CARSYS AVTOPODBOR gauge — the full manual

The CARSYS AVTOPODBOR gauge is designed and made in Russia. It measures the thickness of paint and other coatings over ferrous, galvanised and non-ferrous metals — helping you assess a car body and find signs of repair.

Purpose: measuring dielectric and non-magnetic coatings over steel (magnetic-induction method) and over non-ferrous metals (eddy-current method). Use: inspecting a body when buying a car, before bodywork, and quality control of painting in service and production.

• Measuring range 0–3500 µm, units “µm” and “mm”.
• Two methods — magnetic induction and eddy current; automatic and manual selection.
• Automatic substrate recognition: ferrous, non-ferrous, ferrous+zinc.
• Magnetic-filler detector and zinc detector with adjustable sensitivity.
• Smart calibration of 1 to 10 points; auto-calibration adjusting to −30…+50 °C.
• Colour and sound out-of-range indication, turbo mode, built-in torch and UV detector.
• Lifetime warranty and service by the maker.

Make sure the kit includes all the components:

• the coating thickness gauge;
• a silicone protective case;
• aluminium and steel calibration bases;
• a set of calibration plates (films);
• a quick user guide.

Five buttons control the gauge; many functions use a short press or a press-and-hold:

• “UP” — increases the value during calibration; cycles modes AUTO / FE / NFE; hold for turbo mode.
• “ON(OFF)” — turns the gauge and backlight on/off; exits settings back to measurement.
• “DOWN” — decreases the value during calibration; switches units µm / mm; hold for the thickness-comparison mode.
• “SETTINGS” — starts auto-calibration; opens smart calibration, indication limits and detector sensitivity; resets settings.
• “TORCH” — torch and UV detector; toggles the colour indication; sets the colours.

The gauge runs on two alkaline “LR03/AAA” cells (1.5 V). Remove the silicone case, open the compartment cover on the back, fit the cells to polarity and close the cover until it clicks.

When low, a battery icon appears in the top-right of the display. Do not use the gauge with a flat cell, and do not leave cells inside during long storage — the electrolyte may leak.

To turn on/off, hold “ON(OFF)” for about 2 seconds until it beeps. After powering on, the gauge auto-calibrates for ~2 seconds — keep it away from metal; dashes on the display mean it is ready. Do not measure while “AUTO-CALIBRATION” is shown.

The backlight turns on with “ON(OFF)” and switches off after 1 minute of inactivity; the gauge itself powers off after 2 minutes to save the battery.

Three modes cycle with a short press of “UP”; the current one is shown on the display. Units µm/mm switch with “DOWN” (1 mm = 1000 µm).

• AUTO — a single reading with substrate recognition and the filler and zinc detectors. The best mode for checking a body.
• FE (ferrous) — fast continuous readings (8/s) over ferrous metals by magnetic induction; handy on curved surfaces.
• NFE (non-ferrous) — fast continuous readings (8/s) over aluminium alloys by eddy current.

Turn the gauge on, wait for auto-calibration to finish and pick a mode. Place the probe firmly and squarely on the surface and do not move the gauge until it beeps — otherwise the reading fails or is wrong. After the beep, lift the gauge at least 5 cm away.

The result stays for about 30 seconds: the value, MIN/MAX marks when out of range, and the substrate type (ferrous, non-ferrous or ferrous+zinc). In FE/NFE modes the thickness is shown continuously — handy on curves.

• Hold the gauge closer to the probe — it is easier to place it squarely.
• Hold the calibration plates in your hand, not on a table; measure at the centre of the plate.
• On an orange-peel surface take several readings and average them.

Auto-calibration runs at power-on and adjusts as conditions change. To start it manually, press “SETTINGS” — “AUTO-CALIBRATION” appears; keep the gauge away from metal, and after ~2 seconds you can measure.

Turbo mode speeds up measuring: hold “UP” for about 2 seconds. In normal mode the display shows dashes; in turbo they are gone.

Thickness comparison: measure a reference point and, while the result is shown, hold “DOWN” for ~2 seconds (“8888” appears). From then on the thickness is shown as the difference from the reference. To return, power off, or hold “DOWN” again.

