Spoiler - You Can Do It Yourself with the right tools and patience. Nothing is annoying than getting a dent in your car. While your first thought would be to take it to car service, this can cost hundreds of dollars to fix. Whether you own a Tesla or Holden, there is always the possibility that you can get the dent or ding when someone opens their car door into yours in a tight parking spot or distracted drivers poking at their phones bump it from behind at a light. Or maybe you— Nah, we don't go there. But before you lose hope on your car or spend hundreds on getting it fixed, we suggest you try one of these DIY methods for fixing the dent or ding yourself. The first thing you will need to do is to assess the damage to understand what you are dealing with. Answer these questions:
- How bad is the damage?
- Which part of your car is damaged - is it a composite (plastic) bumper, a sheet metal fender, door, an aluminium hood or deck, or a carbon-fibre panel?
- Was the paint scratched? How badly?
Answering these questions, you can find the best method and tool for fixing. And if you are still in doubt, go and get a quote from a dent-repair specialist or car service to learn what they would charge, and why.
HAIRDRYER
Locate and measure the dent. Prepare the following items: a hairdryer, aluminium foil, rubber gloves, a package of dry ice and a can of compressed air. Heat the damaged area by using the hairdryer, which should be kept about 15 cm away from the surface. Then cover the dent with a piece of foil. Put on the rubber gloves and rub the dry ice over the aluminium foil covering the dent. You can also cool it with the compressed air. The rapid change in temperature makes the dent pop out on its own.
PLUNGER
This trick is only for getting a small dent out. All you need to do is pour warm water over the plunger as well as the dent and slowly start pushing the plunger up and down. Repeat this a few times until the dent pops out.
BOILING WATER
This method works for dents on plastic bumpers as well as on any parts of your car made of plastic. If you have a dent on your car's bumper, you can take it off if the dent can't be reached and pour boiling water onto the damaged part to make it easier. Just boil a pot of water and pour it over the dented area then reach behind the bumper and pop the dent out.
SPECIALTY TOOLS
When all else fails, you may consider buying a dent removal kit.
Dent puller
A dent puller is an option with a technique used on dents and dings. It involves using Hot Glue to attach a tool or suction cup to the dented part of the surface and then pulling or lifting another tool to pull it out. When you're looking for the best paintless dent repair tools, consider this method because most kits are sold all-in-one with everything you need to make your car's exterior look new again. This method doesn't damage your car paint, doesn't require strenuous effort, and is environmentally-friendly.
Push-from-behind
Push-from-behind PDR (paintless dent repair) is completed by using specialized tools, including rods, to push the dent from the back of the vehicle's panel. The deeper and wider the dent, the more time and manual effort it'll take to fix. The more tools and rods you'll have at your disposal, the more flexibility you'll have to fix the particular dent.
