Using Temperature Changes to Remove a Small Dent from Your Vehicle
Posted on: 30 September 2016
If you recently bumped your vehicle's door into a telephone poll, guard rail, or similar structure, and you noticed a small dent was left behind from the impact, chances are you will want to repair it to improve the appearance of this area. Dents can be removed using the power of changes in temperature. Here are some steps you can follow to effectively remove the dent from your vehicle's door.
Materials You Will Need
- Standard hair dryer
- Roll of aluminum foil
- Painter's tape
- Dry ice
- Heavy-duty gloves with insulation properties
Evaluate the Damage
Before you start the process of removing a dent, do an evaluation of the extent of the damage to make sure it is not worse than it appears at first glance. If the dent appears to be crinkled in a way that means the metal is pushed in at different impact levels or that the dent is larger than the size of a golf ball, it may be a better idea to call a collision-repair center such as Fenza's Auto Body Inc. to handle the job. However, you can tend to the job yourself if it is small in size.
Heat the Dented Area
Cover the dent with a piece of aluminum foil so it is obscured from view. Tape this onto your vehicle's door with pieces of painter's tape. This will suffice as a protective layer to help keep the paint from melting as you heat the metal. Use a standard hair dryer on a medium setting to heat the piece of aluminum foil. Slowly move the dryer back and forth while avoiding touching the barrel of the appliance on the foil. This will reduce the risk of scratching the surface of the door. When the aluminum foil is hot to the touch, turn off the hair dryer and quickly begin the next step.
Apply Ice to Cool the Door
Slip on a pair of insulated gloves. Grab a block of dry ice and rub it gently over the heated aluminum foil. The sudden extreme change in temperature will cause the metal to pop back to its original location. This usually happens rather quickly. If you do not hear a tell-tale popping sound within a minute or two, you may need to repeat the procedure and heat the foil once again. It is best to do this process only a few times so the metal does not become stressed from the process. If results are not successful, an auto-body shop will be able to fill in the dent with a bonding agent instead.
Share