After a very long period of time, it is nearly impossible for anyone who owns a car to avoid some dings and dents in your car. As long as you are driving the car in the outside surrounding you are subject to any number of accidents. These dings and dents on your car are very annoying. Dents can be very minute and also extremely big. Nobody wants to dull the look of the car they own. So, what can you do to fix it? In this article, we will cover how to fix a dent in a car that cannot be avoided.
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Common Causes For Dents In A Car
Tracking the dents and scratches of a car is difficult. So, people who are wondering about these dents and causes to it should consider the below factors that are common and lead to issues.
1. Hail Damage
Automotive hail damage is not what most people encounter frequently, but if at all it happens it can be very dangerous for your car. Hailstorms can cause great damage to your vehicle if left outside. It can cause paint damage, dents that can vary in size and depth. Large hailstones can also knock your mirrors out of place with enough force.
2. Bumping Into Car Doors
Another reason that causes most of the dents in your car is other car doors. When people unintentional or intentional, people open their doors carelessly and slam them into your car door. Some drivers and passengers often open their car door too quickly without noticing that they are already bumping into the neighboring car.
3. Road Debris
Road debris can also dent your car. In many cases, the damage occurs when another vehicle sends road debris flying onto your car. It can damage a vehicle’s tires and undercarriage. Also can damage a car in plenty of significant ways. However, It can still form huge types of dents because some of the debris is big enough for that.
How To Fix A Dent In A Car?
If the dent is small and there is no deep damage to the paint, you can use these do-it-yourself methods to fix the dents. It can’t be guaranteed that these methods will work but you can try these surely to save your money.
1. Hot Water
This method tends to work well with plastic bumpers and fenders. To loosen the stiffened plastic parts, boiling water can be used.
Before applying any kind of tools, try to wash the dented surface with hot, possibly boiling water. This method works best if you’re able to reach behind the damaged area to push out the dent. The intensely boiled water should help soften up the plastic material so that you can press out the dent from the backside. If you’re not able to get behind the damage, this method could also be combined with the vacuum and plunger method we mention in this article to get better results.
2. Plunger
The most traditional method of removing dents involves “Pulling” the dent out. You can use a common household plunger to fix the dent.
After pouring the hot water, apply the plunger and pull strongly. You’ve to make sure you’re using a “Cup” plunger for this instead of a “Flange” plunger. With any luck, that pulling motion will pop out the dent. If the dent’s size allows placing a plunger over it, this is a favorable condition for a successful repair
3. Heat And Compresses Air
The Expansion and Contraction is a great way to “Pop Out” dents in a car. Most materials expand and contract whenever heat is applied and then subsequently cooled.
This method only works on plastic parts, as a modern plastic bumper. For blowing hot air you can use a hairdryer and a can of compressed air. Blow to hot air on the affected plastic part of the car. The heat will cause the expansion of the plastic material. Grab the can of compressed air and blast the affected area with the cold air. The rapid contraction of the plastic will happen because of the cool air and probably the dent would pop out
4. Vacuum
This method again works best on plastic car parts. This method of removing a dent involves using a special tool that adheres to the dented portion of your car and pulls the dent out.
This special tool works in a similar war a plunger does. It can effectively remove small and medium-sized dents without having to remove the entire panel from the car. The air and the suction motion help pull the dent out.
5. Using Dry Ice
This method may work, but don’t bank on it. Thinner metals don’t respond as well to the dry ice hack.
Basically, the process is to take some dry ice and run it back and forth over the affected area until the metal has cooled to the temperature of dry ice. This shrinks the metal and pulls in the dent. This trick works even better with aluminum panels.
How To Avoid Dents On Your Car
No doubt, a vehicle is a big investment for most drivers and no one actually likes their car losing its shine and luster. They always try to keep their car looking its best as much as possible. So, here are some do and don’ts to protect your car from dents.
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Park Vehicle In Safe Surrounding
Try to avoid parking the car in packed lots, tight spaces. Also,0 Maintain spaces between your car and other cars.
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Watch The Weather
Keep an eye on weather reports and weather warnings and when possible, avoid driving in bad weather conditions. Your car can get damaged by flying debris and even hail damage.
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Use Covered Parking
The best way to protect your car is to park it in the garage if you have one. Parking in a garage keeps your vehicle safe from direct sunlight.
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Have The Right Insurance
Most insurance companies offer coverage options that cover anything from a minor hail storm to a tree falling on the car. However, having the right insurance could cover your car from any mishappenings.
Conclusion
Small dents can ruin the appearance of a vehicle. Even if you are as careful as possible there is hardly any way to protect your car every time from tough situations On top of that, repairing that dent in your car can cost a lot of money. As a result, the above DIY methods for how to fix a dent in a car can be very helpful for affordably repairing the dent. So try one of all these methods and fix it yourself. But if the car has a heavy dent or the metal is removed then there is no other option left other than taking it to the mechanic.