How to Remove a Creased Car Dent

A car dent is ugly. When it happens to your car you want to remove it. Little looks worse than a creased car dent, which looks like an oval on the bodywork. You can take the car to a body shop to have the car dent repaired or you can do it yourself. Using a paintless dent repair on the crease you won’t need to repaint the car.

Step 1 - Panel

In order to be able to work on the creased car dent you need to remove the panel from the car. Every panel is held on by nuts. The easiest way to locate them is by using the service manual, which will show them. With a wrench, loosen and remove the nuts and gradually ease the panel off the car. Wear gloves for this. Move the panel to your work bench. Clean off most of the dirt on the panel so you can see the car dent properly. Inspect the car dent to assess its length and depth. The size of the car dent will dictate how to approach fixing it. Clean off the back of the panel, too, before you begin working on it.

Step 2 - Positioning the Tool

With a deep car dent, that is, one that’s deeper than 1 inch, you need to put the head of the knockdown dent removal tool at the back of the dent, then center it in the middle of the dent where the dent is deepest. After that, press gently on the metal to ease the car dent until the recess isn’t so deep.

Step 3 - Removing the Dent

Where the dent isn’t deep, or after you’ve lessened it, the head of the tool needs to be behind the dent and at the far end of the crease. You need to push the tool head so it’s against the dent. Force the metal forward, going gently and continually, until you’ve taken out the dent. Keep going and working across the dent. Keep moving the tool across, gently pushing the metal until you’ve taken out the entire car dent.

Step 4 - Inspection

Look at the entire panel. Check to see if you might have pushed the metal out too far with the tool. If you have in some spots, put the tool on top of them then tap with the mallet to even out the panel. Once you’re satisfied that the panel is as smooth as it was before the car dent, clean the panel.

Step 5 - Refitting

The final stage in taking out the car dent is fitting the panel back on the car. Fit it in place and thread the nuts into the bolts. Hand tighten the bolts and check that the panel is properly aligned. Tighten further, until the panel is fully secure. Check once more for alignment. To finish the job, wash and wax the entire car so it all looks as good as new.