A Step-By-Step Look At Paintless Dent Removal

Paintless Dent Removal, or PDR, has been becoming more and more popular because more people are finding it to be an effective and affordable alternative to getting small repairs done with more conventional methods. PDR provides a much better value than traditional dent repair methods and is a great way to tend to the condition of your vehicle’s exterior economically. Here’s a glance at how CARSTAR Arnold utilizes PDR to repair vehicles in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, and St. Louis, MO.

What's Paintless Dent Removal?

Conventional dent repair fills auto body dents in with paint or auto body filler, which is then matched to the rest of the vehicle’s exterior. While this process can make a vehicle look as good as new, it doesn’t address the actual dent in a way that is a sustainable, long-term solution. It's also time-consuming, expensive, and may affect the re-sale value of the automobile.

With paintless dent removal, there are not any fillers and there is no sanding. PDR is an earth friendly repair method that restores your vehicle’s body to factory-like condition in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the price. PDR can be used to get rid of dings and dents from cars in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, and St. Louis, MO, as well as auto body creases and hail damage. CARSTAR Arnold technicians use PDR to safely restore automobiles to their original factory condition without compromising a vehicle’s original painted finish, or a consumer’s pocketbook.

The PDR Process

Assess the Damage

The initial step to any repair procedure is to gauge the damage. Where is the dent? How large is the dent? How can we get to the dent? After evaluating the damage, and deciding how it can be effectively removed through PDR (as 80-90% of all dents are), we prepare the spot around the dent for the repair. Especially with hail damage, special equipment must be used to find all of the dents that might not be noticeable to the naked eye.

Gain Access to the Dent

Typically, PDR requires you to access the back side of the dent, which means cautiously removing body panels, tail lights, or in some instances, interior panels. To do PDR, you need a pathway to the dent.

Once we have access to a dent, it is time to perform the PDR repair. This is where the accuracy and expertise of our trained technicians comes into play.

Get A Better Look at the Dent

CARSTAR Arnold uses a special light board to offer our technician a better look at the offending dent from their point-of-view. The special lights allow us to get a clear look at all of the dent or dents so that nothing is overlooked.

Apply Slow Pressure to Work out the Dent

Special tools are then used to carefully massage the surface back to its original position.

Paintless dent removal is quicker, cheaper, and more effective than traditional methods in most cases. That is why you ought to go to CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri to deal with hail damage or other dents that could show up on your vehicle.

Be A Summer-Ready Driver

Summer's heat, dust, and stop-and-go traffic will take their toll on your motor vehicle. Add the effects of last winter, and you may be poised for a breakdown. You can reduce the probability of auto mechanical problems with regular maintenance. By taking the recommendations of CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO, your vehicle will last for much longer and command an increased resale price, as well!

Many of the tips below are simple to do; others call for a qualified auto technician.

Air Conditioning

A marginally operating system will fail in hot weather. Have the system checked out by a qualified technician in the St. Louis, MO area. Newer models have cabin air filters that clean the air entering the heating and air conditioning system. Check your owner's manual for location and replacement interval.

Cooling System

The greatest cause of summer breakdowns is overheating. The engine cooling system ought to be totally flushed and refilled about every 24 months. The level, condition, and concentration of the coolant ought to be examined periodically. A 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water is usually suggested. DIYers, never take off the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled off! The tightness and condition of drive belts, clamps, and hoses ought to be inspected by a professional like those at CARSTAR Arnold.

Oil

Many factors affect how often you need to switch out your oil and oil filter. The standard rule of thumb is every 3,000 miles, but some of the factors that might make you need to switch out your oil include making lots of short trips, making big trips with a lot of weight, or hauling a heavy trailer.

Engine Performance

This may sound like a daunting task, but it is actually very easy to take some simple steps to keep your engine working properly. The biggest thing that you can do besides oil changes is replace the filters. PCV, fuel, and air filters all have to be switched out every once in a while, particularly in dusty environments. Also do not forget to have an auto body shop immediately take care of funny noises and feelings, like hard starts, reduced power, stalling, and turbulent idling.

Windshield Wipers

It’s a bad idea have a dirty windshield. That could lead to eye fatigue after long trips on the road and ultimately it’s a safety hazard. Get rid of your blades when they get worn out and do not forget to keep plenty of windshield washer solvent on hand.

Lights

You’re going to want to keep your lenses clean of dirt and insects by cleaning them regularly. Don’t use a dry rag because that could actually scratch the lens. And do not forget to check all of the bulbs regularly to make sure that they are not burnt out.

Tires

Getting your tires rotated every five thousand miles to assure even rotation on them. Be sure to check your tire pressure every month. Also, when the weather gets colder, check them before you drive too far. Also, regularly inspect your spare tire and jack. Look for uneven wear on your tires, cupping, and tread life. Look for lacerations in the sidewalls. You should get your tires realigned if you discover uneven tread wearing or whenever your car pulls over to the side.

