Hidden Mechanical Damage: Why You Shouldn't Do Your Own Auto Body Repairs After An Accident
If you plan to do your own auto body repairs after your vehicle receives damages from an auto accident, you may want to think twice before you do. Your DIY repairs may actually make your vehicle unsafe to drive on the road because you may not spot the mechanical damages hiding beneath the exterior. Driving your car with mechanical problems may lead to another road accident. If this happens, the insurance company may not be willing to pay for the damages. Here are three hidden types of mechanical damages you may not see when you do your own auto body repairs.
Your Brake Lines Crack
If the brake lines and other essential parts crack or come loose after an accident, you may be at risk for numerous problems, including getting into another auto accident. If you don't notice the issues mentioned above when you repair your vehicle's exterior, you may not have the ability to stop quick enough to avoid other cars on the road, or the pedestrians crossing the street in front of you.
The crack in the brake line may also leak fluids. Brake fluids lubricate the pads and other components in the system. If they don't receive enough lubrication when you drive the vehicle, the brakes can stick or give out. You may not have a chance to stop your car when it's heading downhill or if it's speeding down the road.
It's a good idea to let your auto body technicians check the brake system right away. The technicians may find signs of brake damage when they place the car on a lift. If the auto body shop spots anything wrong, they can make the necessary repairs immediately, as well as include the charges in your accident claim.
Your Steering Goes Out
If your vehicle has rack-and-pinion steering, your accident may knock loose or damage this area of the car. Rack-in-pinion steering gives your vehicle the ability to turn its wheels. The pinion gear can fall off during the accident when the other car strikes your vehicle. You may even bend the tie rod that connects the rack-in-pinion to your wheels. Even if you see the bent tie rod and repair it, not fixing or replacing your damaged rack-and-pinion may hinder your ability to swerve around other vehicles, pedestrians and objects.
Your repair shop may replace the entire rack-and-pinion system to protect you from future incidences. The shop may need to order the parts if your car is an older model or features advanced systems along with your rack-and-pinion steering, such as power assisted steering.
Your Gas Tank Develops Perforations and Small Leaks
Gas tank damage is one of the most potentially dangerous things to occur in accident cars. A number of cars and trucks may explode when their gas tanks are penetrated or struck hard by sharp or heavy objects. The explosions may occur when fuel reacts or mixes with the volatile molecules in air. Sometimes, fuel lines break and leak after a road collision.
Although explosions don't happen with every vehicular accident, you don't want take a chance with your car. If you try to fix the visible holes or dents on your gas tank to keep the car from losing fuel, you may miss the perforations or broken fuel line hidden inside or beneath your car. The fuel may slowly leak from the busted line, which leaves a dangerous trail on the road, in your driveway or in a parking lot.
Your auto body technicians may find the leaking gas line when they inspect the car. They may add the expected repairs and their costs to your insurance claim. You and your vehicle may be safer on the road.
Although it may seem simple to fix the body damage to your vehicle, it may not be in reality. Instead, contact your body shop for the right repairs, even those you can't see. For more information about auto body shops in your area, you can look at this site.