DIY car dent repair videos: the internet is filled with them. In them, a person who appears to know what they are talking about walks you through, step-by-step, how to get a ding out of your car.
If that's all you know about paintless dent repair, you might be tempted to think it's pretty simple and that hail dent repair businesses, like us, who use the technique, are only capitalizing on something you can do right in your driveway.
Hear us out for a moment: that can't be further from the truth. Becoming a skilled paintless dent repair technician takes much more than owning a toolset: time, energy, passion, and a service-minded way of working all contribute to a paintless dent repair technician's ability to do what they do.
Should You Attempt DIY Auto Body Repair?
Auto body DIY quick fixes are similar to down-home remedies for various illnesses. Everybody has an answer that seems legitimate at the time but rarely produces any real results.
And aside from a lack of training, you are asking for a disaster without the right tools. The technicians' tools help them create a professional finish, and even if you buy the right ones, if you are not experienced with them, you could make your repair worse by adding in the risk of more dents, scratching the paint, and causing windshield and window damage.
The two main pieces of equipment that repair technicians use include:
Slide Hammer
Slide hammers are pieces of metal shaped like a T with small bits on each arm. They sometimes come with a hole in one end that can be attached to other components and are used for tasks like removing bearings or pulling dents.
Whale Tail
While not made from the real thing, they are shaped like them. These metal bars have a handle on one end and a slight curve at the other, and their purpose is to maneuver around curves in your vehicle's finish, making it easily accessible to push a dent back to its original state.
Furthermore, DIY auto body repair can do more harm if you have no idea what you are doing.
When you hire a certified professional, you get quality work you can rely on that produces long-term results. There really is no reason to settle for anything less than the best for your car.
The bottom line is this: You should avoid auto body DIY repair.
Your Auto Insurance Will Cover Repair
Most car owners do not submit insurance claims for small dings and dents because they believe their insurance rates will skyrocket afterward. While it's true your rates may slightly increase if you have considerable damage, the only way the rates really increase is if you have multiple claims from accidents that are your fault.
Most insurance companies today have some level of accident forgiveness for drivers who maintain good records but make a one-time mistake. If you think your rates may go up, consult with an insurance expert before making a claim.
Otherwise, use your insurance to get your auto body professionally repaired!
Vehicle Warranties Do Not Cover DIY Jobs
If your car is still under warranty, you could void the warranty if you attempt a DIY auto body repair job.
All auto manufacturers are different and have different types of warranties. However, these warranties usually come with a stipulation that all work done on a vehicle must be performed by a certified professional.
Otherwise, the warranty may not cover your car when needed.
You Can Miss Hidden Issues
The fact is, a lot of the damage that happens from accidents is not always a surface job. Other underlying problems can directly affect how your vehicle runs and operates.
If a collision causes the issues, your car may not look it on the outside but can be unsafe to drive. Several hidden problems can arise that only a professional is going to spot.
A few common ones include:
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Misalignment of vehicle doors
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Cracks in the brake lines
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Damage to the steering system
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Malfunctions in the electrical system
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Perforations in the gas tank
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Damage to the suspension system
Paintless Dent Repair Is Affordable
There is a significant difference between major auto body repair and paintless dent repair. For instance, if there is a major dent across the side of your car that contains scratches and scraped paint, the damage is too extensive for a paintless dent repair job.
However, if there are small dings or dents that haven't damaged the paint extensively, the vehicle only requires PDR. Paintless dent repair is quick, affordable, and easy.
The Risks of DIY Paintless Dent Repair
Yes, anyone can hop online, watch a video, buy a set of hail dent repair tools, and use them on their own car. But that doesn't mean those tools will work for that person!
Though DIY paintless dent repair kits are everywhere, nothing beats the skill set of a professional. Sure, anyone can use paintless dent repair tools, but not just anyone can use them well.
And you're far better off getting the help of someone who can, as a faulty DIY paintless dent repair job can lead to the following.
Pulling the Paint off the Dent
Paintless dent repair tools might look unassuming, but they are powerful. Misused, they can compromise your car's finish, yanking paint off when they were only supposed to touch the dent.
You then must resort to more expensive forms of hail dent repair, as paintless dent repair, as its name somewhat implies, does not involve new paint.
Wasting Precious Time
If you've ever watched a paintless dent repair technician work, you know that what they do requires a lot of finesse. To get a dent to fully vanish, it must be popped out with a specific type and amount of pressure.
If this is not accomplished, the dent must be tapped back down, and the process repeated. Don't get stuck in this endless loop; get it done right the first time with the help of a hail damage repair specialist.
Spending More Money
Straightforward dents are simple to fix for the seasoned paintless dent repair technician. You, therefore, probably won't be charged a ton if you bring your vehicle in right after you notice the dent.
This method of car dent repair is incredibly affordable anyway, as we cover in The Benefits of Paintless Dent Repair.
If, on the other hand, you've messed with the dent, that can bump up its complexity, as we touched on above. Take hail damage, for instance. This sort of dent is generally pretty regular in shape and is a cinch for any professional paintless dent repair technician to fix.
If someone inexperienced has gotten their hands on the dents, their "handwork" may leave them irregularly shaped and more challenging to fix, which could result in higher fees.
As we always say: For simple dents, use common sense. Don't mess around; just call a pro!
Making Your ADAS Vehicle Unsafe to Drive
PDR is about more than popping dents back into place; it's about constantly staying ahead of the curb to be best able to deliver that service to customers.
ADAS vehicles are a case in which if you don't know what you're doing, the results will be lackluster at best, and they might even compromise your vehicle's drivability.
ADAS is an acronym for "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems," a fancy way of phrasing "tech that helps you drive." Beyond turn signals and steering wheels that make driving possible in the first place, these systems are designed to make it easier – think lane-change warnings, backup cameras, or automatic emergency brakes.
According to In Compliance Mag, "ADAS is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the automotive industry," so chances are we're going to be seeing more of these cars on the road – and you may already have one of them.
As great as ADAS is, these technologies are made to work with the given vehicle in its standard form. Parts of its exterior are removed during the paintless dent repair process, so your ADAS system must be recalibrated when the process is finished.
This isn't something a DIYer is likely to know how to do or have the necessary equipment to do safely and successfully. Leave this to the experts who have training, credentials, and experience!
The pros at Dent Heads are more than familiar with ADAS recalibration and would be happy to save you the trouble.
Contact Dent Heads Now for Top-Notch Paintless Dent Repair
Do you need a minor auto body repair for your vehicle? Contact Dent Heads today!
We remove your vehicle's door dings, creases, hail damage, and dents while keeping the original paint job intact. Drop your car off at our shop in Bloomington, or we can come to you with our remote dent removal services! We offer both in-shop and mobile services throughout the Twin Cities metro area.
To learn more about our services or schedule an appointment, call us at 612-986-1171. You can also message us on our contact page.