Door Dings

What is a Door Ding?

A Door Ding is a dent that occurs when a door strikes the side panel of another vehicle, while both are parked side by side. The dent often has impact scratches on it, as the door is moving when it comes into contact with the painted metal surface of the other vehicle’s panel. The dent appears to be round, but is often egg shaped, as it was created in a swinging motion. One end of the dent will be shallow, the initial contact, and the other end will be deeper at the stopping point of impact.

The Process of Removing a Door Ding

The first step in the removal of a door ding is to polish all impact scratching out of the dent, so a clear view of the painted surface can be seen for massaging out the dent. The technician must determine the best tool for the job, and make sure there is sufficient clearance between the glass and door skin to use that tool.

Access to get to the backside of the dent is done through the window opening. This is the area between the window glass and the door skin, the molding at the bottom of the door window opening called the Belt Molding is removed, to allow for tool access. A protective sleeve is put on the door glass to prevent any scratching from the PDR tool.

Using a special light that reflects off the vehicle’s painted surface, the technician can determine the dent shape. Starting with our massaging process, were little pushes are made that moves a small portion of metal at a time, the technician begins in the center of the dent. The massaging process is used over the entire diameter of the dent, until the metal has returned to its original position on the panel. A second polishing may be required to remove any remaining evidence of impact scratching.

Frequently Asked Questions