How to Remove Small Dents from a Car Body

A small dent can be very simple to remove from a car body.

Steps

  1. Image titled Remove Small Dents from a Car Body Step 1
    1
    Get a small clean drain plunger. Use the simple style of plunger without the flange in the bottom.[1]
  2. Image titled Remove Small Dents from a Car Body Step 2
    2
    Clean the body of the car so that it is free from grease and dirt.
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  3. Image titled Remove Small Dents from a Car Body Step 3
    3
    Put a bit of soapy water on the rim of the plunger, not too much. This will help the plunger create suction against the clean car body.
  4. Image titled Remove Small Dents from a Car Body Step 4
    4
    Attach it to the car body over the dent. Create an adequate amount of suction.[2]
  5. Image titled Remove Small Dents from a Car Body Step 5
    5
    Slowly pull the plunger until the dent is gone.[3]
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How does a hairdryer remove hail dents?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The heat lets the metal expand and may pop the dent out. You can also heat the area and then immediately hose the area with cold water or a cold wet rag. This can cause the metal to contract quickly and pop the dent(s) out.
  • Question
    How do I fix a bigger dent in the quarter panel?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    A simple plunger will suction onto the dent and may be able to then be pulled out with a jerking motion. This won't get it perfect, but can get the majority of it with several plunger applications. Or, take the car to a paintless dent repair shop for them to work their magic at a very much lower price than a collision shop.
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References

  1. ↑ https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/4-diy-steps-fixing-cars-dents/#1_Removing_Dents_With_A_Plunger
  2. ↑ https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/car-repair/auto-body-work/how-to-remove-small-dents-and-dings-from-your-automobile/
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzo4aJuahJ4
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFd2B1yDdrA
  5. https://blog.extremehowto.com/2017/11/07/fix-car-dents-simply-affordably/

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 135,399 times.
214 votes - 90%
Co-authors: 10
Updated: February 11, 2020
Views: 135,399
Categories: Car Maintenance and Repair
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