Dent Removal Methods For Your Car

Whether from a door in a parking lot or a minor collision, small dents can mar the otherwise perfect finish of your car. Fortunately, not all dents are severe. Some minor dents result in little more than the dent itself—in other words, no creasing or chipped paint. There are several options for removal when this happens, as outlined below.

The Mallet Method

This is a rather involved method but it can work well for really targeting the dented area. You can only use this mallets on areas where you can access the back side of the damaged panel, such as car doors where you can remove the interior panel. Once you have access to the backside of the damage, place a tapping block or piece of wood over the dent. Tap it lightly with a mallet until the dent pops out.

Plunger

Plungers can sometimes successfully pull out smaller dents in plastic car panels. Use a round cup plunger, as opposed to the flange-style that is made for toilet use. Place the cup over the dent and push the handle in, just as if you were plunging a sink. Pull out, popping the plunger off the panel. The suction may pull out the dent.

Invest in a Suction Tool

Auto parts stores sometimes carry special suction tools that are meant to pull out dents. These tools feature three suction cups. The main bar has two large cups, which you position on either side of the dent. The center cup, which is attached to a thumb screw, is placed in the center of the dent. You then turn the thumb screw, which pulls back on the center suction cup and pulls out the dent.

Hot and Cold Technique

This technique use the expansion and contraction principal to force a dent to pop out of plastic. First, you heat up the dent with hairdryer. Once the plastic is hot, you immediately spray it with canned air. The cold from the canned air meeting the hot plastic cause an immediate response, which causes the dent to pop out. Before trying this method, make sure that your car's paint isn't damaged by the canned air.

Professional Options

If the above DIY tips don't work, or if you are worried about causing more damage, professional paintless dent repair is another option. The tech insert special rods behind the dented panel, often using the small access holes that the manufacturer has built into the panels. These rods help force the panel back into shape, and then the tech uses special mallets to hammer around each rod until the panel looks as good as it did before the dent occurred. For more information, contact companies like Central Ave Auto Body.