How to Identify Minor Dents in Your Auto Body

Small dents and dings are virtual certainties for any vehicle driven regularly throughout the year. Stones and other hard objects thrown up by other vehicles’ tires will dent your car’s sheet metal. Doors opened in cramped parking lots might dent or ding your vehicle’s metal surfaces. According to the CDC, more than a third of U.S. drivers average less than seven hours of sleep each day, so drowsy drivers might pose a danger by getting too close to your vehicle — even if it’s parked. Thankfully, a good paintless dent repair company can fix such damage, and here’s how you can spot minor dents in your auto’s body.

Look For Chipped and Scratched Paint

Few things will reveal a small dent more readily than damaged paint. Stone chips and small scrapes or scratches often do more than damage the paint. The same items that caused the paint damage likely affected the metal underneath, too. You can take a close look at the dents, scratches, and scrapes that your car’s body might have and see if any low spots indicate a minor dent is there. You also might take a wooden ruler or another straight object, hold it over the damaged area, and see if the light is getting through due to a minor dent.

Watch for Deformed Light Reflection

It’s possible to see a minor dent by looking at the painted surfaces and seeing how the light reflects off of it. A relatively flat or otherwise uniform surface should reflect the light in the same way. A small dent will affect the light’s reflection and distort it slightly because the light reflects in multiple directions off of the dented area. A paintless dent repair company can remove such shallow dents and restore the proper light reflection that makes your vehicle’s painted surfaces look smooth and uniform.

Run Your Palm Over a Panel

Sometimes, it’s easier to feel a small dent than it is to see it. A very shallow dent and poor lighting will hide small imperfections that you can feel with your hand. You can place one hand flat on the painted surface and gently rub and feel the surface for any imperfections. If a minor dent is there, you can feel it with your palm and pinpoint its location on your vehicle so a paintless dent repair company can fix it.

If you have minor dents to be repaired, you can call or visit our team at Texas Dent Works to schedule service for your vehicle.