Something is relaxing about a stormy day. You can watch the rain with a warm drink in your hand, and enjoy how things seem to slow down. Of course, all of that relaxation goes out the window when the skies open up and start dropping hail on your home and, worse, your BMW. Hail can range in size from little pebbles to softball-sized rocks that can do some serious and expensive damage. What steps can you take to fix your car after hail damage?
Assess the Damage
Wait for the storm to pass. Don’t try to get to your car or fix anything while there are still chunks of ice falling from the sky. You’ve already seen the damage that hail can do to your vehicle. With this precipitation able to fall at more than 100 miles per hour, imagine what it could do if it hit you.
Once the storm has passed, and it’s safe to be outdoors again, head outside and assess the damage. Depending on the size of the hailstones, these issues could include anything from paint chips and cracked glass to a shattered windshield and fender dents. If there are any broken windows, take the time to cover them with tarps or plastic to prevent water from getting into the interior.
Fix Broken Glass
While repairing dents and paint damage is important, fixing any cracked or broken glass should be your priority after a hail storm. These problems make your car impossible to drive, so you may need to put in a call to your local repair service that offers house calls. Cost will be determined by the model of the car, size and complexity of the windshield.
Windows can be complicated, partially because most of the companies that replace windshields don’t handle window glass. Plus, unlike the laminated windshield glass, which spiderwebs when cracked, windows tend to shatter into a ton of small pieces. As a result, you have to clean out the debris before you can fix anything.
If you have a sunroof on your vehicle, a severe hailstorm might damage or destroy that too, and you may need to go to a dealership or to a specialty shop to get it repaired or replaced. Either way, make broken glass your priority.
Remember the Dents
Once the car is drivable again, you can start thinking about exterior damage that needs attention, including dents and scratches or chips in the paint. Removing hailstone dents is no different than removing any other dings if only one or two stones struck your vehicle. If your hood or fenders have tons of little pockmarks from a barrage of ice crystals, however, you may need to employ the skills of a professional body shop.
Hailstone damage tends to be clustered on the surface of your car, making it more difficult to remove the dents because, with standard DIY tools, it’s impossible to get a good seal. You can get under the fender and start hammering the dents out. Still, if you’re not skilled at bodywork, you risk causing more issues. If this is your first BMW, you might get a shock to find that repair is going to be more expensive than your old beater, so use caution.
Dents and paint chips might not seem like a priority. However, if they’re left alone, water will come into contact with the body’s unprotected metal, allowing it to rust. Over time, this oxidation eats away at the metal and makes it weaker. It can also cause parts to stick together, making repairs trickier.
Try to Park Inside
If you live in an area that’s prone to hail storms or other weather-related disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes, the best advice is to park your car indoors or under some type of covering. Even parking under a large tree can help mitigate the damage caused by ice chunks, though it isn’t a good solution for hurricanes or tornadoes. You can also consider renting a garage space between the beginning of June and the end of November when 97% of Atlantic hurricanes occur.
If you get caught out in a hail storm, try your best to take shelter. Hail can cause some serious and expensive damage to any vehicle unlucky enough to be caught in it. Plus, if you’re driving while the glass shatters, you can get in an accident or injured.
Fixing Your Car After a Hail Storm
No one links having to fix their car, especially when it’s your BMW that you’ve been saving up for and finally have. Still, the inevitable can happen, especially if it’s an unpredictable storm. If your vehicle sees damage after a hail storm, follow the advice above.
Images: Bimmerfest