Performing Car Dent Repairs At Home

Car dents are among the inconveniences you may have to put up with throughout your car ownership. They can occur anytime without warning—a vehicle bumped on your car while backing up, a supermarket cart got out of control and came zooming toward your car door, or you got into a tight parking space and the car next to you banged its door on your auto body panel as it was being opened. Car dents can give your car a worn-out look and reduce its value, so car dent repairs are very important.

Unfortunately, these repairs can get so expensive when done by a professional. So, your best bet would be to do it yourself in your own garage. It may take a lot of time and patience, but you’ll also get a lot of savings.

Car Dent Repair Procedures

Repairing a car dent includes two general steps: restoring the original form of the dented panel and then restoring its original look.

• Restore the original form by fixing the dent

1.) You need to pull out the dent. You can do this by pushing the dent out from the inside with your hands. Simple dents are soft enough for the hands to push.

2.) If the dent doesn’t budge, the next option would be to use a block of wood and the right mallet or hammer. Position the wood outside of the dent while you hammer the dent from the inside to push it out (be sure that you use just the right amount of force here).

3.) If you cannot gain access to the inside of the dent (i.e. if the dent is in a tight area like under the hood), you can use an electric drill, screw, and a self-locking vice grip. Drill a 1/8″ hole at the center of the dent, screw in the screw, and use the grip to pull on the dent.

4.) Sand all the paint from the area of the dent and then fill it with body filler. Once the filler is hard, shape the surface with sandpaper (start with a coarse sandpaper and finish with a fine one).

• Restore the original look by repainting

1.) Apply spray primer on the area (several coating is needed, and each coat should be thoroughly dry before applying the next).

2.) After this, repaint the area of the dent (several coating is also needed, with fine sanding done between each coat until the desired smoothness is achieved).

If you plan to do your own repair, you can find complete repair kits to help you with the task. Today, there are already a wide variety of kits that will help you do the job easily. Among the latest are those that do not require you to drill on the dent anymore, reducing the incidental damage to your car. There are kits that make use of hot glue gun, tabs, and brackets for an easier and faster repair of car dents.

With all these now offered, it’s easier to perform car dent repairs at home without all the major expenses.

Options To Repair A Car With Out Any Policy

At some point of owning a car are consequences whenever policy is not offered. We would have a hard time to have our car repaired it it’s out of warranty. Maintenances and repairs are like missiles. We wouldn’t like it when we hit this trouble.

When we buy a car, we would consider buying a used one as this is cheaper at most times. And we will just tell ourselves to be careful in choosing the right car as long as it’s in good condition. If a brand new car needs maintenance and repair, how much more that a used car will need? If we choose to buy a used car, we won’t feel any hassle or frustration on the first months or even year.

And we can say that we are very lucky to get a cheap, used car in good condition with out any frustration whatsoever. And we would be satisfied for not having a car policy. But eventually, after several months, we will be starting to notice some changes on the car and worst thing if it will go straight in some parts. There we go, and we’ll be starting to dislike our car.

A single frustration on the road is enough to be frustrated and get some lesson. But when you face this situation, you can’t do anything but face the consequences. Here are the tips of what you can do whenever you face this situation. Try to look if the damage on your car is really severe and if it would cost you a lot. If you think it would be expensive to have it repaired, try to bring your car to a repair shop and deal with the warranty as well.

Calculate the cost of the package of an insurance company plus the future possible damages and then compare it to a monthly cost if you have to get a new car with new insurance and everything, and then decide for the advantage. If in case you choose to have it repaired, then ask a friend who might knows a repair shop who can possibly give discounts for a referral. If parts of the car needs a replacement, make it sure that it will be covered with warranty. Just remember that a new warranty or policy will shoulder a future damage if things will go wrong.

In some areas, there are repair shops for second handed cars or used card. These repair shops usually have good options for out of warranty damaged cars. Try to negotiate with the best repair possible and still make it sure that the replaced item and parts will be under warranty. A plain repair is not an answer for this problem. It maybe cheaper to have a plain repair but worst situation may occur after a month and it would even cost you more to pay for another repair than by getting a coverage repair plan.

Repairs for out of warranty cars are still offered and you get the best value if you will add a new warranty or enroll a different policy.

