Major body damage - repair

Where serious damage has occurred or large areas need renewal due to neglect, it means that completely new sections or panels will need welding in, and this is best left to professionals. If the damage is due to impact, it will also be necessary to completely check the alignment of the bodyshell structure. Due to the principle of construction, the strength and shape of the whole car can be affected by damage to one part. In such instances the service of a dealer with specialist checking jigs are essential. If a body is left misaligned, it is first of all dangerous, as the car will not handle properly, and secondly uneven stresses will be imposed on the steering, engine and transmission, causing abnormal wear or complete failure. Tyre wear may also be excessive.

    See also:

    Windscreen/tailgate wiper blades and arms - removal and refitting
    Removal 1 Pull the wiper arm away from the glass until the arm locks. 2 Depress the small clip on the blade and slide the blade out of the hooked part of the arm (see illustration). 17.2 Disco ...

    Ignition HT coil - testing, removal and refitting
    Note: Refer to the precautions given in Section 1 before proceeding. All except models with DIS ignition system Testing 1 Accurate checking of the coil output requires the use of special test eq ...

    Engine - refitting (automatic transmission in vehicle)
    1 Reverse the procedure in paragraphs 1 to 10 of Section 6, noting the following points. 2 Check that the engine adapter plate is correctly positioned on its locating dowels. If necessary, a cable ...