R&I – Remove and Install

R&I, remove and install, remove and replace is the job of deconstructing and reconstructing a vehicle for the PDR technician to gain access to the back of the panels on a vehicle.  There are various jobs of an R&I technician and among them are the tasks of removing and replacing headliners, lights, panels, doors, trucks, sunroofs, etc.  These technicians are a critical part of the paintless dent repair process are need to be very skilled at the art of removing and replacing anything that is in the way of the back of the panel(s) that have been affected by dents.

Removing a headliner might seam like an easy task but when you think of the thousands and thousands of types of vehicle makes and models it gets very difficult to get anyone with actual lasting experience.  The need for a good R&I technician is a very important thing and there are seldom any masters at this type of work.  There are many great technicians out there but they couldn’t do the bulk of the R&I work.  Denpass only uses master R&I technicians that have been doing this type of work for a very longs time and are very experienced at doing thousands of types of vehicles.  Wherever you take your vehicle for your hail removal, make sure that you ask that the most experienced R&I technician touch your vehicle.

What are the dangers of not hiring a company with a good R&I technician?

• Electrical Problem: They can damage crucial electrical components in your vehicle.   Things like radios, airbags, sensors, etc can be damaged if an inexperienced R&I tech attempts to remove and replace parts that he is inexperienced in doing.  It takes years and years to get good experience doing this work and many will make mistakes and not tell anyone so you will be burdened with an unforeseen problem in the future and not even know it was the auto body or paintless dent repair place that did it.
• Sunroof Issues: If the job of removing the dents requires them to do anything with your headliner or anywhere near your sunroof these technicians could damage components in your sunroof.  Think of how often you actually use your sunroof and you could be stuck with a pricey repair bill if you didn’t’ find out for months.
• Broken Lights: Taillights, headlights, and other lights are often removed to reach the backs of many dents and unfortunately these lights and wires need to be handled with care.
• Airbag System: Many times when a headliner is removed and the dents need to be reached by the airbag blasters, these technicians with absolutely no qualifications will remove and replace vital airbag components and may damage a connector or not fasten the system like it was before.  When you are dealing with something so sensitive it is vital to have someone that knows what they are doing.  So, specially when you are doing a full hail repair job you must beware of who is doing it because it really is a matter of safety.
• Functionality Problems: Door locks, trunk releases, interior lights, radio, and many other components can be affected by an improper R&I job so make sure you double check everything prior to taking your vehicle in and after receiving the vehicle when repairs are complete.

All in all it can be very costly to have any issues when doing R&I.  When you take your vehicle to a place you don’t know you are risking a lot more than you are gaining.  The whole purpose of R&I is to reach the back of the panel so that the technician can just focus on pushing on the dent.  The less obstructions the better result on the repair so it is almost as vital to have a great R&I technician as it is to have a good dent guy.