Modern Techniques In Car Body Repairs

Your car may still be in good running condition, safe and fuel efficient, but if years of exposure to all the environmental elements had already taken toll on it, you might need to do something. After many years of using your car, you may find that its paint has already faded and that it already has some scratches, cracks, and dents that no amount of waxing can cover. Well, there are modern auto shops that offer excellent car body repairs to restore your investment. They offer a wide array of services depending on your needs and budget.

And today, there are already a lot of techniques used in restoring vehicles. Here are some of the modern techniques in car body repairs:

100% Auto Paint Match

Whether your car needs whole body painting, spot painting for covering dents, graphics removal, or others, the new paint should match the original car paint 100%. To achieve this, photo spectrometer is used to analyze the original paint of your vehicle. Then, a computerized auto paint color match system is employed to find the true color that will match the original color of your car. After this, the painting is done carefully to achieve a seamless finish. Once the paint has dried, your car will surely look like it’s just freshly taken from a showroom.

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)

Dents are commonly caused by impacts when your vehicle comes in contact with other cars or other hard surfaces. And the problem is, dents can sometimes occur at or near the angular or curve surfaces of the car, in which case they are very noticeable and harder to repair. Today, paintless dent removal method is already in use to solve these problems. Special tools are used to press, knead, or rub down on the affected part until it is back to its normal shape. This should be done while ensuring that the paint does not get damaged. And for those dents on hard-to-reach areas such as the edge of the car’s floor, fill and spray methods are used.

Body Frame Straightening

For cars that experienced collision with another vehicle or object big enough to cause a longitudinal or lateral damage on the car’s frame, body frame straightening is required. A computerized tool is used in this process. An ultrasound technology measures the discrepancy of the frame alignment and then a laser is used to accurately align the frame back to its original shape.

SMART Repair

This is a technique used to remedy a very small damage like a chipped or scratched paint. This is quite harder because only the small affected area should be sprayed accurately. It is very useful among brand new cars in which the damage may be conspicuous since the whole body is still glossy and newly painted. Some auto shops even offer a mobile service and perform this repair right at your home or office, so you won’t be waiting for long before you can use your car. Just check online to find one near your address.

With these innovations in car body repairs, you can enjoy driving your car like brand new again. And, it will be easy to keep its value high in case you want to sell it in the future.

Is It Important To Monitor Car Repair Expenses?

A car enthusiast would advice people to monitor their car repair expenses. But in most cases, a lot of car owners and drivers would say that it doesn’t make sense and it’s just a waste of time. Well, this could be one disadvantage, but there could be a lot of advantages that we can get from this, mostly when it comes to money.

Owning a car is all about money and expenses not to mention its advantages. You need to feed your car before it will run. You have to maintain its needs so it would be in good condition. You need to keep insurances as to security and emergency cases. With all of these things and with the busy lives that we have, we might say that we don’t have free time to back track all the expenses that we had for our car. Well, that could be true but what if making back tracks could save us money? Would we dare to do it then? Here are the reasons why we need to do that waste of time.

Keeping records of the expenses will help you realize about the total cost of your car repair, car maintenance, and emergency expenses on the road. After a year of summation, you can then decide if certain insurance can do several jobs in just one package, thus making your job lesser the next year. With this, you can also decide if you need to get a new car that could be lesser than your previous annual repair fees. You want to consider the total for everything and you can try to find a good policy that can possibly do the job and you also pay less.

Another reason to keep back tracks of your car repair expenses is about the warranty. When you keep the records, it means keeping a receipt of the entire paid amount you spent for your car. In some cases, a spare store for cars won’t honor the warranty not unless you can provide the receipt. Well, they make sense though, how could you prove that you bought your spare with them if you can’t even show them the proof of your purchase? So it is very important to keep records as this can mean not to buy a replacement spare whenever it broke within the warranty period.

The last benefit that we can get from this back tracking of records is for budget purposes. After a year of calculation, we can then decide if we have to cut some unnecessary expenses for additional savings. By taking a closer look at the list of expenses, we can identify which one is necessary and needed and which of those are just luxuries. If we feel like the expenses are beyond limit, then we can cut it off the next year.

So if the last year was full of expenses and frustrations about your car, you have the next year with enjoyable and satisfying mood that you will surely have.

