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:

    Crankshaft rear oil seal - renewal
    Note: New flywheel/driveplate bolts must be used on refitting. 1 Remove the flywheel/driveplate and the engine adapter plate. 2 Extract the seal using an oil seal removal tool if available. It ma ...

    Electronic modules - removal and refitting
    Note: Refer to Section 1 for precautions to be observed when working with electronic modules. 1 Disconnect the battery negative lead. All ESC modules except ESC (early “Economy” models) 2 All mo ...

    Battery - testing and charging
    Note: Refer to the precautions at the end of Section 1 before proceeding. Standard and low maintenance battery - testing 1 If the car covers a small annual mileage it is worthwhile checking the s ...