protecting your car's finish from tree damage

If you have been involved in a car accident, you likely have some auto body damage that you will want to take care of. Whether the auto body damage is obvious or not, you may be considering whether or not it is something that you can fix yourself. Here's what you should know that will help you determine whether or not doing it yourself is worth it:

See How Far the Scratches Go: 

Any scratches on your car could be minor or major. Minor scratches should be easy to fix on your own. These scratches won't reach the metal underneath the paint and you should easily be able to cover them up with scratch filler you can purchase at your local auto repair shop. If the scratches reach the metal, you are going to want to go to the professionals. The professionals will sand, prime, and paint the scratch with the correct paint type so that it appears smooth on the surface once again.

Pop Out Dents: 

If you have any dents in your vehicle, you will likely be able to pop them out without professional help. There are a few methods for doing this. For example, you can use a plunger to try and suck the dent out and back into place or you can actually purchase a dent puller from your local auto body repair service and use it at home yourself. Attempting to pop out dents should only be done once. If the method doesn't work, it's likely because the dent is too large and needs sanding and filling to be done by a professional in order to bring your vehicle back to it's normal appearance. 

Replace a Broken Light: 

Replacing a broken headlight or taillight is something that you can easily do on your own, as well. Simply purchase the right parts from a shop or from your car's dealership. From here, you can simply unscrew the old light and screw in the new one. Most likely you have the tools to do this at home, which would just be a screwdriver. If not, you can have a professional do it for you. You may want to request a professional do this if you simply don't have the time or you are not able to get the replacement part that you need right away. The professionals will be able to order it and replace the light for you as soon as the part comes into their shop.

When you know what auto body repairs can be done yourself or should be done by professionals, you can be sure that you don't attempt to do any jobs that are larger than you can handle.