How to measure vehicle paint thickness using the Elcometer 311 Automotive Paint Meter

Designed specifically for the automotive refinishing market, this specialist coating thickness gauge measures paint thickness on vehicles and provides an indication of the overall condition of paint work.


By measuring the vehicle paint thickness, the Elcometer 311 Automotive Paint Meter allows assessment of the quality of the paint finish and can identify hidden damage on a vehicle, which is often not found in public or commercial condition reports.

Hidden rework, vehicle impact damage, vehicle respray and filled body panels can all significantly affect a car’s resale value. Thanks to the Elcometer 311 automotive paint gauge, detecting hidden bodywork damage is easier and faster.

The Elcometer 311 automotive paint meter offers non-destructive paint thickness measurements on aluminium and steel automotive panels. The gauge’s integral FNF probe instantly recognises the substrate material allowing fast and accurate paint thickness measurement of steel and aluminium body panels.

Unlike other gauges, the Elcometer 311 Paint Meter displays key statistical values used to assess the overall condition of the paint work; it also has the unique Elcometer Index Value.

The Elcometer Index Value provides inspectors with a single number which illustrates the vehicle’s overall paint condition and establishes if any previous paint work has been undertaken. The higher the Elcometer Index Value the more severe the previous paintwork condition.

Detecting hidden automotive rework is now easier and faster than ever before.

The Elcometer 311 Automotive Paint Meter:

  • instantly switches between steel & aluminium panels
  • is the fastest automotive paint meter at 60+ readings per minute
  • is pre-calibrated to use straight from the box

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