Human Technician Versus Machine

Car repairs have a lot of options. Car owners are very reliable to car repair shops and there are even machine who do the basic repair. But who can really repair your car? Will the machine good enough to do the process or it would be better to have a human do the troubleshooting?

In this topic, I will give you the insights about differences between human repaired cars and machine repaired cars. There are jobs on the car that needs to be done by a machine to make it more perfect like wheel aligning. However there are also jobs on the car that needs a human to do it and make it more powerful, like analyzing about a possible leakage on the transmission. And talking about analyzing, it is only human who can initiate that thing, like analyzing why there is a need to replace some parts used for breaks. Periodically the brakes in all automobiles need to be repaired or even replaced.

This is due to either brake shoes and/or brake pads wearing out from use. Every time a person wants to slow down the speed of an automobile, he/she presses on a foot pedal which in turn causes this shoes or pads to squeeze against the metal wheels which cause friction thereby slowing down the automobile until it stop. This causes the material which the brakes are composed of to disintegrate over a period of time and require repair or replacement. No machines can do the explanation about breaks to a car owner like that.

The very main point is that the car owners or a driver must not be totally dependent to a technician or mechanically equipped technologies for any repair. Sensitivity is important so things will never repeat over and over. Other situations would consider sense of obligation for your car. They would say that we have to treat our car like our best friend or best buddy. If we need something, cars also need something. The only difference is they can’t shout their needs so we are oblige to check the parts time to time and have a good maintenance to maintain its ability to run smoothly as we always wanted to.

A mechanical repair needs to be guided accordingly with a closer look so it would yield a result best combined with a fully equipped process. The technician in this case would shoulder the responsibility and most of the time, they are careful as they think that it’s the life of a person in risk if they don’t do the right and complete repair process.

So in order for them to make it sure, they will have it checked and tested with their machines and this would sometimes make their load heavier thus making the car owner pays more. But it’s just a way to ensure right job and complete repair. A car repair performed by a technician and verified by a machine is the best approach usually done by car repair shops.

How Will I Know If My Car Needs Repair Or Replacement?

Are you confused if you need a car repair or a car replacement? Well, it is best that you’re confused because it only means that you are sensible about the right choices in your life. You may want to consider some tips to lead you to the right decision.

It is sometimes hard to choose between car repair and car replacement. Some car owners will say that their car has a sentimental value or others say that theirs have a better mileage. Well, that might be true, however, it’s not wise to have a regular visit to an auto shop every once a month. I will give you some tips and factors that will surely make your decision easy.

First, think about money savings. If you are bringing your car in the auto shop every month, it may not be healthy to your pocket. You may pay the same amount every month by getting a brand new car at no hassle. So, you have to compare the monthly cost of getting a new car and the monthly cost of your regular car check ups and repairs of your current car.

Second, think about the risk of your life. An outlook of your future car maintenance may be clear. If you think that your car needs an expensive maintenance in the future, then you have to do the decision right. And another factor is the risk that will lead you on the road, it may not be safe to drive on your car anymore if some parts are reassembled or other factors will cover also. And if your future car maintenance is higher or even just the same by getting a new car, then the situation is giving you a clear suggestion what to do.

Third factor to consider is about the cost of your future car if you would consider getting one. The amount of your future car is a big factor that you have to consider and the way how would you pay for it. Now, on this factor, you have to consider your annual car repair cost, the estimated monthly payment of a target car, and the value of your current car. The trick here is, if you pay more money as a down payment, you most likely have to have a cheaper monthly rate. So if your current car can pay a big amount for the down payment, and your current monthly maintenance cost is a lot higher, you may want to consider a good and easy choice then.

The last factor is the cost of your current car. This factor will affect if you want to have your car traded to a new car. This is the most common practice of a car owner. It may take some time to look for a dealer or a car seller but this may yield money and just adding a little amount for getting a new one. There are a lot of car traders that you can deal with. You can compare their offers and choose the best offer possible.

By practicing this simple guides and tips, you now can decide if you want a car repair or a car replacement. These tips will give you an undoubtedly wise decision.

How To Save On Car Repairs

Owning a car comes with a lot of benefits, and responsibilities as well. As a responsible driver, you must take good care of your car, regularly checking it and going for immediate car repairs when the need arises. No matter how good your car is, there will come a time when some of its parts will bog down due to normal wear and tear.

