If you have a new vehicle chances are your vehicle features many of these systems. We recently attended an ADAS Calibration presentation put on by Autopart International. In order to work on today’s vehicles, you will also need to know what kind of systems the vehicle has and how to work with them. Most importantly how to make sure they are back to working order and calibrated AFTER repairs are done.
If these systems are not calibrated correctly they will misread what they interpreting and could CAUSE accidents. To insure the safety of the consumer, their vehicle and others on the roadways, this is extremely important step to make sure your car is taken to a reputable repair shop. Many systems when out of calibration will often NOT show any type of dash warning light, but with a vehicle diagnostic tool this will tell you if there is a fault in the system.
Where Was This Event At?
We attended this presentation in Rochester, NY at The Dent Guy’s Paintless Dent Repair shop. Here this class was geared towards the use of these systems in the Paintless Dent Repair industry. Many times in the Paintless Dent Repair Industry we are not dealing with major collisions like a typical body shop. The most common use of paintless dent repair would be with hail damage repair followed by minor door dings and minor collision repairs.
In order to gain access the dented areas, items must normally be taken apart in order to push these areas out with specialized tools. Taking items apart that feature any of these advanced systems are NOT as simply as unbolt and remove and reinstall. Items such as headlights, tail lights and headliners often need to removed to complete repairs. That is just part of this process, after everything is put back together and the repair is made, these new systems need to be recalibrated to insure they are in proper specs by the original manufacture.
In this presentation we get a live demonstration of this calibration process, from setting up the measuring system and centering it with the vehicle, to setting the specifications used for this manufacture. Then we see what is all needed to actually calibrate a forward camera on this Toyota.
Pictures featured are from: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/driver+assistance+system
If you have questions on your vehicles systems. Maybe you need a repair done? Give us a call!
Dents do not just “pop” out, they are pushed out with multiple precision pushes in order to return the metal back to its original shape. This is a 2012 Ford F-350 Roof. We are using a twin tipped hail rod made from Carbon Tech.
This rod is made up of carbon fiber and aluminum. With this hail rod being so light weight and strong it allows us to have faster repairs with less strain on the technician, allowing them to work more efficiently. Having the best tools allows us to make the best repairs!
Today we are working on this all aluminum 2017 Ford F-250 Tailgate. One unknown fact to most people is aluminumisrepairable using paintless dent repair. One thing most people don’t know is that it is much HARDER to not only repair but to also dent as well. When compared to the same dent in steel vs aluminum the damage will be extremely different from the same impact.
In order to gain access to this damage we pulled the top tailgate cap off. This is the upper black trim pad on the top of the tailgate. We also had to pull the inner tailgate trim piece for access as well. After these items are out of the way we then have very good access to push this damage out with our tools.
Can damage in body lines be fixed using the Paintless Dent Repair method?
The answer to that question is, Yes.
Today we are working on this 2017 Chevy Camaro. There are multiple extra special steps we have to take when repairing body line damage. So just because one technician or company says it cannot be done is not necessarily always the case. The damage here is an example of extreme damage on a body line. Here is what the damage looks like under a paintless dent repair light.
Here is some footage mid way through the repair. As you can see we’ve got the body line generally back up into its original spot here. We’ve got a bunch of crown work. It’s a very slow process but we are getting it out. Now for access we are actually fortunate enough to where there is a factory access hole here. We removed a small cover and gain all of the access we need with our tools to push this damage out.
The Grand Finale
We were able to get that body line back out to its original shape without damaging the paint. Luckily this car had absolutely awesome access for where this damage was with the big factory hole we showed you earlier. The majority of this damage, was actually removed by glue pulling. For this we are actually gluing a tab onto the vehicle and pulling the damage out.
Here is a look at the finished results with a paintless dent repair light, it shows a little bit more detail. You can see we were able to get all of that damage out very nicely. Stay tuned in just a second here we’ve got the customers reaction to the repair.
