We nudged a snowbank with our 2003 Accord LX sedan while turning into our drive this winter, and later discovered a dent about 10 inches across in the passenger side front bumper (actually, the plastic skirt below the bumper proper). Is it possible to pop this out?
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Fixing dent in 2003 Accord front bumper?
- Thread starter CKH
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jim (archive)
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i have a 2001 civic that my daughter left with a dent in the left front area about the size of a half of football sitting inside the plastic bumper.. i took off the bumper and put it in the grass in the yard and then stood on the dent fron the inside and shoved it out.. i then took two pieces of wood on one side and one piece of wood on the other and wrapped them in old rags so the wood would not scratch the plastic paint.. i then used a very large C-Clamp to squeeze the dent flat and left it like that for a day.. took the clamp off the next day and you could hardly see the dent.. i tried and tried and tried to do it on the car but could not get to the position that i needed to get to.. and No all the hitting with a hand did not do any good at all to get this dent on on the car....CKH said:We nudged a snowbank with our 2003 Accord LX sedan while turning into our drive this winter, and later discovered a dent about 10 inches across in the passenger side front bumper (actually, the plastic skirt below the bumper proper). Is it possible to pop this out?
Elmo P. Shagnasty
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We nudged a snowbank with our 2003 Accord LX sedan while turning into our drive this winter, and later discovered a dent about 10 inches across in the passenger side front bumper (actually, the plastic skirt below the bumper proper). Is it possible to pop this out?
Yes. Those bumper covers are EASILY fixed. Ask your local body shop.
I can sort of understand them wanting to replace the bumper, mainly to boost their profits. But there could be another reason, although unlikely. Behind the very fragile, very expensive plastic bumper, there's high density impact styrofoam (similar to a bicycle helmet). That stuff is only designed to survive a single impact and even if it looks fine to the naked eye, should be replaced. Obviously, since you only hit a snow bank the foam should be fine but considering how lawsuit crazy people are getting these days, they probably don't want to risk it and insist on doing a proper full repair. Can't say I blame them, although paying the bill does suck.
Sean said:I can sort of understand them wanting to replace the bumper, mainly to boost their profits. But there could be another reason, although unlikely. Behind the very fragile, very expensive plastic bumper, there's high density impact styrofoam (similar to a bicycle helmet). That stuff is only designed to survive a single impact and even if it looks fine to the naked eye, should be replaced. Obviously, since you only hit a snow bank the foam should be fine but considering how lawsuit crazy people are getting these days, they probably don't want to risk it and insist on doing a proper full repair. Can't say I blame them, although paying the bill does suck.
The dent in the polyurethane weakens the area, so there is no way the shop could warranty their work, as the stresses induced in the PUR cannot be removed (even if the dent can removed), leaving a weakened portion.
The easiest way to repair the plastic skirt (and least likely to damage it) is to use a hair drier. Loosen the skirt enough to get your hand behind the dent. Heat the dented area and slowly and carefully massage the dent out. This sounds silly but it doesn't take much heat to soften the plastic enough to reform it by hand. It worked for a similar dent in my 04 Maxima. You can use the hair dryer on the high setting but I would be very careful with a heat gun and I certainly wouldn't use a torch.
Don said:The easiest way to repair the plastic skirt (and least likely to damage it) is to use a hair drier. Loosen the skirt enough to get your hand behind the dent. Heat the dented area and slowly and carefully massage the dent out. This sounds silly but it doesn't take much heat to soften the plastic enough to reform it by hand. It worked for a similar dent in my 04 Maxima. You can use the hair dryer on the high setting but I would be very careful with a heat gun and I certainly wouldn't use a torch.
I forgot about doing this in my last response (for some reason I was thinking thermoset not thermoplastic). You will need a temperature of about +300°f. As stated, be sure not to get it too much hotter, or else it will quickly become less viscouis and difficult to form. It needs to be heated uniformly through the profile.
Some bumpers are made of polyurethane, some of polypro. Here is some info on thermoplastic polyurethane fyi.
http://www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/urethane.htm
I also support the hair dryer method to remove the dent. A few years back someone left a dent in the front bumper of my wifes Honda Civic at the local mall. It was about the size of a golf ball (from trailer ball hitch?) but it didn't break the paint. I removed the bumper and heated up the back side of the bumper and it came out no problem with a little pressing. Can't even tell it ever happened (unless you REALLY, REALLY look). It sure beat a repair bill from the local body shop.
Give it a try!
Give it a try!
