[TurboDan737]

Hi All,

Wanted to order touchup paint for my dad's car ('15 X3) and my car ('16 320i) and both read Alpine White. The X3 was listed as paint code "300U" and the 3-Series did not have any listing on its mfg plate, only writing in German that said "Alpinweiss" under the hood.

I always thought the X3 looked a tiny bit darker than the 320i, but the paint codes seem to be the same. I can't find any variations of Alpine White between model years 2015 and 2016 between different models.

So were my eyes playing tricks on me all along, or are we dealing with two different colors after all?

Thanks!

[WagonR]

There are definitely different Alpine Whites, but the change to the current version happened well before the cars you're asking about. The current alpine white is the third version, and the code is 300. I think it's been the version of alpine white used since the 90s at some point.

I'm not sure if there are sub-variations of the current one, but I'm sure depending on age, use, and even the original application, there are variations in the "same" paint on each car. That's why body shops blend paints, even when they use factory codes.

If you're talking about touch up paint, I'm sure it will work well enough for both cars, because it's not going to be perfect no matter what.

[pungo]

Look up your paint code with one of the VIN decoders


Here's the paint codes over the years:
Alpine White 146
Alpine White II 218
Alpine White III 300

[e30lover318i]

The paint code you provided doesn’t sound correct, you should have your 300 number and then a second single digit at the end thats referred to as an alternate. So for instance 300/4 should tell the person mixing that it’s slightly different, also clear coat can play tricks on you a low quality clear can sometimes make white more yellow. If a vehicle had been painted in the past It may look slightly off in color compared to another vehicle. I’ve never seen them use letters as an alternative so that’s kind of odd

[TurboDan737]

Thanks everyone. Attached is a photo of the mfg plate that shows the "300U" print where the color code should be. This is on the X3. Sorry it's sideways. Didn't look like that on my phone! (Color code is on the right bottom of the black plate.)

[TurboDan737]

Likewise, here (attached) is the tag on the 320i. This one is easy! But that "300U" thing on the X3 is still puzzling.

[e30lover318i]

Check the engine bay for the style sticker in your 2nd post. I know there is one in there because mines getting paint work and I checked it 2 weeks ago, I think it was on the bottom of the hood or something weird