“So this is my Camaro I brought into Jack, had a horrible dent in the rear quarter. This is actually the third car I’ve had Jack fix for me. A lot of people said that there was no way anyone could even get this out, I’d have to go to a body shop to get repainted, I didn’t want to do that. Jack of course he is a magician with this stuff, he got it out and you cannot even tell at all that there was ever a dent there whatsoever. The other two cars I had, same thing, I brought them here and they look like they had just rolled off the showroom floor. I would highly recommend Jack, I would never take my car anywhere else but him if I have a dent in it. He’s great at what he does and I highly recommend him.”
If you’ve got damage in your vehicle give us a call CLICK HERE to call
South Dakota gets a lot of hail, so it’s important to know how to handle an unexpected storm. This will greatly reduce your risk of Sioux Falls hail damage.
Check the Weather
The best way to handle a storm is to know when it’s coming. Watch the news, listen to the radio, or download a weather app to avoid getting caught in a bad situation.
Always Know Where to Find Shelter
A surefire way to keep your paint intact is to use covered parking as frequently as possible. Remember where covered parking is in your neighborhood or park downwind from large buildings to avoid the worst of the storm. It seems obvious, but many Sioux Falls drivers simply rush home, resulting in heavy hail damage.
Another option if you’re in need of shelter is to phone a friend. If someone you know as extra space in their garage or under their car port, see if they’d be willing to let you use it for the duration of the storm.
Use Your Garage Overnight
Again, knowing when a storm is coming is essential in preparation. When you’re getting ready for a storm, take a few minutes and pull your car into the garage instead of leaving it out. This way, you’ll be sure to save your prized possession from Sioux Falls hail damage.
Invest in a Carport
If you don’t have a garage you can purchase a car port to shield your vehicle from the storm. Make sure you weigh it down in case of high winds.
If you’re driving and come across a hailstorm, pulling over and finding shelter may be a smart move. Driving in hail can be dangerous for you and your car. Overpasses, gas stations, and parking garages can all work as last-minute shelters while you’re not at home.
If you do happen to still get hail damage after these tips and tricks, feel free to give us a call to schedule a no obligations damage assessment for your vehicles hail damage.
Did you know that dents in the body line of a car can be repaired using Paintless Dent Repair. Even at the depth of this dent shown. In his Repair of the Week, a customer from the Sioux Falls area dropped a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu in at the shop. It had a sizable dent in the left quarter panel directly above the wheel. The customer did not know how the damage occurred. They just noticed it when they came out to the parking lot at school and saw it. Access to this damage is very limited. The tail light pocket and trunk area access is minimal. The majority of the repair was done through glue pulling.
So how did the repair go?
One of the biggest challenges in this repair was that there was a small paint crack. This paint damage area which would remain even after the dent was removed. After informing the customer that the shop would not be liable if the paint was to be pulled off. They were understanding and knew this was still the best choice for them. The customer seemed more concerned about not having the car painted.
The body line took a major hit and severe crowning (this is displaced metal that is raised up above the dent) is visible above the impact area. The crowning or raised area, is one of the biggest factors in settling on a pricing structure. Other factors such as whether the bumper needed to come off or not, and whether the tail light needed to be removed to gain access. Did you know in order to remove the tail light on this vehicle the bumper needs to be removed first? Fortunately, the inner trunk trim was the only thing removed for the repair work.
Before starting the repairs, the customer was made aware that if these extra parts had to be removed, the cost of the repair would increase. We even make sure to give them an exact dollar amount if this is the case. As always we always make sure to disclose the customer with this info before starting the repair.
About the Minor Paint Fracture
Customers facing the same dent related problems should know that for minor fractures in the paint work, paintless dent repair is still the best option. The repair is faster when compared to a body shop. There is no diminished resale value or negative carfax history report when going with paintless dent repair. Why is this such a problem? Because when you go to sell the vehicle, a negative carfax report and repainted panels greatly diminish the vehicles resale value. With Paintless Dent Repair this dent was removed and the car was handed over on the same day, a body shop would have taken 5 or more days because they would have painted the quarter panel, removed the tail light and bumper, removed components from the left door and painted it. They would also charged the customer significantly more than this paintless repair cost.
I have similar damage, how can I contact you?
If you have any dent damage that needs repairs in the Sioux Falls area, contact Sioux Falls Dent Repair by calling or texting 605-595-4061.