Brakes

Brakes should be inspected as recommended in your manual, or sooner if you notice pulsations, grabbing, noises, or longer stopping distance. Even minor brake problems ought to be corrected promptly.

Battery

Batteries can fail any time of year. The only accurate way to detect a weak battery is with professional equipment. Routine care: Scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections; clean all surfaces; re-tighten all connections. If battery caps are detachable, check the fluid level monthly. Avoid exposure to corrosive deposits and battery acid. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves.

Emergencies

Carry some fundamental tools — ask a technician for suggestions. Also include a first aid kit, flares, and a flashlight.

Travel Cheaper With These Gas-Saving Tips

While it is always wise to conserve natural resources, the cost of gas over the last couple of years has made even the most wasteful people think twice. Whatever your motivation, here are some gas saving techniques from the professionals at CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri.

• Keep track of your tires. Under-inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by pushing the engine to work harder. (Let the tires cool off prior to examining the air pressure.) Out-of-line wheels, as demonstrated by irregular tread wear, ought to be aligned by a professional.
• Eliminate extra weight. Remove unnecessary items from the automobile. Store only essentials in the trunk. Less weight means improved mileage.
• Combine trips and errands in the Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, and St. Louis, MO area. Some trips might be unnecessary. Also, try to travel when traffic is light so you can avoid stop-and-go conditions.
• Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends and family.
• Follow speed limits. Speeding decreases your gas mileage.
• Drive gently. Abrupt accelerations guzzle gas. Foretell traffic patterns in advance and adjust your speed gradually.
• Use windows and air conditioning carefully. Your mileage should improve if you keep the windows closed at highway speeds, because air drag is decreased. This holds true even with the air conditioning on - assuming that the system is in good working order. But turn the air conditioner off in stop-and-go traffic to save gasoline.
• Keep the engine of your car in top working order. A well-maintained engine functions at peak efficiency, maximizing gasoline consumption. Follow the service schedules listed in the owner's manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended; have engine performance problems (rough idling, poor acceleration, etc.) fixed at an auto body repair facility. Given today's high-tech engines, it is best to have this sort of work carried out by auto technicians who are ASE certified in engine performance. CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri always utilizes ASE certified technicians.

These conservation tips won't only save gasoline, they will help extend the longevity of the car. If you have any further auto body questions, visit CARSTAR Arnold for the answers you need.

Spring Auto Body Rust Repair Tips

Auto body rust repair is a very common issue with older vehicles in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Dents or scratches can wear away paint and expose metal to the elements. Living in a snowy environment like what we come across in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, and St. Louis, MO might also raise the possibility for rust damage, as road salt and other ice removal accelerants can result in rust damage in the long run. No matter how the rust formed, keep these rust repair tips from CARSTAR Arnold in mind to restore your auto body to like-new condition:

Inspect Your Vehicle’s Surface Carefully

The first step in adequately dealing with auto body rust is figuring out the extent of the damage. If you've got a vintage car, you might give consideration to going over all surfaces of your vehicle with a fine-tooth comb. This is because rust won't always materialize as dark-red discoloration. Rather, what you should be trying to find are little bubbles in the painted surface of the vehicle. If these bubbles can be found, it's likely that rust is hiding beneath it.

Removing Rust

Auto body rust repair is nearly always better handled by the auto body pros, like those at CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri. However, if you have some auto repair experience and the patch of corrosion is not any greater than four inches in diameter, then it could be possible to get rid of the rust yourself. To do this, you will want to use a sanding disc with 100-grit sandpaper on the affected region. Working gradually, sand away the rust, as well as the immediate area neighboring the corrosion. This will produce an even plane for paint adhesion.

Additional Sanding

When the rust has been gotten rid of, make sure you sand the area with consecutively finer grit sizes. For instance, another pass may include 120-grit sandpaper and a third pass might benefit from a 150-grit sandpaper. Once sanded finely, tack cloth is advised for getting rid of any metal or dirt debris.

Priming and Painting

Three to four light coats of self-etching primer are recommended for auto body rust repair jobs. Before priming, block off the encircling body paint by using newspaper and masking tape. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes before you apply each successive coat. Then, wait until the following day to put on the paint. Apply the paint in a similar, light-coated manner. After 5 to 6 coats, leave the paint to dry out overnight, then come back and remove the newspaper and masking tape. A wash and wax might be useful whenever the repair is finished.

Safe Driving On Dangerous Winter Roads

Cold conditions could easily create much of the harshest driving conditions of the year. And, months between October and February lead the list for auto accidents, auto damages and accidental injuries in the Arnold, Missouri area.

