Repair of damage from stone impacts (BMW 5 Series E39)

It makes sense to regularly repair minor damage to the varnish coating, as this helps to avoid corrosion and subsequent major repairs.

To remove minor scratches and stone impacts that have only caused the surface layer of varnish to peel off, a tube of varnish is generally sufficient. Along with this drip coating and a small brush, the self-adhesive film offered by the retail chain also helps if the damage is very minor or only a primer coat is applied.

Deep stone chip marks that already have rust build-up should be cleaned with a rust remover, knife or small screwdriver until bare metal is visible. It is important that no such rusty areas are visible at all. Rust removers are small plastic bushings that have wire bristles to remove rust.

The exposed metal must be perfectly dry and degreased. To do this, clean the repair areas and the surrounding varnish with a silicone remover.

Use a thin brush to apply a small amount of primer to the bare metal surface. Since primer is mostly sold in aerosol cans, spray some primer into the can cap and dip the brush in.

After the primer has dried, apply a small amount of varnish to the damaged area. The brush in varnish cans is already built into the lid of the can. If you only have an aerosol can of suitable paint, spray a little paint into the lid of the can and then apply the varnish with a thin brush for waterproof paint. In this case, apply only one thin layer of varnish per work step so that it cannot flow down. Then dry the paint well. Repeat the process until the dent is filled and the repaired area no longer forms a depression relative to the surrounding paintwork.