Whether your car needs a repair after an accident or just some routine maintenance, you can prevent being ripped off by asking the right questions. Start by addressing your concerns with the shop’s manager or owner.
Auto repair is about more than just metal bending. It’s about caring for customers and making their driving experience better.
PDR
PDR is a popular method of auto repair for repairing minor dents, door dings, and even some types of hail damage. It’s a quick and convenient option that keeps your vehicle in its original shape, helping to preserve resale value and keep it looking great throughout the life of your car.
Before beginning the PDR process, a highly-skilled technician will first assess the damage to determine whether or not it can be repaired with this method. The size and location of the dent will be a key factor in this decision. The technician will also take into account whether it’s possible to gain access to the damaged area by removing body panels or headlamps to get a clear pathway for the process.
Then, the technician will manipulate the metal by using body picks and metal rods to push out dents from the inside of the panel or use glue and specially-designed tabs to pull them out from the front side. Using this technique, technicians can restore a dented metal panel back to its original shape without removing the paint or using body filler.
Body Filler
Body filler (Bondo) has a bad reputation for lazy body work, but when used properly it can be a great time-saver. It can be used to create a smooth surface, shape the repaired area back into its original form, and even be painted once it is dried. The key is to ensure the area is sanded before applying body filler, using a good quality primer and avoiding doing body fill work during high humidity.
The most common type of body filler is a polyester based product, often called Bondo, though this is just a brand name. It consists of two parts; the resin and hardener, which can either be mixed together or found separately. The mix can be applied in thin layers, feathering edges and ensuring the area is well sanded before it is primed and painted. There are also specialty plastic body fillers for areas that require a more durable repair. These types of fillers are designed to hold up against things like stone chips and road salt.
UV Curing
UV curing is becoming an increasingly important factor for auto repair shops. This technology allows body fillers and primers to cure within seconds, versus the minutes it would take using traditional heat or infrared (IR) methods. This speeds up the repair process and helps boost key performance indicators such as number of cars completed per day and repair time per car.
When the UV light hits the photoinitiators in your body filler, primer or clear coat, polymer chains are formed and the material quickly transforms into a solid. This means the body filler, primer or clear coat will be hard and durable, and better resistant to scratches.
It also eliminates the need for energy consuming ovens and drying tunnels, while providing greater control over quality with less variable drying and curing times. This can be especially valuable for larger businesses that may need to meet strict environmental regulations or garner goodwill among customers seeking more environmentally-forward practices.
Paint Matching
Professionals can use computerized color matching to create paint that perfectly matches your vehicle’s original hue. This technique ensures that any touch-ups or repainted areas are indistinguishable from the rest of the vehicle, maintaining its value and beauty.
For professional paint shops, this process is easy because they can access a high-powered color scanner that decodes your car’s unique VIN number and denotes its exact shade when it rolled off the assembly line. Additionally, the technicians know how to use specialized tools such as spectrophotometers that can discern specific characteristics such as metallic flakes and pearlescent (shine) quality.
Homeowners can also utilize this service when attempting to match a paint color for DIY projects. For example, many hardware stores provide this service in-store by scanning a sample of the wall’s existing paint or color swatch. This enables seamless touch-ups and repairs, expands your color options, maintains color consistency, and saves time and frustration. It’s a valuable tool that can elevate any project from average to extraordinary.