Ding repair on door question

[robt_sf]

Hi all,

I’ve had pretty good luck with getting the inevitable door dings out of my Model 3. Have had three already. Came out to my car from supermarket and noticed a doozy. It’s right on the edge of the door panel and it has two creases and two waves. Do you think it’s accessible?

 

[Candleflame]

sentry mode caught anything?

 

[robt_sf]

Nope

 

[Candleflame]

Nope

i dont get how it gets triggered by even palm trees swaying but it doesnt even record a door ding lol

 

[robt_sf]

Yup. I’ll show up to the car after work and it says 79 sentry mode events but records zero

 

[tvad]

A good Paintless Dent Repair technician can fix that. No problem.

 

[robt_sf]

Has anyone had a ding that close to the edge of the door? When its knocked it sounds hollow but not nearly as much as even a little to the right. If you have had something do you have a before / after pic of how it came out. I'm trying to temper my expectations of how it will come out if it can. These cars seem to be much more delicate than my previous E46 BMW. This aluminum must be thinner / softer than the German steel.

 

[afadeev]

Has anyone had a ding that close to the edge of the door? When its knocked it sounds hollow but not nearly as much as even a little to the right.

Yes, but not on a Model 3.
10:1 PDR can take care of it.
Just make sure you find someone who has had practice on aluminum body panels before (e.g.: other Model 3's, or F-150's).

These cars seem to be much more delicate than my previous E46 BMW. This aluminum must be thinner / softer than the German steel.

Aluminum is software than any steel, by definition.
Strange metal choice by Tesla for the doors (they use steel elsewhere), but it is what it is.

a

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Aluminum is software than any steel, by definition.
Strange metal choice by Tesla for the doors (they use steel elsewhere), but it is what it is.

a

The guy who removed the dent from my door said that aluminum takes a lot more force to dent than steel, due to it being quite a bit thicker. However, it does not have a tendency to rebound like steel does, so it’s a mixed bag.

For him, he said it requires much more force and some heating (to “car sitting in summer sun temperature”) of the metal to remove dents in aluminum panels, as compared to steel.

Aluminum is definitely softer than steel, but it is much lighter (2.5-3x or so), so more of it is used. So the effective strength may be higher (depends on how much is used).

 

[0ptions]

I’ve had pretty good luck with getting the inevitable door dings out of my Model 3.

Can you offer how you did? I'm interested in your method. Thanks!

 

[afadeev]

The guy who removed the dent from my door said that aluminum takes a lot more force to dent than steel, due to it being quite a bit thicker. However, it does not have a tendency to rebound like steel does, so it’s a mixed bag.

We had a PDR tech session at our local car club (not Tesla's, for obvious reasons), and aluminum PDR definitely introduces a lot of additional variables. Long story short - it can be done, but it costs a bit more practice, time, and $$.

For him, he said it requires much more force and some heating (to “car sitting in summer sun temperature”) of the metal to remove dents in aluminum panels, as compared to steel.

Heating the effected area is a variable, though that is usually done to soften the paint to prevent cracking.
Heating the metal is impractical, and the paint would boil off at temps required to soften either aluminum or steel.
Proper professional lighting is required, even during daytime, and light does generate heat, so that is a definite byproduct.

Aluminum is definitely softer than steel, but it is much lighter (2.5-3x or so), so more of it is used. So the effective strength may be higher (depends on how much is used).

Good question.
I haven't investigated the thickness of Tesla body panels, but the PDR pro said working on Tesla's was nearly identical to working on F-150's. He did say luxury car owners where less likely to bargain than truck owners, and thus were more profitable ;-).

a

 

[Phlier]

You might want to do a Google search for "Do it yourself paintless dent repair." There are a few reasonably priced kits on the market, too.

I always park way out away from anybody to avoid door dings. And if the parking lot is too crowded, I leave and come back when it's less busy. I always go to stores during non-peak times, just to avoid door dings. Unless, of course, it's somewhere that's always busy (like Costco), in which case we take the old beater car.

Yup, I take door dings seriously, but it's paid off... I haven't had a door ding on my own personal car in over 10 years.

 

[WilliamG]

You might want to do a Google search for "Do it yourself paintless dent repair." There are a few reasonably priced kits on the market, too.

I always park way out away from anybody to avoid door dings. And if the parking lot is too crowded, I leave and come back when it's less busy. I always go to stores during non-peak times, just to avoid door dings. Unless, of course, it's somewhere that's always busy (like Costco), in which case we take the old beater car.

Yup, I take door dings seriously, but it's paid off... I haven't had a door ding on my own personal car in over 10 years.

I thought I was one of very few who were this crazy about this sort of thing. Always glad to read there are other lunatics like me.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Man, that door ding was issued with some serious hate for your car. It definitely does not look like an accidental door ding.

 

[robt_sf]

I'll post pictures later. My guy happened to have an opening today. It looks like someone / something backed into it. Got almost all of it out but the door is punched in a bit still so the fender line shows the edge being bent a little. I know where the damage is so I can see it. Waiting for bright sun to see the real repair.

 

[tvad]

I'll post pictures later. My guy happened to have an opening today. It looks like someone / something backed into it. Got almost all of it out but the door is punched in a bit still so the fender line shows the edge being bent a little. I know where the damage is so I can see it. Waiting for bright sun to see the real repair.

I’m unclear about why you asked the TMC forum membership if this ding was accessible when you already “had a guy” to remove door dings.

Wouldn’t this have been a question best asked of him?

 

[robt_sf]

I asked the TMC forum because of the location of the ding dent. Figures that someone would have had an experience with something similar. My ding guy comes a long way and I wanted to spare his time if the general consensus was that it was likely in an inaccessible area. For what it’s worth where it’s at is partially blocked by a brace. Not entirely removable because of my this.

 

[tvad]

I asked the TMC forum because of the location of the ding dent. Figures that someone would have had an experience with something similar. My ding guy comes a long way and I wanted to spare his time if the general consensus was that it was likely in an inaccessible area. For what it’s worth where it’s at is partially blocked by a brace. Not entirely removable because of my this.

Makes sense now. Thanks.

 

[robt_sf]

As promised pics

 

[tvad]

As promised pics

I'm assuming the photos with the yellowish cast are the "after" photos. If so, it looks like a very good repair.