Objective To improve the abrasion resistance of organic coating on magnesium alloys. Methods In this paper, SiO2 powders were modified with KH450 silane and dispersed in electrophoretic paint. The surface of magnesium alloys was modified by KH460 silane,and then composite cathode electrophoresis coatings were prepared on it. The pencil hardness test, friction and wear test, circle adhesion method,NMP (n methyl pyrrolidone) test and Machu test were taken to value the hardness, wear resistance, adhesion, anti-swelling properties of NMP and corrosion resistance of electrophoresis cathode coatings, respectively. Their morphol- ogies were studied by SEM and optical microscopy (OM). Results The pencil hardness of the coating,which was prepared on the magnesium alloy modified with KH460, was improved from 4H to 5H by adding SiO2 powders and the corrosion resistance was also increased. And their adhesion and anti-swelling properties of NMP were still kept at 1 class and >120 h respectively. The original coating and the coating containing Nano SiO2 powder, both prepared on the magnesium alloy modified with KH460, had good wear resistance, and their ratios of wear scar depth and coating thickness were 0. 47 and 0. 475 respectively, their friction coefficients were lower than 0. 4. The coating prepared directly on magnesium alloy and the coating containing Micron SiO2 powder prepared on the magnesium alloy modified with KH460 had poor wear resistance, and their ratios of wear scar depth and coating thickness were 0. 665 and 0. 673 respectively, friction coefficients of them were higher than 0. 7. The mainly wear failure mechanism of the four coatings was fatigue failure. Conclusion The addition of SiO2 powder can improve the corrosion resistance and pencil hardness of coatings effectively, and did not decrease adhesion and anti-swelling properties of NMP. The pretreatment of magnesium alloy with silane and the addition of Nano SiO2 in the electrophoretic paint can improve the wear resistance of coating.