Certified Collision Center

The most common reasons why the paint on your car may be damaged include a key scratching your car, a shopping cart scrapping your car or damage caused by an automobile accident. However, these are not the only items that can damage the paint or finish on your car. There are many other items that you encounter often that can cause your paint to fade, can eat away at the finish and paint or can cause the paint to flake or chip off. Here are three items that can damage your car’s paint. 

Bird Droppings

Bird droppings can be acidic. The acid nature of the feces can eat through the finish on your car and damage the paint. It can cause paint to fade or it can eat through the paint, causing it to chip or peel. It is advised that you avoid parking under trees where birds may be present to prevent this issue. If you cannot avoid parking under a tree, try to use a car cover to protect your car. Washing your car often to remove any feces and using a wax can both help to decrease paint damage due to bird droppings. 

Brake Fluid and Gas

Another thing that can damage your car’s paint are some of the fluids used in your car, such as brake fluid and gas. If you spill brake fluid on your fender when adding more brake fluid to your vehicle, or if gas overflows your gas tank and spills on your side panel as you pump gas into your car, you should immediately use a water-dampened soft cloth to remove the residue. This helps to prevent these fluids from sitting on the paint of your car, which can help to prevent them from damaging the paint of your car. 

Abrasive Cleaners and Brushes

The final item that can cause significant damage to your car’s paint are abrasive cleaners and brushes. It is recommended that you use cleaners formulated for the body of your automobile, rather than using household cleaners on your car. Some soaps, especially those that contain bleach or are acidic in nature, can damage the paint on your car. In addition to the soaps themselves, pay attention to the items that you are using to scrub your car. Brushes, stainless steel scrubbing pads or scouring pads can help to remove tough items that are caked onto your vehicle, such as dead bugs. But, they can also scrape, scratch or chip your paint. Use soft sponges and rags when cleaning your car to avoid paint damage. 

Knowing what items can damage your paint can help you to take action to prevent some types of damage. Unfortunately, you cannot prevent every item from damaging your paint. If your car’s paint is damaged, an autobody repair shop can help to repair the damaged paint and use a finish to decrease the chances of damage in the future. Contact Certified Collision Center Auto Body to learn more about our automobile paint services. 

If you have been involved in an accident, you will bring your car to a shop for autobody repair. The shop will then provide you and/or the insurance company with an estimate for the cost of the repairs that need to be done. You may then agree to use a body shop, based upon that quote. However, when the repairs are done, you may find that the bill is higher than originally estimated. This is very common with auto body repair. Read on to learn the two most common reasons why an auto body repair may wind up being higher than originally estimated. 

Damage May Not Be Visible Until Parts Are Removed

One of the top reasons why your auto body repair may cost more than originally estimated is because damage is not always visible. When an auto body repair shop is providing you with a quote, they are quoting you a price based on the damage that they can see. They may not see damage behind the panels of your car, including damage to your car’s frame or damage to the suspension, until they start to disassemble your vehicle. In most cases, there is no way to predict whether damage is present or not until this process begins. As such, the cost of an estimate often increases once the visibly damaged parts of a car get removed and an auto body repair shop can see what they are working with. 

Different Repair Techniques Need to Be Utilized

The second common reason why an auto body repair may end up being higher than originally estimated is because different repair techniques may need to be utilized. When you bring your car in with a dent, a mechanic may think the dent can be pulled out. However, once they start trying to pull the dent out, the dent may not budge. They may then have to fill the dent, sand down the filling and then touch-up the paint so it matches. Filling a dent takes more time and costs more than pulling a dent out. In some cases, the technique that the repair shop had planned on using to repair your car may not work out. The new technique may cost more, which increases the costs compared to the original estimate. 

It can be challenging for any autobody repair shop to perfectly estimate how much your auto body repairs will cost. Not all of the damage to your car is visible until they start to disassemble your car. The techniques that may be needed also change, based on how your car reacts to the techniques that are being used. If you were involved in an automobile accident and are in need of an autobody repair shop, turn to us at Certified Collision Center Auto Body. We try our best to provide you with the most accurate quote possible. Call us now to schedule an estimate appointment. 