When the temperature plunges and the snow increases, it is critical for vehicle operators to raise their attention to safety on the road.  With adequate planning, some protective driving procedures and an eye on the weather report, vehicle operators can shield themselves and their motor vehicles during the long cold winter time.

The industry experts on winter weather driving calamities at CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri repair thousands of vehicles each year wrecked in wintry, icy catastrophes.  They give road users some helpful pointers to help with making winter time driving more safe.

Look At Your Visibility:

•   Make sure that any and all mirrors are clear and properly fine-tuned for field of vision
•   Clean your car headlights and check out the lightbulbs in all of the car lights – back and front
•   Add de-icer to your windshield wiper fluid
•   Make sure your windshield wipers are free of ice in advance of heading out on the highway – and think about upgrading with new flexible windshield wipers before the snowfall strikes

Go Slow and Stay Back:

•   Put extra distance in between your vehicle and the motor vehicle ahead of you for more safety
•   Don't involve the use of cruise control on icy roads
•   When you find snow or ice on the surface in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, or Jefferson County, MO, reduce the speed of your car to a safe limit
•   Use cautiousness on bridges, overpasses, and seldom traveled freeways since these may well be slippery due to ice
•   Use extreme caution when you're driving on one-lane roadways

Skidding Smartly

Should the rear wheels slip...
•   Bring your foot off the gas
•   Should you have standard brakes, pump them carefully
•   If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), don't pump the brake system. Apply regular pressure to the brake system. You are going to feel the braking system pulse — it's typical
•   Steer in the direction you will want the forward tires to go. If for instance the back wheels are moving left, steer left. If they're moving right, steer right
•   If your rear wheels get started on sliding the other way when you recuperate, ease the steering wheel in the direction of that side. You might have to steer left and right once or twice to get your vehicle completely under control

When your forward wheels skid...
•   Bring your foot off the gas and switch to neutral, but be sure not to try to steer at once.
•   As the wheels skid laterally, they're going to slow the motor vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and speed up slowly

Prepare for Snow:

•   If your car has rear wheel drive, put bags of sand or kitty litter to help keep your vehicle easier to control on Arnold, MO streets
•   Pack up a snow day kit in the event you get stuck.  Valuable items to include are a blanket, gloves, hat, water, granola bars, flashlight and additional battery packs, extra mobile phone battery pack, flares, wooden matches in water-proof carrier, compass, a pair of scissors, rope and first-aid kit.
•   Create a tool kit for digging your vehicle out with foldable shovel, 2x4 planks to position under tires, ice scraper and snow brush, reflective triangles, flares and exterior windshield cleaner
You can never be too cautious when getting behind the wheel in winter months. Crashes can occur quickly on slippery, slippery streets, so decelerating and making the extra precautions can really make the difference.

If the adverse winter accident does come about, we recommend having a crash plan set up so you won't be stranded on the roadside waiting for assistance.  CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri has top-notch, reliable repair service.  Just call 1-800-CARSTAR after you have an incident and they're going to send the tow truck, get hold of your insurer, arrange for a rental car and repair your vehicle.

Caring For Your Vehicle’s Interior

The cleanliness of your vehicle’s interior is as important as its exterior. A well kept interior adds quality to your driving ability and provides the ultimate in comfort and safety. Cleansing the exterior can be as simple as an easy trip through the car wash or hand-applying car wash, wax, detailer, and other car exterior cleaning products. The interior of your automobile is a different story because if you would like to keep it clean, you really need to work at it. Here are some ideas from CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri for keeping your vehicle’s interior clean and neat.

Vacuuming

The vacuum might just be the single best tool for keeping your car’s interior clean and sanitized. It's not only an effective way to remove the dirt and debris from under your floor mats to the surface of your seats, it is a fantastic way to get rid of the filth that has accumulated in all the various nooks and crannies of your vehicle. For ideal results, get in there with a high-powered vacuum which has a hose and attachments so you can clean out each crack. A coin operated vacuum at a car wash is a good place to begin. A quick note about vacuuming car floor mats: take them out from the car and shake them out to get rid of surplus dirt before vacuuming.

Fabric Upholstery

While a vacuum cleaner does a great job of removing dirt in the carpeting, floor mats, and seats, sometimes these spots need some extra TLC. After all, grime can frequently get ground into the upholstery leading to discoloration that remains even once you run the vacuum. Beat those blemishes by using a carpet and upholstery cleaner. These cleaning solutions are specially formulated to deep clean your seats and carpets without saturating them with moisture. You'll want to stay away from significant amounts of moisture as this actually promotes mold growth). For rubber floor mats, a good power wash will get the dirt, sludge, and grossness out of your vehicle.

