PDR Access

Dents in BMW Fenders – How to Access for Paintless Repair

Most cars with bolt on front fenders (wings) use a plastic liner or skirt. You can often move these out of the way for paintless dent removal access.
BMW’s are a different sort, because the plastic liner is really crammed into the lip of the wheel opening. Dropping the fender skirt for PDR access is a must.
As shown in the training video above, jacking the car up so the wheels drop is key. This can save you the added work of removing the wheel.
Other car OEM’s are following the design of the Bavarian with tight skirts, likely for the added strength.
But a recent trend has been a gap between the aprons and fender lips. You will find this area under the hood, often covered with another kind of skirt or plastic trim. So don’t forget to pop the hood and take a look when doing paintless dent repair on modern fenders.

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2 vidoes on removine acura tail lamps
PDR Access, PDR Training

How to remove Honda – Acura taillights for PDR Video

Removing taillights for paintless dent removal access on quarter panels was once easy. Pull back some trim, loosen four nuts and its out.

The biggest challenge then was Nissan’s nasty, gummy black butyl sealant, which held those lamps in better than a crusty barnacle on a boat hull.

In the early 2000’s however, Honda changed their design. Now if you want tail lamps out, you will first have to remove the rear bumper.

Many PDR techs cursed Honda for making our jobs more difficult, but the car maker had good reason. Adding a bracket to the tail lamp assembly makes for a tighter fit, better looking lines and fewer rattles.

It also put the bumper cover in its proper place in the world of car design.
Cosmetic cover. Eye candy fascia to hide the sturdy underbelly of impact resistance and uni-body structure.

Other automakers have followed suit, as you can see by the ultra large covers now resting on the rump’s of late model Toyota’s, Mazda’s and Lexus.

Large booty beauty aside, as a dent technician, you still need those rear lamps out.
How do you get them off?

Watch the videos to see exactly how to remove a 2006 Acura TL rear bumper. The same basic technique will work with many Honda products.

Click the images below to watch video in two parts

 

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PDR Access

How to remove back glass for paintless dent removal access

I once worked a hail storm at the number one Suburban SUV dealer in America.
Spent way too much time three feet off the ground.

Here’s a tip which really sped up the repairs:
When using PDR for hail damage on an SUV, you want to work dents from the most angles possible. Removing the whole back liftgate is sometimes needed.

Some vehicles, like Suburbans, allow just the glass to be removed.

Watch the video and see how its done.

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