Technical Service Bulletin

00-19-01 - PDI - Paint Defect - Water Migration Under the RAPGARD®

Transaction
No:

2040590/11

Release date:

1/30/2023

Condition
Applicable Vehicles
Model(s)

Year

Eng. Code

Trans. Code

VIN Range
From

VIN Range To

All Models

2020-2023

All

All

All

All

Revision Table
Instance Number

Published Date

Version Number

Reason For Update

2040590/11

1/23/2023

00-19-01

To update model year
applicability.

2040590/10

1/5/2022

00-19-01

To include additional
model year applicability.

2040590/7

6/29/2020

00-19-01

To include additional
model year applicability.

2040590/6

9/17/2019

00-19-01

To include additional
photos of water
migration.

2040590/1

6/5/2015

V001503

Original publication.

Note:
Water migration under the RAPGARD® can be mistaken as a paint defect when in fact it is only
moisture trapped in the clear coat of the paint. See Examples 1-12 to see how water migration
may appear.

Technical Background
When RAPGARD® is applied at the factory, humidity in the air can get trapped between the plastic and
the paint. Over time this moisture can be absorbed into the clear coat creating marks.

Production Solution
Not Applicable.

Page 1 of 5
© 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

00-19-01 - PDI - Paint Defect - Water Migration Under the RAPGARD®

Transaction
No:

2040590/11

Release date:

1/30/2023

Service
Topics Covered
 RAPGARD®, removal and disposal
 Inspecting for water migration in areas where RAPGARD® was removed.
 Examples of water migration after the RAPGARD® is removed
RAPGARD®
Vehicles are shipped with RAPGARD®. This self-adhering plastic product is applied in certain areas of the
vehicle and is designed to provide protection from all types of possible damages.
RAPGARD®, Removal
Note:
RAPGARD® must be removed from the vehicle no later than nine months after application. See sticker
(location on vehicle body varies) for detailed information.
Vehicle must be at room temperature.
The ideal body surface temperature for RAPGARD® removal is 60°F (15.5°C) to 80°F (26.6° C).
If body surface temperatures are below 60°F (15.5°C) or above 80°F (26.6° C) then:
 Removal procedure should be performed indoors after surface temperatures have been allowed to
stabilize within the given range.
 Rinse vehicle thoroughly with water to remove surface dirt or dust and to help stabilize body surface
temperatures.
 Starting at the corners of each panel, carefully remove RAPGARD® from vehicle.
RAPGARD® Disposal
RAPGARD® can be disposed as normal paper waste. If unsure about proper disposal procedures in your
area, check local regulations.
RAPGARD®, Paint Inspection after Removal
Inspect painted surfaces under one of the following lighting conditions:
 Indoors under fluorescent lighting.
 Outdoors under bright sunlight.
Inspecting for Water Migration
After removal of RAPGARD®, some vehicles may exhibit temporary paint discoloration or paint swelling
(caused by trapped moisture under the RAPGARD®).
 This temporary swelling is caused by the paint finish absorbing moisture trapped under the
RAPGARD® film.
Page 2 of 5
© 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

00-19-01 - PDI - Paint Defect - Water Migration Under the RAPGARD®

Transaction
No:

2040590/11

Release date:

1/30/2023

 This swelling will disappear with exposure to the sun or heat lamps within 2 -3 hours. Severe paint
swelling may require 2 -3 days to recover.
Note:
DO NOT buff or refinish paint for this condition!
Paint discoloration (looks like shaded or dark magic marker lines) can be removed with a heat gun using
the following procedure:
 Hold heat gun approximately 3 in. away from affected paint surfaces and apply heat using slow
oscillating motions until discoloration is gone.
 If discoloration remains, wipe the heated area with Isopropyl alcohol and repeat procedure to increase
surface drying.
Various Examples of Water Migration under the RAPGARD®

Example 2
Example 1

Example 4
Example 3
Page 3 of 5
© 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

00-19-01 - PDI - Paint Defect - Water Migration Under the RAPGARD®

Example 5

Example 6

Example 7

Example 8

Transaction
No:

2040590/11

Release date:

1/30/2023

Page 4 of 5
© 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

00-19-01 - PDI - Paint Defect - Water Migration Under the RAPGARD®

Transaction
No:

2040590/11

Release date:

1/30/2023

Example 10
Example 9

Example 11

Example 12

Warranty
Information only.

Required Parts and Tools
No Special Parts required.
No Special Tools required.

Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this Technical Bulletin are subject to change and/or removal.
Always check with your Parts Dept. and Repair Manuals for the latest information.

Page 5 of 5
© 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.