I have dented the corner of the front bumper on the black trim on my mg4

[timothy]

Can anyone give me some advice. I have dented the corner of the front bumper on the black plastic trim on my mg4

 

[Rolfe]

Picture?

I was just about to post something similar. Not the corner, more to the front.

I was parking at the hairdresser's, and inching into the space which has a low drystone wall at the end. I know the bonnet of the MG4 is shorter than it looks, and kept inching very slowly, thinking just to touch the wall. That's what happened, a really gentle touch, but it has actually damaged the so-called "bumper", which is a very soft plastic. There's the obvious damage to the left of the picture and also a less obvious scrape on the top, towards the right.

It's a real shame we don't have the same ultrasonic(?) parking sensors at the front as at the back, because the system (on the SE) at the back is brilliant. But call this a bumper? It might as well be made of cheese. I think this minor damage is just the beginning of a lot more.

 

[Alb]

It's all repairable stuff albeit the type of damage experienced by @Rolfe is likely to happen again post repair even if you are very attentive.

 

[Rolfe]

How is that soft plastic "repairable"?

I wonder if it's possible to fit some sort of protective trim to stop this happening?

 

[Alb]

Plastic can be welded, shaped and filled like metal, just different processes used.
I had this repaired on another car:

 

[Martinonline]

One of the advantages of the trophy is the front camera but I agree that a front distance warning system would be very useful.

 

[Rolfe]

Plastic can be welded, shaped and filled like metal, just different processes used.
I had this repaired on another car:
View attachment 18105

How much would that be likely to cost though? I wonder if it's worth it, given that the plastic is so soft it's likely to happen again and again.

 

[timothy]

This is my picture

 

[Alb]

How much would that be likely to cost though? I wonder if it's worth it, given that the plastic is so soft it's likely to happen again and again.

I suspect many would leave minor damage and consider a repair only when it was time to sell the car.
In my case the damage affected the whole side of the car including front wing, door and rear quarter panel but the total cost of the repair came to less than £300 IIRC.

 

[Rolfe]

This is my picture

I'm struggling to make it out from the picture. Could you indicate the issue with an arrow or a circle?

 

[Rolfe]

I suspect many would leave minor damage and consider a repair only when it was time to sell the car.
In my case the damage affected the whole side of the car including front wing, door and rear quarter panel but the total cost of the repair came to less than £300 IIRC.

I'm probably going to ask my local garage to fit the replacement interior light bulbs and the mud flaps when they arrive, so I might ask him to look at that too.

In my old Golf I often inched slowly towards an obstacle so that I touched it lightly, and never caused damage to the bumper. This thing seems to be made of cheese.

 

[Diggsy]

Looks like a substantial dent lower part of spoiler, centre of the image. Might be able to have that pushed out by one of the paintless dent repair places

 

[Kithmo]

One of the advantages of the trophy is the front camera but I agree that a front distance warning system would be very useful.

Front camera is not much better for judging low down distance, with its fisheye lens.

This is my picture

A bit of pressure from the back and gentle application of a heat gun should pop that out.

 

[timothy]

The only problem would be is getting behind it

 

[Kithmo]

The only problem would be is getting behind it

I haven't looked but I'd guess the lower cover should come off.

 

[Macadoodle]

The entire front bumper comes off really quite easily, took mine off to install home made lower air intake covers in the cold weather to improve aero
They do seem to use that soft as toffee grey plastic all over the car, inside and out.
It does not wear well, dog and 9yr old daughter have the rear door cards scratched to hell already

 

[timothy]

How did you get under the car to take it off

 

[dawson2099]

How much would that be likely to cost though? I wonder if it's worth it, given that the plastic is so soft it's likely to happen again and again.

Try Dent Devil. £130 to repair my minor dent in wing and repair scrape in plastic trim. Hairdryer works wonders on plastic.

 

[Rolfe]

Hairdryer, you say? Hmmm....

Actually it's barely noticable and nobody else is likely even to realise it's there. As my dad would have said, a blind man running for his life would never notice! I look on it as fair warning not to touch anything with these so-called "bumpers".

But I'll try the hairdryer. Cautiously.

 

[dawson2099]

A friend at the repair shop I use showed me how to do this with a previous car - gently does it - warm it and press gently - sounds familiar?