The appearance of a car can be ruined by minor dents and dings. It’s critical to remove dents as soon as possible to preserve the car’s overall resale value, whether they were brought on by a shopping cart, another car’s door, or a baseball thrown by a nearby child. But how to get a dent out of a car?
There are plenty of ways to remove them from your car by using common household items such as a plunger or vacuum cleaner. You need to choose the technique that would be best for your car because not all of the methods will work for you.
We introduce several ways to fix a small dent in a car, either by hiring a professional or using some simple tricks at home, keep reading!
How to Get a Dent Out of a Car by Yourself?
Here are some tips you can use at home.
Use a Plunger
A plunger can be used to remove small to medium-sized dents from your car in addition to clearing clogged drains. Simply spray some water on the dent and the plunger, then begin pushing and pulling until it pops out. Make sure to use a cup plunger (for sinks) rather than a flange one (for toilets).
Use Boiling Water
One of the simplest ways to make a dent in something is to reverse into it. The stiffness of plastic bumpers means that even if you try to remove the bumper, it might still be challenging to push out the dent. Put some boiling water in a pot, pour it on the dent, and that will take care of the problem.
After you’ve poured the water, reach behind the bumper and make an attempt to push the dent back in. The plastic ought to be a little more malleable as a result of the heat of the water, making it simpler to reattach.
You’ll need to move quickly because the heat won’t last long. If the dent doesn’t completely disappear, keep pouring boiling water on it until it completely pops back out.
Use a Hair Dryer & Compressed Air
Using a hair dryer and compressed air are two common household items that are frequently used to remove car dents from plastic material.
In order to expand the car’s plastic, start by heating the dent with the hair dryer at its highest setting. Once it is hot enough, take the compressed air can, turn it upside down, and start spraying the same area. The plastic will contract in response to the cold air, which will cause the dent to emerge.
Use Dry Ice
Dry ice is primarily used as a cooling agent, but it can also be used to remove small dents from cars. Hold down a piece of dry ice on the dent and rub it around while wearing safety gloves until you hear the dent pop back into place.
If the dent isn’t too deep, you can apply the dry ice as many times as necessary before it pops out. You might also try applying dry ice to the dent after first heating it up with something like a hair dryer (similar to the hairdryer and compressed air tip above).
Use Hot Glue, Wooden Dowels, & Screws
By attempting to remove dents on your own, you run the risk of either worsening the dent or chipping the paint, which could cause further damage to your car. Using several wooden dowels, a few screws, and a hot glue gun to try to remove large dents from your car is a safe option.
Put the bottom of the dowel with hot glue and two nails. Place the dowels glue-side down in the areas surrounding the dent, repeat as necessary to cover the area, let them dry, and then pull out each one one at a time until the dent is gone.
To remove the majority of the dent, position and pull the same dowels across it several times. If you plan to use this technique, be sure to have enough glue and some patience. If the glue is stuck to the car, use heat or rubbing alcohol to remove it.
Use a Long Metal Rod & Knockdown
When your car gets a dent, the metal not only moves inward but also moves upward around the edges, resembling a small volcano. So, it is not a good idea to try to pop the dent out from underneath.
Use a Vacuum Cleaner & Pot
A dent can be removed using suction, but finding a dent puller with the right amount of power is difficult. Why not just make your own, then? Get that dent out of your car quickly with just a pot (or bucket), a vacuum, and some tape.
Make a tiny hole underneath the pot, tape it over the dent, then extend the vacuum hose over the pot and turn on the vacuum. The suction that is produced ought to pull out your dent if it isn’t too shallow.
Use a Specialty Tool
You could also try a Pops-a-Dent or a suction cup dent remover tool if you’re having no luck with any of the aforementioned techniques.
Also Read: How to Remove Tree Sap from Car?
Professional Dent Repair
Minor dents can be fixed at dealerships and franchise body shops, but their costs are typically very high when compared to those of smaller businesses that can offer the same level of quality. Furthermore, having repairs made can be quick and convenient due to the fact that many dent specialists are now mobile. Most will fix a dent in 20 minutes or less at your house or place of business. Naturally, it will take longer if there are more dents.
Always look up a dent specialist’s online reviews before hiring them. The best way to determine whether they do good work is by reading reviews left by previous clients. Call at least three different vendors to compare prices. The average repair fee for quarter-size dents is between $60 and $110, though this amount could go up if touch-up paint is necessary. Between $40 and $75 may be charged for each additional ding. Therefore, it makes sense to get all of your dents fixed at once in order to possibly negotiate a lower overall cost.
Depending on the location of the dent, the make and model of the car, larger dents that are six inches or larger in diameter can cost anywhere between $200 and $350 to repair. A mobile dent specialist may not be able to repair large dents if the paint is damaged, though. In this situation, an auto body shop might be required.
Are There Common Dent Locations?
On your bodywork, dents can happen anywhere, but some places are more vulnerable than others.
If you want to check your car for any irregularities, pay close attention to:
- doors – When you’re not paying attention, it’s simple to swing doors open into closely parked cars or other obstacles. Make sure to inspect the entire door, from top to bottom, for any marks that high kerbs may have left behind.
- bumpers – Bumpers, which are intended to lessen the force of collisions, are frequently damaged in car accidents. Check your car’s front and rear for any dents that might need to be repaired.
FAQs
How to Fix Scratches on Car?
Most light scratches can be fixed by polishing the clear coat with a rubbing compound.
How to Get a Dent Out of a Car With Hot Water?
All you need to do is prepare a pot of cold water, have a teapot of boiling water available, and wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from burns. After that, squirt the dent with hot water from the teapot. Pop the dent out from the inside before it cools down.
Final Words: Which Way Worked Best for You?
Grab a dent removal kit if you’re willing to try anything and don’t have a lot of tools at home. These kits contain tools designed specifically to remove car dents using many of the techniques described above.
Did you try any of these techniques, or did you decide to bite the bullet and hire an auto body shop to handle the job for you? Please comment below if you used a different DIY technique to get car dents and dings out of your car.
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