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Accross Audanet users, two commonly misunderstood selections are Paint Off Vehicle and Prepare Off Vehicle.
Paint Off Vehicle
This option is for when the repair only involves components that can be painted away from the vehicle.
Examples include:
- New bumper bars
- Mirror covers
- Grilles
- Bolt-on mouldings
- Small plastic trims
Because these parts are painted separately, the process requires less masking and vehicle preparation. As a result, paint times and consumable allowances are reduced accordingly.
It's worth noting that Audanet automatically applies this logic to certain bolt-on components, even if the setting is not manually selected.
Prepare Off Vehicle
This option is designed for situations where a component must pass through the paint process more than once.
A common example is a replacement quarter panel or bodyside panel:
- The inner surfaces are painted prior to installation.
- The panel is welded to the vehicle.
- The outer surface is then prepared and refinished with the rest of the repair.
This creates an additional paint cycle, requiring:
- Extra masking
- Additional booth preparation
- Additional handling and movement of the vehicle
- Increased consumable usage
Selecting Prepare Off Vehicle ensures these additional operations are recognised within the estimate.