Lexus Moon Light Opal Tricoat (1H0) Touch Up Paint

The Look

You are looking at the signature shade of the HS250h. When Lexus launched its first dedicated hybrid, they chose this color to telegraph a sense of clean, futuristic luxury. It functions as a metallic silver with a ghostly, iridescent glow that helps it stand out from the sea of standard greys in the parking lot. Because your car has likely been on the road for over a decade, the way the light hits the panels will vary. Your goal is to replicate that depth without making the repair look like a flat, dull patch.

Technical Details

This finish is a Pearl Tricoat, which adds a layer of complexity to your project. Unlike a standard paint, this requires a base layer for the color and a middle layer for the shimmer. The risk here is the clouding effect. If you apply the middle pearl layer too thick with your brush or nozzle, the silver turns into a murky grey. The pearl particles need to lay flat to catch the sun correctly. The thickness of your application determines how well the repair disappears into the surrounding metal, so several light passes are better than one heavy coat.

Best Practices

Open the driver's door and look at the sticker on the door jamb to find the "C/TR" label. Before you spray or dab Lexus Moon Light Opal Tricoat (check for code 1H0), you need to shake it for 60 seconds to wake up those metallic flakes. Test the color on the included card to see how many layers of the middle pearl coat it takes to match your car's current level of shine. Keep the container moving at all times to prevent the particles from clumping together and creating dark spots. Give the paint plenty of drying time in a cool garage or patch of shade before you finish it with a clear coat.