The different parts of your car are prone to aging, especially if you drive extensively. However, there are things that you can do to avoid a lot of repair expenses, as follows:

• If budget is not a constraint, better purchase a brand new car in the first place. This will usually include warranties for parts and even cover free servicing for a given period of time.

• Expand your car insurance coverage to include collision insurance. Just in case you meet an accident, you won’t need to spend much on repair.

• It would be helpful if you have a car repair manual handy. You can refer to it for some technical information such as wiring diagrams, sensor locations, and many others. The manual is just like a first aid kit; it will help you figure out the trouble and help you fix it if it’s not that complicated.

Car Maintenance Tips

Other than the three general tips mentioned above, one other very important thing you should remember is to observe religious car maintenance. The basics include simple activities like checking the engine oil, transmission fluid, engine coolant, tires, and battery. You can refer to your owner’s manual to properly check these or you can ask the guidance of a professional mechanic.

• Tune-ups and oil changes should be done regularly. Cars should be tuned up every two years or 30,000 miles.

• Oil should be changed at least thrice a year to keep engine parts lubricated.

• Brake pads should also be replaced immediately when they’re worn out to avoid possibilities of accidents.

• Your radiator should be regularly cleaned to remove the solid deposits that cling to it over time. The cooling system should be regularly flushed as well.

• Fuel filters should be replaced immediately when they get clogged.

• The air filter should also be replaced when clogged to save on power and gas. A dirty air filter can retard the function of your air intake system, which is among those that regulate your car’s air-fuel mixture.

• Your air conditioning system should be regularly checked and recharged if necessary.

These are among the basic maintenance procedures that you should regularly undertake to avoid major car repairs. These can be done even at home to further save on cost. You can refer to websites or manuals that feature DIY car maintenance. Just make that sure you have clamps, wrenches, screwdrivers, and other basic tools at hand.

When you notice anything unusual in your car, immediately find the source of the problem. Attend to minor defects immediately so that they will not build up. If the defect is complicated, bring your car to an accredited repair shop at once. Life is not perfect and so is your car, so car repairs are inevitable. But with the right attitude, these should not be a problem.

How To Replace Damaged Car Parts In A Cheaper Rate

It is very important that we know the condition of our car like we know the condition of our body. If we are sick, we have to look for a remedy and medication so we will be better. That’s the same thing for our cars. Due to hard work and miles of travel, we cannot avoid that some parts of our car will be damaged. Machines also need maintenance and we should take care of that needs same as we take care of ourselves. When this situation happens, it is a basic first to identify and locate which damaged car parts needs a repair or replacement.

As a car owner, we are always worried if our car is in good condition. This is also to ensure that we have our safety taken not in stake. But a simple small damaged car parts will change everything. But the situation is manageable if that would be the case. It would only take patient to fix the problem. There are tips that we can follow to make the job lighter and easier. A car owner must know the capacity of the car and its limitations. Every brand has a good and bad side. Know the purpose of your car and consider the purpose of its use. A real hassle can be avoided by choosing the right model.

If the car really needs a repair, well, a yard of junks can be a good source and it can save you money. Remember that not all parts in the junk are damaged. Car goes to junk for with each different story. Just look for good parts that are not damaged. Another good and easy option is to go online. After you figure out the parts that needs to be replaced or repair, you can go online and have the cheapest part purchased. There are varieties of company that you can choose for your need. But make it sure that you know where the parts are shipped from as we don’t want to pay an overflowing amount only for shipping.

Use all possible shops for the cheapest yet quality car parts. There are stores that offer free service when you buy parts from them. But make it sure that they offer quality service also. We don’t want to have our car the same trouble over and over. If you don’t know the rating of that shop, then you can gamble by buying a small part so you can test their customer service and how they deal with their business. Or you can check the BBB rating of the shop online and the way they handle customer complaints.

Be sensitive and love your car like your life, well, it is your life on the road. If you think that it’s just a little damage car parts that can’t harm you, maybe you’re right only for the first weeks or even days. But after several time, that little damage will waste your money, your car, or even waste your life.

How Much Would It Cost To Have A Car Repaired?