For accurate readings the gauge needs calibrating to your conditions. The calibration is kept for a long time; check it on first use and after a long break. Calibrate on metal close to what you measure, and keep it clean — a speck between the plate and the base shifts the result by 5–10 µm.

Smart calibration stores 1 to 10 points of different thickness; ideally set 2–3 points (e.g. 0 and 100 µm, 0 and 1000 µm) to cover the whole range. Points are saved and removed automatically.

• Hold “SETTINGS” for ~2 seconds until “CALIBRATION” appears.
• Measure on a bare base or with a reference plate of known thickness (0, 100 or 1000 µm).
• If the value differs, set it with “UP”/“DOWN” and measure again to check.
• Repeat for the points you need — order does not matter, the gauge drops extras itself. Exit with “ON(OFF)” or wait 30 seconds.

The gauge can signal, by sound and colour, when a reading is outside a range you set. The range is split by MIN and MAX limits into three segments; each can have a colour and sound on/off.

Setup: enter “CALIBRATION” (hold “SETTINGS”), then use “SETTINGS” to cycle the parameters (CALIBRATION, MIN, MIN-MAX, MAX, ZINC, P). Set limits with “UP”/“DOWN”, the colour with a short “TORCH” press, and sound by holding “TORCH”. To toggle all colour indication quickly, hold “TORCH” for ~2 seconds while measuring.

Magnetic filler contains iron powder and is made specifically to fool thickness gauges. If a reading is below 1000 µm, the gauge checks for it and, when found, gives three beeps with red flashes.

The zinc detector compares body panels: if the original panel is galvanised but a repaired one is not, this shows as the “ferrous+zinc” indicator. The function is meant for comparing the left and right sides.

Both detectors have adjustable sensitivity: enter “CALIBRATION”, use “SETTINGS” to reach “P-50” (filler) or “+ZINC” (zinc) and set the threshold with “UP”/“DOWN”. Do not over-raise the zinc sensitivity — false triggers are possible. The detectors rely on the gauge’s thickness calibration, so they misbehave if it is off.

Torch and UV detector: the first “TORCH” press is the torch, the second is the UV detector, the third turns both off.

The informative LCD with auto-off backlight shows the thickness, mode, substrate type, units and other parameters. At low and high temperatures the image may refresh more slowly.

The probe with a spherical hardened-steel tip stabilises the contact force and suits convex and concave surfaces. Do not press on the probe, remove or rotate it. Each method has its own sound — in AUTO mode you hear the metal type at once.

The gauge is a precision instrument: avoid drops and impacts. It is water-resistant but not waterproof — do not use it underwater or in heavy rain, and wipe drops with a soft dry cloth. Keep it away from strong radio waves and magnetic fields, do not leave it in the heat (e.g. a car in the sun), and do not disassemble it.

Moving it from cold to warm may cause condensation — put it in a bag first and let it warm up. Clean with a soft dry cloth without solvents. Store in a dry heated room without cells inside, away from magnets and corrosive substances.

Factory paint on most cars is no thicker than 200 µm (usually 80–200 µm). A sign of repair is a layer that is either thicker or thinner. On one car the spread between panels should not exceed about 20%.

• A respray is on average 50–100 µm thicker; with a “paint-to-beat-the-gauge” job the thickness stays near factory (if there is no filler).
• Sharp jumps (from 50 µm) between adjacent points point to filler over dented metal.
• Cars are painted symmetrically — compare the left side with the right; door apertures are usually thinner.
• Check roof pillars in small steps (every 5 cm) so as not to miss filler on seams.
• Do not trust thickness tables — better compare with a similar car or take the roof as a reference.
• Zinc detection helps spot a replaced original panel; cataphoresis and “cold galvanising” are not true galvanising.

The specification is general; individual units may differ and may be changed by the maker without notice.

If the gauge behaves unexpectedly, check the table below first.

The maker guarantees lifetime service and free repair of defects arising through its fault for the whole service life — provided the warranty, storage and operating conditions are met.

The warranty does not cover units with signs of opening, corrosion, mechanical or electrical damage from misuse, or without a document confirming the date and place of purchase. Warranty repair is carried out by the maker via an authorised dealer or directly.

Lifetime service (cleaning, calibration) is free. Details at car-sys.com. Made by: IE V. N. Chuvakin, Omsk, Russia.