If you backed up into a pole or you were involved in a minor bender, you may have small dings or dents on your car. It is not uncommon to not want to bring your car to an auto body repair shop for what you view as minor damage, as you may be worried about the repair costs, may not want to report the accident to your insurance company, or may not want auto body repairs to show up on accident reports, such as CarFax. While it may be tempting to try to repair the damage yourself, you should never attempt to do so. Here are a few of the reasons why. 

The Damage May Not Be as Minor As You Think

One of the primary reasons why you should never consider attempting auto body repair yourself is because the damage may not be as minor as you think. Even minor dings and dents can damage the frame of your car’s body. If the frame is bent, your car may not drive in a straight line and may pull to one side or another. Repairing the frame of a vehicle is important, as it affects the way your vehicle operates and its resale value. An autobody shop can examine the damage, determine how extensive it is, and what repairs your car needs. 

You Do Not Have the Right Tools to Repair the Damage

Another reason why you should never attempt auto body repairs yourself is because you likely do not have the right tools to repair the damage. While you can buy some auto body repair tools at auto repair shops, they are not the same quality that auto body shops use. They are low quality and are not capable of performing the same level of work. Unless you have worked in an auto body repair shop in the past or have invested in professional auto body repair tools, you do not have the same tools, which may mean you will not get the same results as a professional. 

You Can Make the Damage More Noticeable

The final reason why you should never attempt auto body repairs yourself is because you can cause more damage or make the damaged area more noticeable if you do not know what you are doing. Not sanding down fillers or pulling a dent too far outward can be noticeable on an automobile. This can affect the overall look of your car and negatively affect your car’s resale value. A professional can blend the repairs in, so they are not noticeable. 

If your vehicle has sustained damage, you should always bring your vehicle to an autobody repair shop. When you need a repair shop, turn to Certified Collision Center Auto Body. Call us today to schedule your appointment and let us make your car good as new. 

Autumn is here, and with that, dead leaves begin to fall from the trees. While you may enjoy this happening, your car does not. Leaves can hide potholes in the road, make roadways slick and even cause damage to your automobile. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the types of damage that leaves can do to their car. Here is more information about leaves and your car. 

How Can Leaves Damage Your Automobile? 

Leaves can damage your car in a number of different ways. First, dead leaves can become trapped under your windshield wipers. They can become hard and brittle, and when you turn on your wipers, they can scratch your windshield. Leaves can also get stuck in air intakes, blocking the flow of air or get stuck in your air filter. This can decrease air flow into your car, which can affect your vehicle’s performance. Lastly, leaves that sit on your car can damage the finish or paint on your car. Sap and tannins in the leaves can eat away at the finish and/or dye your car. 

How Can You Protect Your Car Against Leaf Damage? 

There are a number of different steps that you can take to help protect your car against leaf damage. The first step you can take is to park away from trees. The farther you park from trees, the less likely it is that leaves will accumulate on your car. If you cannot park away from trees, consider placing a car cover over your vehicle when it is not in use. This way, the leaves fall on the cover, not your car. Lastly, be sure to remove leaves on your vehicle as quickly as possible. Do not let leaves pile up on your car or sit on your car for days or weeks at a time. 

What Should You Do If Leaves Have Already Damaged Your Car’s Paint? 

If leaves, particularly wet leaves, are left to sit on your vehicle, they can damage the finish on your car or dye your car. You may notice that the area where the leaves were sitting is dull or not as shiny as the rest of your car, which indicates the paint finish is damaged. Or you may see discoloration, indicating the tannins in the leaves dyed your car. There is no way to remove this dye from your car. As such, if the paint or finish is damaged, you will need touch-up painting performed or your entire car will need to be painted, depending on the extent of the damage. 

If leaves have already damaged the paint job on your car, you may want to have your car painted to hide the damage that has been done. An autobody repair shop can paint your car, removing any trace of damage that leaves have done. Here at Certified Collision Center Auto Body, we can help you with all of your major collision repairs and minor cosmetic vehicle repairs. Book your appointment with us today. 