The pleasure of having a car is totally extravagant. It would make life easier and would give value to our time. It can save us money, effort, and be away from the hassles in going anywhere. But then, there are some instances that we are in trouble that will cause our car to have some damages. Right then and there, we would think to bring our car to a repair shop but we would always consider the cost of our car repair.

For some folks who don’t have an insurance that covers car repair, it is a big problem for them to have their car repaired every time they hit an accident or every time their car gets damaged and needs a repair. In this case, we can’t do anything about it but face the consequence of having no car insurance for repair and then pay the expenses out of your own pocket. But how much would it really cost to have a car repaired? We always think if the price is right and if we are billed correctly. Well, that is a normal thought and we should do something about it just to make sure that there are no overcharges. There are some factors that we might need to consider before we pay the expenses of a repair.

The cost of car repair depends on the damaged part of your car. As a car owner, it is best that you initially check your car and know the part that needs to be repaired or replaced. In that way, you will know the estimation of the repair cost. You can do a manual calculation by knowing the price of that part that needs to be replaced plus the length of time needed to do the repair as this will do the cost of the repair person.

Most likely that will end up the total bill. If the repair shop would tell you an amount way behind to your calculation, try to ask them why it goes that high. In some cases, they will give you the breakdown. It may also possible that there are damaged parts that you are unaware, but you have to prove it so to avoid repair scams.

Before you hit a decision to choose an auto shop, try to do a survey. Ask estimation from different shops and the coverage of their repair. Don’t hesitate to ask the auto shops for the cost of car repair as most of the time, the estimation is for free and no risk. By doing this, you can compare each pricing and coverage included as you can decide which one has the best offer possible.

While you do the survey for your car repair, it is best that you only choose an auto shop with a name on the industry for long years. You have to choose a stable auto shop and make it sure that their jobs are excellent. You will know this by asking your friends about their experiences or you can have it checked online.

Do-It-Yourself Car Repairs And Car Maintenance

If you own a vehicle, there’s a great chance that a big chunk of the budget you allot for your car is for car repair and car maintenance. As you drive your vehicle daily and expose it to different elements, it experiences wear and tear. It’s important that you monitor its running condition to avoid problems. And when damage occurs, it’s also important that you do repair immediately. Despite the increasing cost of car repair, the fact is that you can still save on your car through do-it-yourself car repairs and maintenance.

DIY is a growing trend among many drivers and vehicle owners today. Although this requires some kind of knowledge in automotive, it does not only give big savings but as well as the satisfaction of truly owning your vehicle. There are basic and more advanced car maintenance and repairs that you can do. These include the following:

Cleaning, Car Washing, and Waxing

You don’t need a professional mechanic to do these for you, and you don’t need to be highly skilled in automotive to learn these basics. All you will need is to have the right cleaning and detailing materials to ensure that you will achieve your desired effect. With just a little time on your hand, you can reduce your trips to car wash and car detailing shops and you can save a lot of bucks.

Routine Fluid Changing and Refilling

Many of the systems in your car make use of different types of fluid in their operation. Other than fuel, there are oil and special water formulas that make your car work. Over time, these fluids are reduced due to evaporation or leaks, and you have to ensure that you refill them to avoid problems like overheating.

• Oil. This fluid is needed for lubricating the metal engine parts as they rub against each other. Without it, too much friction will be produced and the parts will heat up and get damaged. Over time, the oil also gets dirty and should be replaced.

• Coolant. This is a special type of water solution that circulates throughout the cooling system to absorb engine heat so that you won’t experience overheating. Regular coolant refilling is vital in keeping the engine temperature right.

• Brake Fluid. This fluid is crucial to the operation of the brakes. With not enough fluid in your system, the brakes may not work well and you may experience braking problems. Refilling your braking system should be done with caution and you must only use the right type of fluid.

Removal and Installation of Parts

Whereas many of the parts in your auto are complicated and dealing with them requires professional knowledge, there are others that are simple enough for average drivers. The addition of add-ons like spoiler, car bra, or wheel caps, for instance, can be done simply. And if you’re skilled enough, you can even do more serious part replacements when the need arises.

Yes, do-it-yourself car repairs and maintenance may take time, but the savings are all worth it. Plus, nothing beats being able to know the inner workings of your own car.

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