This is a very good example of big paintless dent removal, Today we have Jack Bucknell with Sioux Falls Dent Repair working on this 2016 Chevy Equinox Right Front Door. This is some extreme damage to to repair using the paintless dent repair method. Unfortunately the customer was not sure what exactly caused this damage.
The Dent Removal Process
We started off this repair using some cold glue from Glexo. We then continued with our traditional hot glue pulling methods. Using Cam Auto glue dispensed with our Elimadent Glue gun, will evenly distribute this glue to our Black Plague Black Ice Oval Glue Tab. We then place the Tab on the dented area and use a leverage bar from Keco. This leverage bar is refereed to as the K bar from Keco Glue Pull Products. Using this bar, this allows us to slowly and very strongly pull on this damage. This bar allows us to make a very controlled pull with the glue to pull this damage out, verses a slide hammer. After me made some great progress with glue we then have to start the removal process. We eventually end up removing the door panel and door glass to gain access to the back side of this of this damaged area.
Why Did You Have To Remove The Glass Assembly?
This vehicle features laminated saftey glass in the front doors. There are many reasons we need to remove this style of glass for this repair. We have another article that touches on all of these questions and concerts.
After we have full access to the backside of the damaged areas, we can now push the damage out. We then use a series of tools to push the damage out as well as knocking down some of the high areas especially in the lower areas. We use many different styles of tools from many different tool manufactures to achive this type of final results. Some of the tools include Dent Craft, A1 PDR Tools, Ultra Dent Tools and Stanliner tools from Lithuania! Many of the knockdowns and hammer heads used are from Edgy Tools.
Closing Time
After we have the vehicle all put back together we have to run a Post Repair Diagnostic Scan. This is when we hook up a diagnostic computer scan tool to do a full system scan on the vehicle. The good old days of just taking a vehicle apart, putting it back together and just making sure the window rolls up and down are now gone. Many vehicle manufactures, including this one, REQUIRE a diagnostic scan to be done Pre, before any work is performed. As well as after any work is done. We have a great article outlining more about this whole entire process that you can view:
Learn more about each vehicle manufactures requirements on scanning here:
Have you heard of pre and post diagnostic scanning?
Well today we walk you through the whole entire process around computer scanning and doing paintless dent repair.
Why Is This Necessary?
Diagnostic Scanning is often a required operation when working on today’s modern vehicles. This vehicle we are demonstrating with today is a 2018 Chevy Silverado. This customer purchased this vehicle brand new, it only had 7k miles on it when it came to us to have a dent removed. General Motors, the vehicles manufacture actually REQUIRES a diagnostic scan when disconnecting the battery. They also require it when disconnecting ANY electrical component on this vehicle. This is often a over looked process that many body shops, mechanics and paintless dent repair companies do not do when doing repairs on vehicles.
Here we walk you through the entire process of how this is done and specifically why it is done. We also show you how we go about gaining access to this dent in the left front door near the handle. We had to remove the door panel as well as the door handle assembly in order to make this repair. Once the dent is removed with paintless dent repair we are able to put the vehicle back together. From there we then run a Post diagnostic scan to ensure everything is in working order. We make sure to print off the scan documents and show them to the customer. When we showed this customer that his scans showed a fault code for the radio the said that the battery had gone dead previously. That was why the code was set in the first place.
The customer was happy that we did run a scan and bring this to his attention. A radio code is nothing serious but there are items like mentioned in the video, that can be a bigger issue if a fault code is set. Read more about scanning and other computer related information.
You might be asking yourself what does diagnostic scanning and dent repair have to do with each other? Isn’t that something a mechanic does?
Diagnostic scanning is nothing new to the collision industry, but it has in the recent years been brought to the attention of many shop owners as a way of checking components and confirming components are working correctly after repairs are made. The days of a shop simply turning on and off components to check if they work correctly is simply not the case any more. A simple task such as removing a tail light or headlight for even a light bulb replacement, then reinstalling the light and making sure it functions by turning the light on and off, are just not the way things are done anymore.
New Technology Advancements
Now with the advancements in the computer systems on vehicles, something like even a dead battery can also trigger and store diagnostic trouble codes, these codes will not always illuminate a check engine light in your dash. Once the system is hooked up to a computer diagnostic scan tool, the system can be scanned for hidden or stored codes and then the proper procedures can be taken to make sure that these systems are all in working order. These diagnostic scans are often REQUIRED to be performed by the vehicles manufacture as a way to make sure everything on your vehicle works properly and safely. We offer these services on top of doing dent repairs to insure the best repairs possible for our customers, keeping you yourself safe, your family, others on the roadways as well as your vehicle.
Scanning is just the first step in this system, next is recalibrating the auto driving systems in a vehicle, learn more about that here.
What does your vehicle manufacture say about diagnostic scanning?
Click your manufacture’s link below to see their statement on scanning.