When you have a dent in your car, you will want to bring your vehicle to an auto body repair shop. They can determine whether the dent is superficial or whether you sustained damage beneath the dent. From there, they can determine the best way to repair any damage. There are different techniques used to remove auto body dents, including paintless dent repair. Here is  more information about paintless dent repair and why it may be a great option to remove a dent from your vehicle. 

What is Paintless Dent Repair?

Paintless dent repair is a technique that is used to remove minor dings and dents from a vehicle. The most common way that paintless dent repair is done is through the use of suction. A tool that is adhered to the area of your car where the dent is present using suction. The tool is then pulled outward. The force of this helps to pop or pull the dent out, without damaging the body of your car. In some cases, paintless dent repair can also be done by pounding a dent out from the backside, but this is done less frequently than the suction method. 

What Are the Benefits of Paintless Dent Repair?

The biggest benefit associated with paintless dent repair is that it is inexpensive. Many dents are filled in with a filler material. This material then needs to be sanded down. Once it is flush with the car, the car needs to be painted so the filler matches the car and the damaged area is not noticeable. This is time-consuming and costly. Using a paintless dent repair method means the car does not need to be repainted, which helps to keep expenses low. 

Can Paintless Dent Repair Be Used to Remove Every Dent?

Paintless dent repair cannot be used to remove every dent. When a dent occurs, paint damage may occur as well. If the paint is already damaged, paintless dent repair may not be the best option, as the paint needs to be repaired anyhow. Additionally, not every dent can be pulled or pounded out. Some dents are too large or some dents may be stubborn and will not budge. In some cases, a repair technician may not know until they try whether paintless dent repair will work or not. 

If you have a dent in your automobile, paintless dent repair may be an option for removing the dent. Bring your car to us here at Certified Collision Center Auto Body and let our professionals evaluate the damage and determine the best way to fix the damage to your car. Call us now to schedule your appointment with us. 

Rust can be detrimental to your automobile for a number of reasons. As such, you need to be on the lookout for rust on your vehicle and take the appropriate action if rust is spotted. Here is what you need to know about rust and your car. 

Reasons Rust Can Develop On Your Car

Rust can develop on your car for a number of reasons. Anytime the finish on your car’s body is scratched or damaged, water and moisture can touch the metal on your car. This can lead to rust developing. Rain, road salt and neglect are a few of the tops reasons why rust begins to form on an automobile. 

Signs Your Car Has Rust

If the exterior body of your car begins to rust, you may be able to spot it quickly and easily. You will see the orange, red or brown color associated with rust forming on your car. Always examine the exterior body of your car for rust when washing your car. Unfortunately, rust does not only develop on the exterior of your car. It can develop on the underside as well. This can be much harder to spot. If you have regular maintenance done on your car, such as oil changes, these professionals should spot this type of rust and notify you. 

Why Rust Needs to Be Removed Quickly

If rust is present on your automobile, it needs to be removed quickly. Rust can damage the metal on your car. When left for prolonged periods of time, it can weaken the metal. This can be dangerous if you are ever in an automobile accident. Rust can also negatively affect the value of your car. It will be harder to sell and will sell for less than a car that does not have rust. Lastly, the longer rust sits on your car, the more likely it is that the rust will spread on your car. The more rust that is present, the harder and more costly it will be to remove. 

How Rust Can Be Removed From Your Automobile

There are different techniques that can be used to remove rust on your car, depending on how much rust is present. If there are small amounts of surface rust present, you may be able to use rust removing solvents to remove the rust. If there are large amounts of rust present, the rust may need to be sanded off of the car. After the rust is removed, you will want to seal the metal to prevent rust from developing in the future. 

If you have rust on your vehicle, you will want to have it removed quickly. If you fail to do so, it can weaken the metal on your car and/or spread. Here at Certified Collision Center Auto Body, we are committed to helping you with all of your autobody repairs, including rust removal. Call our autobody repair shop today to schedule an appointment to have your car inspected for rust or to have the rust removed.