The Area of Repair
Whatever part of your vehicle needed tending to, it’s time to look that area over. Check for dimpling, make sure alignment is correct and the paint color matches. Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal. Any auto repair team worth their salt will encourage you to do just that. Looking over the repair area is the first step to ensuring all is well after the repairs have been finished.
All Electronic Components and Features
The next step is one that people often forget, only to find out three days (or weeks) later when someone sits in their back seat for the first time that the window won’t roll down or the door won’t unlock like it’s supposed to. Checking all electronic components like windshield wipers, radio, automatic locks and windows, blinkers, etc. Is a critical step that you’ll thank us for later. Often it’s just a matter of connecting a wire that accidentally got left unconnected or flipping a switch that was overlooked in the final check before you were given a call.
Alignment
Depending on the work done, your alignment should be checked. Most auto repair shops will ensure that the alignment of your vehicle is adjusted if necessary even if the repairs they’re doing don’t directly affect that. For this step and the following two, we recommend asking your repair team if you can do a quick drive around the block before signing off. Making sure it drives like it should and feels normal is an important piece of the post-repair check puzzle.
Sounds
While you’re giving it a test drive, keep the music off (once you’ve checked to make sure all the music inputs and outputs work and the speakers sound like they ought to.) This is important to make sure your vehicle isn’t making any strange or new noises. If you notice anything that you didn’t hear before you brought it in, make sure you bring it up to your repair team so they can check it out.
Brakes
Brakes are an essential part of driving safely. Testing your brakes in a few different scenarios is a must-do when you’re checking your vehicle after a repair. Test them normally, and test having to pump them hard. No, we don’t recommend getting yourself in situations where that is required as it’s a very quick way to wear your brake pads out, but should a situation arise where you need to brake hard, you want the peace of mind knowing that your vehicle can do that. And if anything got messed up in the repair, it’s better to know now, in a situation you’re controlling, than last-minute when you can’t.
Looking over the work done is not an insult to your auto body repair team, it’s a necessary part of the repair process. Conducting a post-repair inspection is expected and encouraged. After all, it’s your vehicle, and you deserve to feel fully confident in the work done. We know the world is a little intense right now, but we’re proud to be essential workers still open and operating for your auto body repair needs in this time. Need an estimate? Wondering how our processes have changed in light of social distancing regulations? Give us a call today or schedule an estimate online.
I want to make sure that I get the right car body shop. It makes sense that I would want to get one that is easy to repair. That seems like a good way to ensure that I put everything together properly.
A Post Auto Body check should always be done once the work is completed. This ensures you are getting what you need done.
Thank you for pointing out the things to look at after vehicle dent repair. I never would have thought to look for dimpling and alignment. I agree that looking over the repair is the first step when you are back with your car. My husband had a fender bender last weekend. There was not enough damage for either party to worry about, so they went their separate ways. However, we decided to fix the superficial parts and some of the other dings we had prior to that. We will be sure to call for an auto repair specialist tomorrow and to follow your pick-up advice.
I like how you mentioned that alignment should always be inspected to ensure proper driving experience. My brother informed me yesterday that he was hoping to find a trustworthy auto body repair service that could repair the body of his vehicle because of the dents and scratches on his Honda Civic. I love this enlightening article, I’ll tell him that he can consult a trusted auto body repair shop as they can help him provide information.