Repair That Small Dent Or Scratch On Your Car

If your car has just recently gotten a small nick or dent, you may want to try to fix the issue yourself before taking it into the shop. Follow these steps to return your car back to its former condition.

1. Pull out the Dent

Believe it or not, but you can actually remove a car dent with a bathroom plunger. Make sure the plunger is thoroughly clean before you put it over the dent. Then, pump the plunger a few times to create some suction so that when you are ready to pull away, the dent will pull out as well. This method works well with larger dents. With smaller dents, it may be harder to achieve the right seal for suction.

Another method you may want to try involves using a hairdryer. You'll need to heat the dent with your hair dryer for a minute or two, and then you should spray the dent with cold compressed air. Hopefully, the rapid change in temperature will cause the dent to expand and then contract to the original auto body shape.

2. Seal Any Areas to Avoid Rust

Once you pull out the dent, you'll want to assess the area for any nicks or scratches. Since rust forms when oxygen contacts iron, you'll want to make sure you seal up any spots where the paint was removed.

Make sure you wash the scratched area with some soapy water first to remove debris. Let the area dry thoroughly, then use some knifing putty to fill the scratch. If you don't have putty on hand, you could seal up the scratch with some nail polish. Use wet sandpaper to remove any excess putty and to smooth the scratch. Let the putty dry overnight.

3. Paint Any Nicks

You'll need to look in your owner's manual to find your car's color identification code. Paintscratch.com has a good overview of where your color code may be located. For instance, many cars have the number on the driver's door jamb. Once you know the code, you can go to a dealership or auto shop and request the right color. You'll then need to mask, prime, and paint the scratch. Since the paint will dry fast, you may end up with an uneven looking coat. To remedy this, you'll also need to purchase a leveling solvent that you can use around the scratch. This kind of solvent won't harm your car's finish, but it can remove some of the excess touch-up paint around the scratch.

If you have more than one dent or scratch on your car, you may want to take it into a professional, like Felix Auto Repair & Towing, especially since touch-up kits don't come with a ton of paint and primer.