You’ve had a long day and are just wanting to run to the store quick. You pull up to the closest spot to the door and jump out and go inside and get your items. Once returning to your vehicle you realize your vehicle has been struck with a door ding or unexpected damage. You feel upset, betrayed and in utter disbelief. Don’t put yourself in this position, follow some of these tips to minimize parking lot damage!
Parking Spots You Should Avoid:
Near The Store Entrance
Maybe it was raining, you’ll be in and out quickly, maybe you just don’t feel like walking any more today. We have all been there. While these spots can be the most convenient in some cases, if you come out to find a door ding or damage in your vehicle, all of that benefit goes out the window. Parking close to the store entrance opens you to a number of surprises. Typically these areas can have more random shopping carts scattered around, waiting to blow into your vehicle. These areas are also high in traffic and more traffic means a higher potential for other drivers parking near you, increasing your chance of damage.
Near or Beneath Trees
Trees can make you feel like your vehicle has some sort of shelter. While in a perfect world, that might be true, but remember mother nature can strike at any time. From furry critters sprinting along branches to random branches and nuts falling, these are all are all potential hazards for your vehicle. If you do insist on parking under an item for shade or safety, rely on a carport or some type of overhand instead.
Other Damaged Vehicles
Everyone gets into accidents from time to time, but vehicles with very big obviously damage should be avoided. If you see a vehicle with a door smashed in or similar bigger damage this can raise a red flag. Why didn’t the vehicle owner have this damaged repaired? Does the vehicle have missing paint and big scratches? Especially with a newer vehicle it has to make you wonder why is this not repaired. If a driver is willing to neglect their own vehicle, what does it say about their thoughts on other vehicles on the roadways? Now we are not saying a damaged vehicle makes for a bad vehicle owner, but it has to make you wonder. If you have the chance to, park next to a more maintained vehicle.
So where DO you park?
Near Other Nicer Vehicles
Someone with a nicer newer vehicle typically tends to take better car of their new investment. This is especially true if the vehicle is a higher end model. Often if these vehicles ARE damage, they are repaired immediately because they want to keep their new car NEW.
Park Further Away From The Entrance
This is where you will often find nicer vehicles, people with a newly purchased vehicle tend to know, the small walk is worth it.
If your vehicle has become a victim of parking lot damage, get in touch with us at Sioux Falls Dent Repair.
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.
Today we will be doing a PDR Tool Review featuring Edgy Tools. If you are involved in the paintless dent repair (PDR) industry at all, you have heard of Edgy Tools one way or another. From there awesome advertising featuring the Edgy Gator, that theme runs through the entire company and I absolutely love it. Down to the fantastic and game changing tools they develop and KEEP developing, if you are a tech why would you not want to work smarter, not harder!
There are two different tools we are highlighting in this review.
The No-Roll Knockdown
The Knockers Blending Hammer tip
Both of these tools bring new elements of surprises to the paintless dent repair industry. One is a smaller more efficient hammer tip, to basically what I would refer to as the swiss army knife of knock downs.
This dent removal was done in Sioux Falls, at our location, on this 2016 Ram EcoDiesel pickup. This type of damage is somewhat common in pickup bedsides like this one. When a person tends to use there truck for hauling purposes, especially if they do any type of contracting work, this will happen. Unloading and loading of materials, while convenient, often increase the chances of damage on the side of the bed.
This customer was very happy he did not have to have the side of his trucks bedside repainted for this type of dent removal. Also that we were able to repair them all in one day. The customer was so happy with the repair he even did a video testimonial for us which is at the end of this repair video.
When Scott brought us his vehicle he was so bummed out about what he had done. He went to move some things around in his garage. Suddenly, some items fall on his hood of his Audi. This is a big deal and very upsetting to almost everyone, but to Scott this was like a jab to the heart. He was so unhappy with himself about what he had done. Looking online for a repair specialist, he found us online, and gave us a call. He brought his Audi over to our shop and we looked it over. He was ecstatic that we would be able to repair it. The clear film on the hood would just need to be removed in order to repair it. Luckily he wanted that replaced anyways. This was no issue for Scott, this was an easy choice, take that dent out!
He dropped his car off and we were able to this repair along with the other minor ones all within a day. He was so happy about the repair he even had us do a video review of his experience, which you can view at the end of this repair video.
Thank you so much Scott, we loved working with you and we love making people happy and restoring their vehicle back to show room condition once again!
