It's picked up a very small dent, of the sort you'd pick up in a carpark. No paint damage. About 5 inches in front of, and two inches down from horizontal... of the drivers door handle.

Only small but nevertheless annoying. Even more so since I did it myself getting out of the car in a hurry to aid an old gent who was being annoyed/accosted by extraordinarily drunken example of pondlife :evil: . (I opened the door and it just touched a lamp-post). I even knew the post was there but wasn't planning on getting out (waiting for Mrs.) and certainly didn't anticipate a quick exit from the car to aid the gent in question.

Anyone had occasion to take off the door trim and know how easy/difficult it would be for one of the dent removal companies to get it off without damage or future rattles?

Thanks in advance....

Door trim removal is a bit of a b*tch - it's the door pull cover on the armrest which is really troublesome! Needs to removed very carefully so as it's not damaged!

There's a load of kit mounted in/on the door - so quite a bit of dis-assembly (time & care)) needed!

Think you/he will need to remove the electric window motor to get at the rear of the outer skin?

If it helps I'll put the Elsawin instruction up later - but they're on my other laptop as they're 32 bit only..

Let me know?

Door trim removal is a bit of a b*tch - it's the door pull cover on the armrest which is really troublesome! Needs to removed very carefully so as it's not damaged!

There's a load of kit mounted in/on the door - so quite a bit of dis-assembly (time & care)) needed!

Think you/he will need to remove the electric window motor to get at the rear of the outer skin?

If it helps I'll put the Elsawin instruction up later - but they're on my other laptop as they're 32 bit only..

Let me know?

Thanks for quick reply. From what you say it won't be worth risking problems for the sake of a small dent. How in the world do these fellas get on doing dents with new cars as tricky as you describe? Maybe fill in a spray locally? But we all know how tricky it is to get an invisible touch in job. I used to imagine they slid a slim tool down the side of the window and eased the dent out...but I suspect I'm very wrong.

It might by repairable by the suction-type of dent removers? Good luck whatever.

And well done for going to the aid of someone vs. the scrotes.

Oldstan,

Here you are - extract from the workshop manual.

You'll need a Torx 30 socket/screwdriver for the door handle

I'd suggest you get one of the paintless dent removal folks to take a look at it - they might well have a way of 'hitting the spot'

Good luck!

Removing and installing trim panel on driver.pdf

Try chips away or alike, because they can do it from the outside, I have seen them fix a small rubber pad on with hot glue then pull the dent out with a frame spanning the area and a threaded rod glued on to the pad. The glue just rolls off when its all done with no marks on the paintwork at all

Thanks for quick reply. From what you say it won't be worth risking problems for the sake of a small dent. How in the world do these fellas get on doing dents with new cars as tricky as you describe? Maybe fill in a spray locally? But we all know how tricky it is to get an invisible touch in job. I used to imagine they slid a slim tool down the side of the window and eased the dent out...but I suspect I'm very wrong.

Saw a repeat of the program WHEELER DEALERS recently. They had similar problem of damaged door. They showed someone taking out the dent by putting a rod down through the window opening of door.

Very effective job they did to and very cost affective. Can't remember the if the name of company was given but might be worth a troll through the internet

Many thanks for those suggestions...and especially MM for going to the trouble of posting those super instructions. It's a tiddler and whilst I can easily imagine them being able to massage it out if you could get behind it, it's so localised that I can't imagine being able to suck it out (I could, though, see how they would do it with a bigger depression) Speaking of depression...............

Tha last thing anyone wants is to find it hasn't gone back right and you'd wish you hadn't touched it. If it HAD to be done, then you'd have had no choice but when it's a litt'lun??????

Thanks again. (I've rang a bloke who does this sort of thing and made an excellent job of a scuffed alloy on the Jazz. If I don't hear back I'll try 'Chips Away'.....worth getting them to look at it if I pass one of their places.

Edited 23 June, 201115 yr by oldstan

Thanks again for helpful replies. Have printed off door trim removal instructions. Have called a firm 'Dent Devils' and am going to see the fella on Tuesday. He said, without lookng at it, that he'd do it by sliding a tool down the window. Will report back afterwards.

Edited 24 June, 201115 yr by oldstan

Fingers crossed

Fingers crossed

Ta for that, MM. He said it might cost £25 ish.....Not the end of the world to regain a dent free panel. But know full well it will happen. Shouldn't bother me, but it's a bit of a thing with me, hence parking a mile away from the nearest parked cars whenever possible. Will take your instructions with me on the day, just in case.

@ twice that price it'd be a winner for me!

Like you I can't abide things being < 100%.

Still haven't fully resolved my vibrating door cards....

Halfruads use to do a kit where you froze a suction like rod thing onto the door then eased/pulled out the Ding

Never tried it though.

My link

Halfruads use to do a kit where you froze a suction like rod thing onto the door then eased/pulled out the Ding

Never tried it though.

My link

Thanks. Trouble is it's such a small ding, I can't imagine being able to anything except ease it back from behind...as it were!

Thanks. Trouble is it's such a small ding, I can't imagine being able to anything except ease it back from behind...as it were!

I have two on my front passenger door, you can hardly see them but in the right light they stick out like a sore thumb

seems you have the same

I have two on my front passenger door, you can hardly see them but in the right light they stick out like a sore thumb

seems you have the same

I too have had an annoying little dent like this on the driver's door since about the first week I had the SM - no idea how it got there, only visible in certain lighting conditions but b****y annoying! I'd be interested to hear Oldstan's outcome as I'd dearly like to het rid of this blemish!

Update, as promised.

Went to see a man who works for 'Dent Devils'. Probably a franchise.

Nice, helpful and friendly bloke.

Admittedly it was a small nick but I knew it was there and didn't like it.

It took him less than a minute after having slid a shield down the front of the window and a wedge to create a space for the tool which he slid down to the dent. Eased it out in seconds. Job done.

Does dozens of dents a week (more in summer, when people notice them more). Said he does most dents on doors this way - occasionally has to take trim off (half a dozen times a week, maybe) Said he'll get dents out from pretty well anywhere, some easier than others. Said he spent 2 days repairing a car damaged by a hail storm - had dents literally all over it. Saved writing the car off.

He said in his experience Skodas were pretty tough....when I said my Jazz picked up a couple of small marks he noted that Hondas seemed to be softer - but not a scientific proof - just his experience.

Price.....he tossed a coin and I called 'heads'. I won. He said, 'no charge'. I pressed a tenner upon him and was inordinately grateful so to do.

Don't get a result like that every day.

Makes up for one or two other less fortunate events recently (well, actually it doesn't, but you know what I mean and aids one's faith in fellow man!)

I'll pass on his number by PM to anyone in the S.West who wants it or Google 'Dent Devils' and contact a local man.

Pleased to recommend good service when I encounter it.

Result!! :thumbup:

Result!! :thumbup:

Indeed, but thanks for your assistance and will retain the diagrams for future ref.