If you've ever had a door ding on your car, you know how frustrating it can be. Not only is it an eyesore, but it can also lower the resale value of your car. However, if you don't have time to take your car to a body shop, there are a few ways that you can remove a door ding yourself without damaging the paint. In this article, we will show you how to do it.
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
What is a door ding?
A door ding is a small dent in your car that occurs when another car's door makes contact with the side of your vehicle. For example, if you pull up to a grocery store and park next to a vehicle that's parked too close, their swinging door might make contact with yours, leaving a noticeable mark on your paint.
A dinged car door is more than just an annoyance. It can reduce your vehicle's resale value by as much as $1,000 or more, depending on the location and size of the ding.
As a result, many people take it upon themselves to remove dings on their cars so they can save money and keep their paint from being damaged. In this article, we'll show you a few different ways to remove door dings from your car without causing further damage.
Here are some of the ten common causes for car door dings:
- Someone opens their car door into your vehicle (door dings are the most common type of ding)
- Your children throw toys or bump against an interior part of your car that's close to the exterior doors
- You back into another vehicle with a lower front end
- You park too close to another vehicle, and when you open your door, it bumps into the adjacent car
- Someone opens a door against a pole or pillar in a parking lot
- You try to parallel park and bump another vehicle in the process
- An animal runs into your car while you're driving
- You accidentally open your door into someone else's parked car
- You bump into a stationary object such as a stop sign or mailbox
- Your vehicle is struck by another car that suddenly veers into your lane
What are the consequences of leaving door ding untreated?
If you left your car dings untreated, you could deal with the following negative effects:
#1 Inconvenience
You would have to live with a visibly damaged car, which is likely very frustrating. Loss of Value – A door ding may not seem like a lot of damage, but they can add up over time and reduce your car's resale value by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Not only that, but it can also affect your insurance rates.
#2 Resale Value
Dings and dents decrease the resale value of your car by $1,000 or more in certain cases. As a result, you'll lose money if you choose not to remove them.
#3 Time
Removing door dings yourself doesn't take a lot of time, but it does require you to pull over and get out of your car in some instances.
#4 Car paint damage
The majority of DIY methods for removing dings on your own can compromise the integrity of your vehicle's paint job. If that happens, you'll wind up having to pay for professional repairs, which will cost you more than if you had taken care of these types of things right away.
How To Remove A Door Ding Without Damaging Your Car?
As you noticed, car door dings have a significant negative impact on your vehicle. They reduce its resale value and can even affect your insurance rates. In addition, when allowed to fester for an extended period without being fixed, they can compromise the structural integrity of your paint job, eventually compromising the safety of your vehicle in a collision.
Just about every ding that occurs on a vehicle will be slightly different in size and shape, so there isn't just one specific method that will fix them all. However, many car owners have used these common methods with great results:
The Ice Doming Method
Another popular car repair technique used by many people who want to remove their door dings is ice doing.
This method involves using a special tool made of two different-sized balls on the ends of a shaft. These balls fit over door dings and allow you to form them back into their original shape by applying pressure and rotating the tool around the damaged area.
Pros:
- The ice doming method is easy to do.
- No experience with tools is needed.
- This method can be used on most dings, except for too deep or large.
Cons:
- The tool may not fit all door dings perfectly.
- You may have to repeat this process several times to achieve maximum results.
The Vacuum Cleaner Method
This method may leave some slight marks on your vehicle, but it will also help avoid damaging its paint job as opposed to other methods such as hammering or ice doing.
All you have to do is remove any loose particles from your car door with either compressed air or cloth and then use a vacuum cleaner nozzle to suck up any small debris left behind before it has time to cause additional damage to your paint. Works well for both large and small door dings.
Pro:s:
- This method is very easy to do.
Con:
- Some minor paint damage may occur, but it will be small and temporary.
The Hair Dryer Method
For this method, all you have to do is heat up the area where the ding took place using either a blow dryer or heat gun to loosen up any small particles holding it in place. At this point, you can pull out on the edge of your car door to pop it back into its original position.
The hairdryer method works quickly and without the risk of damaging your paint job. You can find many other tutorials on removing dents from cars by searching for them online.
Pros:
- This method is easy to do.
- It works quickly without damaging your paint job.
Cons:
- Using a hairdryer could cause problems with people sensitive to excessive noise or heat.
