Damage Diagnosis

BODY REPAIR FUNDAMENTALS

DAMAGE DIAGNOSIS

The damage must be diagnosed using the following criteria.
- Location of damage
- Range of affected area
- Degree of damage

These three points relate directly to the quality, efficiency and cost of damage repair, and they must be determined correctly.

1. DETERMINING VARIOUS CONDITIONS OF THE COLLISION
- Size, shape, position, rigidity, etc. of the other vehicle involved in the collision.
- Speed of both vehicles at the time of collision
- Collision angle and direction.
- Number of occupants and their positions at the time of collision
- Size, shape, hardness, etc. of load in the vehicle
- History of damaged portion, date of occurrence, and range of affected area

2. EXTERNAL APPEARANCE
In body repair work, be careful not to overlook indirect damage. To avoid this, mechanical and structural analysis of the vehicle body is essential.




1. OBSERVATION OF OVERALL VEHICLE
- The extent of the impact damage.
- Twisting, bending, and inclination of the whole vehicle
- Amount and location of damage: Check by examining the whole vehicle.

Examples
Cracked or stressed paint.
Cracked or broken glass.




2. DETAILED OBSERVATION OF VEHICLE
Check for any gaps or dislocation at the welded seams of panels, or cracks in paint film, undercoating or sealing material.




3. OBSERVATION OF FITTING
Examine the fit of various portions without lifting them.
Estimate the damage in the pillar and hinge portions.
- Door alignment
- Alignment of hood and trunk lid.
- How doors, hood, and trunk lid open and close.
- Smooth operation of windows.




4. CHECKING FOR MECHANICAL DAMAGE
Damage analysis also involves inspecting mechanical steering and suspension parts for damage. When inspecting mechanical parts, look for signs of damage such as
- Bent or damaged parts.
- Fluid leaks.
- Binding or noise when turning the steering wheel.




5. DAMAGE BY INERTIA
Check indirect damage such as a concave roof in front end collisions, load damage and damage to the engine, which is insulated by rubber mounts.
- Damaged or misaligned mounting points.

3. KEY POINTS IN CHOOSING REPAIR METHODS
- Do not reduce strength when repairing panels Avoid excessive hammering which may lead to extending the panel. Also avoid prolonged heating.
- Do not increase the strength of impact absorbing portions unnecessarily. Do not patch these parts.
- Choose a method for properly aligning the body.
For example, if changing the front side member of an FF car, it is recommended that the front suspension mounting member be left alone.
- Examine carefully how past collision damage was repaired. This is necessary to properly decide the range to be repaired.

4. PARTS TO BE REPLACED
- High-strength steel parts: The strength of these parts will be reduced if repaired by heating.
- Parts relating to body alignment and wheel alignment: Replacement of such parts would not provide proper alignment.
- When repair costs exceed replacement cost
- Availability of service parts
- When asked by customer

When performing repair work, it is necessary to consider quality, efficiency and cost, as well as safety and health. It is also important to gain the customer's confidence.