How To Fix A Plastic Bumper
Because car dents are one of the most common repairs, it’s worth learning how to fix a small dent at home so that you don’t have to take a trip to the mechanic. Plastic bumper dents are blemishes to otherwise seemingly perfect-looking cars. You could replace the entire bumper, or you can try one of these quick and easy fixes from home. Step 1 – Push Dent Out Manually Put your hand behind the cover of the bumper and try to invert the damage of the dent. This trick might work if the plastic bumper is fairly thin and the damage isn’t bad. However, if the plastic is thick, you’re better off trying one of the other steps listed below. Step 2 – Use a Hair Dryer If the first step does not work, try to heat the plastic bumper with a hair dryer.
Turn the dryer to the high, hot setting, and make sure you blow-dry the dented area in a continual sweeping motion for about three minutes. Then, try to push the dent out manually once again, this time using heat-resistant gloves to protect your hands from the warmth. If this doesn’t work, you can try the same trick but using a wooden block for extra force to pop the dent out from inside the cover.
How To Fix A Plastic Bumper Hole
Step 3 – Use a Heat Gun Heat Bumper A heat gun is one of the quickest ways to heat an area quickly, and. Keep the hot-air gun around 1 foot away from the plastic bumper. Keep in mind that a heat gun will be much more powerful than a hair dryer. Thus, damage to the plastic can be visibly seen if you leave the heat gun too close to a bumper or if it is left on it for an extended period of time.
Therefore, as a precaution, never move the heat gun to a distance closer than 5 inches to the bumper cover. Once the area is visibly heated (but undamaged), you should stop heating immediately.
Use a gray or white scuff pad and scrub the repair area of the bumper or plastic panel with the cleaning agent first, a simple wipe is not going to work. It may work sometimes but may fail in others. Neon Bumpers may require two or three cleaning steps. The main reason bumper repairs fail is by not doing this step thoroughly. 2 Part Epoxy Glue is the best way to fix a cracked flexible bumper cover. Car Bumper Repair-How. How to Repair and Paint a Plastic Bumper. Plastic bumper covers are cheaper and easier to manufacture and replace in the event of an accident. Plastic bumpers are actually good for us do-it-yourselfers. They are really easy to fix if they get scratched, gouged, or broken, and you don’t have to mess with expensive rechroming once finished.
Always watch your hand placement and notice any changes in paint color or texture. Invert the Dent Once the dented region is hot enough, invert the dent with a wooden block from the inside of the bumper cover and hold the outside of the bumper with a wet cloth.
Bumper Cover Repair
The wet cloth will help cool down the bumper. Keep your hands on either side of the bumper for a few minutes, holding the bumper's shape in place. It is important to allow a couple of minutes to pass. Otherwise, the heated region of the bumper will revert to its previous dented position. Once the dented area is locked into the fixed position, you can stop pressing with the wooden block and remove the cloth. Warning: A heat gun can reach extremely high temperatures. Wear both heat-resistant gloves and goggles, and follow the heat-gun manufacturer’s safety precautions.
Plastic Bumper Repair Kit
Mustafa Arican / Getty Images Before you paint the repaired bumper, you'll need to make sure you've got a proper match. You can do this at your auto parts store or online as long as you know the make and model of your vehicle. Touch-up paint is sometimes sold in a spray can, which makes applying it easy.
But for whole-bumper repaint jobs, you may be better off renting a professional paint sprayer. Make sure you're working in a well-ventilated area and wearing safety gear like a respirator or mask, goggles, and gloves. Now that you've filled and sanded your bumper, it's time to on. Carefully mask the area around your repair and spray the smooth repair. Remember, many light coats are better than fewer heavy coats. If your car uses a clearcoat paint, add the clearcoat after your paint has been applied and had time to dry.