The Hammer Method
You can use a common claw hammer to smooth outdoor dings on your car by prying the edge of your door outward if the ding is small or pounding it back into its original shape if it's larger. However, you need to be careful about how hard you pound out dents on your car with a hammer because it can damage your paint job if you exert too much pressure, so this method may not work well for everyone.
Pros:
This method is fairly easy to do.
You can use this technique on small dings that you don't want to sand down by hand.
Cons:
If you pound too hard, your paint job may be damaged in the process.
There are many different methods for fixing door dings on cars, but most of them involve using tools that aren't readily available to the average person for a DIY job.
The Filler Method
Use a metal or plastic instrument that's similar in shape to an ice pick to remove door dings without causing too much damage to your vehicle's paint job.
After removing the surrounding particles causing the door ding, fill it in with a specialized filler found at your local auto parts store. Once the filler is dry, you can paint over it to help blend it into your car's existing finish.
Pros:
This method usually provides good results and doesn't damage the paint job.
Cons:
Specialized tools and products may be too expensive for some people.
The Repair Method
If you don't want to spend much money on the above methods, then there is another one you can try without having to buy any filler or special tools. The repair method involves using a small amount of clear nail polish to help smooth out the edges of the door ding.
Pros:
This method is easy to do and doesn't require special tools or materials.
Cons:
You may not get the same results as you would from a professional repair job, so some people may still be able to see where it occurred on their car.
How to prevent door dings from happening in the first place?
You can avoid getting more door dings on your car by always checking the area surrounding where you park to make sure there aren't any other cars or objects that could open up their doors and hit your vehicle.
Here are ten working tips to help prevent car dings:
#1 choose your parking
The first step you can take to prevent door dings from happening is to try and park in a well-lit area whenever possible. This will make it much easier to drive home if the lights are out, so you don't have any issues locating your car.
#2 know the signs
if you notice other drivers opening and closing their doors, you know not to get out of your vehicle. In addition, if you notice someone in a car or another parked car having trouble opening their door, then you should take the same precautions and avoid getting out of your car until they have moved.
#3 don't hang anything from your mirror
when driving around in crowded areas such as cities, it's probably best to keep valuables and items that could easily be snatched by thieves away from sight. You can use a pocket or purse for this purpose when traveling through these types of places
#4 park between cars instead of next to them
if possible, try and park between two other cars whenever possible because the roof is likely higher than most doors. This will also help protect your car from damage that can occur when doors are opened.
#5 avoid parking too close to other cars
you should also try and leave at least a foot or two between your vehicle and the one parked directly next to you. If you park too close, then it's easy for someone to open their door and hit your car as they're getting out of their car.
#6 drive with caution when parallel parking
when parallel parking, always look behind you before trying to pull ahead, so you have enough room. In addition, take extra precautions by looking over both shoulders before pulling forward, so no one opens up their door where you're going to be turning.
#7 check your rearview mirror constantly
if you notice a door opening while driving, you should apply your brakes and avoid turning into the other vehicle. In addition, if someone is getting out of their car in front of you while they look at their cell phone or are distracted in another way, then don't drive up too close behind them because doors may open unexpectedly.
#8 use a lighter touch on the gas pedal
if a heavy foot is causing a lot of door dings, then it's time to let up off the gas a bit, so no one opens their door unexpectedly when there isn't enough room to do so without making contact with your car.
#9 be aware of people getting out from cars parked beside you
if someone gets out of a parked vehicle on your side of the car, then you should quickly open your door wide enough so they won't make contact with it as they're closing theirs.
#10 know where to find information
if you notice dings on your car that weren't there before, then you may want to look up local regulations for parking areas. This way, if someone opens their door into your vehicle, then you have proof that you were not at fault and can file a complaint against them.
Is it worth fixing car dings?
You will have to decide if the dent is worth fixing based on its size and how long it has been there. If you are worried about corrosion setting in or getting worse, get it repaired sooner rather than later.
Also, if it is in a high traffic area or on the door that opens frequently, get it fixed. Finally, if you are worried about the value of your car decreasing because of the ding, get it fixed. Even small dings can cause rust over time and lead to bigger issues down the line, so always keep an eye on them!
Conclusion
If you are a do-it-yourselfer and want to fix your car, this guide will help you remove door dings without damaging the paint on your vehicle. The step-by-step procedure is easy enough for anyone reading directions and following them carefully. If all else fails, let an expert come in and take care of it for you!