, or connectors in the repair area. If there are wires, wire harnesses, wire harness clips, or connectors in the repair area, and the position of the item is moved or if the item will contact fasteners in the repair area, you must:

• Verify that clips and connectors fasten securely and do not disengage during normal vehicle operation.
• Verify that there is proper clearance between the item and any moving part.
• Add abrasion protection to wires or wire harnesses:

  If the wire or harness touches fasteners in the repair area and the wire or harness is not already protected with anti-abrasion tape or plastic corrugated tubing, add anti-abrasion protection. Either anti-abrasion/PET cloth tape or plastic corrugated tubing may be added to provide abrasion protection.

  If using anti-abrasion tape:

  • Apply 2 layers of anti-abrasion/PET cloth tape (TESA 51036 or TESA 51026).
  • Verify that the taped wire or harness has adequate flexibility to allow necessary movement during normal vehicle operation.
  If using plastic corrugated tubing:

  • Use plastic corrugated tubing (Delfingen Syflex or equivalent).
    • Corrugated tubing must have a slit for easy application over wire bundle, and must naturally stay closed so that wires inside the tubing are not exposed.
    • The inside diameter of the corrugated tubing must be no more than 20% larger than the wire bundle size.
  • Install plastic corrugated tubing to meet the following criteria:
    • For wire bundle sizes greater than 5 mm in diameter, unless otherwise specified, apply spiral tape around the bundle to prevent loose wires from coming out of the slit in the tubing.
    • For wire bundle sizes less than 5 mm in diameter, unless otherwise specified, apply tape around the corrugated tubing every 100 mm to prevent loose wires from coming out of the slit.
    • Unless otherwise specified, tape the ends of the corrugated tubing to secure the ends of the tubing against opening over time. Wrap the tape over the wire bundle and extend the tape through the slit in the tubing. Use black vinyl tape (Nitto 2450, Tesa 4182, or equivalent), unless otherwise specified.
    • Longer sections of corrugated tubing may be divided between clips to improve workability. Unless otherwise specified, divided sections of corrugated tubing must be butted together and taped with black vinyl tape (Nitto 2450, Tesa 4182, or equivalent).
    • When a multiple branch wire harness is reduced to a single branch, if the covering before and after the junction is the same, use one continuous piece of corrugated tube covering, or one continuous wrap of anti-abrasion tape (2 layers).
    • When plastic corrugated tubing is placed under a junction tape, fix the end of the corrugated tubing at the junction. The end-fix tape and junction tape may be common, but are not necessary. Maximum clearance from the end-fix of the corrugated tubing to the junction is the width of end-fix tape.
  • Verify that the wire or harness has adequate flexibility to allow necessary movement during normal vehicle operation.

If previously-installed seam sealer, butyl patches, noise deadening materials, or structural foam were removed from the repair area, replace those materials.