Leather Upholstery

If your car or truck has leather seating, try to keep them looking their best because stained, ripped, and/or cracked seats, aside from being unappealing, might also hurt the resale value of your automobile. A vacuum can, and should, be employed to remove the surface dirt on any sort of seat. For a much deeper clean, a special leather cleaner ought to be used on leather seats (followed by a leather conditioner to protect them).

Dashboard

While you might not notice it all that frequently because you are busy looking at the road when you drive around Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, or Jefferson County, MO, the dashboard can gather its fair share of grit and dust. In addition to vacuum-cleaning, using a microfiber dust cloth on the dashboard is a fantastic way to get it looking great again. Once it’s been cleaned, utilizing a protectant on the dashboard can help you to stop fading, cracking, and peeling. These protectants also aid in retaining the color of your interior against the sun and its ultra violet rays. The steering wheel counts as a part of the dashboard so you ought to put some protectant thereon too. If you have passed the point of no return as it pertains to fading, cracking, and peeling dash, seats, or steering wheel, it might make sense to get a dash cover, steering wheel cover, or seat cover.

Windows

The windows of your car are possibly the most crucial part of your interior to keep clean. After all, clean windows make for better visibility. Eliminating all the smudges, fingerprints, and even paw prints – if you have an animal who often rides along with you – will allow you to see much better while making your car simply look nice. Some glass cleaners even offer a water repellent formula that beads and wisps away water, enabling better visibility. Just make sure you utilize something that won’t leave behind streaks. Newspaper can come in handy in this case. It is important to know that some glass cleaners do not work well with tinted windows and can also harm the heating elements that de-frost and de-fog your windshield. Household glass cleaners contain ammonia, which over time will break down the heating element on your auto glass making your windshield defrosters ineffective.

Trunk

You may be thinking, the trunk? What does it make a difference if the trunk is dirty? Nobody sits in there. From an absolutely aesthetic point of view, having a dirty trunk is not a problem. Nevertheless, did you know that having a messy trunk may affect your vehicle’s gas mileage? Keeping items in there when you are driving all around Arnold, Missouri can add weight to your vehicle, which causes the engine to work harder when you drive, hence burning up more fuel. If you do not absolutely have to carry something around in your trunk on a certain day, it ought to be empty. Your pocketbook will thank you. Obviously we understand that there are situations where trunk storage is required. When this takes place, CARSTAR Arnold advocates keeping your vehicle’s trunk organized, granting you quick access to the items you need.

Organize

Now that you are squeaky clean, ensure that your car is orderly. Organizing your vehicle keeps out the clutter, making interior upkeep much easier. Car organization items are designed with function in mind and are best for those of us who bring items with us while traveling. If you store items in your trunk, a trunk organizer might be the best option for you. Items like visor organizers, dash caddies, and seat organizers keep the mess from exploding while enabling you to simply and efficiently vacuum up debris.

If you've got any other questions on car maintenance, auto body repair, or driving safety, come to CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO and we’d be glad to help get you back on the right track.

Emergency Numbers You Want To Have On The Road

These days, you can keep basically all of your computer information on your cellular phone – from all your music collection to the latest dog-riding-a-skateboard video. You can also utilize your smart phone as a safety net in case there is an emergency. Because CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri is concerned about your safety on the road, we'd like for you to take five minutes right this moment to tap these crucial numbers into your contact list so you'll be ready if something happens.

ICE − This number, which is short for "in case of emergency," ought to be your emergency contact – a parent, spouse, close friend or anyone who you want alerted if something happens to you. Many emergency responders and hospital personnel know to look for this number.

Home − Your home phone number, if you've got one. If somebody locates your misplaced mobile phone, he or she can call this number to tell you your phone is intact. Emergency personnel may also try it as an alternative number if there's no answer at the ICE number if you are in a car wreck.

Police − Should you have an emergency or witness somebody else who needs help, you can notify your local police station about the problem more rapidly if you already have the number stored in your phone.

State Highway Patrol − Notice a motorist marooned by the side of the road? Be a Good Samaritan and contact the state highway patrol for assistance.

Auto Body Shop − If you require auto body collision repair, it is best to have a shop picked out ahead of the fact. Take the time to research auto body shops and find the one that you wish to use. If you are living in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, or St. Louis, MO, think about choosing CARSTAR Arnold.

A Remark About 911 and Cellphones

While technology continues to improve, many wireless cell phones do not offer a way to ascertain a caller's location. If you call 911 in an emergency, be sure to mention your location, your telephone number, and what has taken place.

CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri hopes that you'll keep these tips in mind as you get ready for the next time you are driving. If you've got any questions regarding driving safety, auto body repair, or collision repair services, check out their website today to get more information.