Hi. Just curious. This is the fog light on my car. I haven’t hit anything that I’m aware of. Maybe someone else had? Or it’s been hit when parked? Or maybe it’s fallen in?
There are no dents around it. The corner scuff I remember doing ages ago and didn’t cause the light to go in. The front scuff possibly just getting too close to a wall when parking?
But the black housing etc which is further in had no marks? So wondering if it’s just fallen in by itself? Trying to decide if it is an insurance claim or not?
Is the inner guard damaged as well? The wheel can pick up debris that will get it from the inside if the inner guard is not in place properly. Otherwise probably a bird strike.
christin,
Apr 25, 3:21am
Nothing looks damaged from what I can see. The car was in for its two year service today and they noticed it. I didn’t even know it was pushed in!
They want me to bring it back to be assessed. I don’t mind going insurance if it has been hit but if it’s fallen in on its own without being hit I’d imagine that would save me an excess? (Ie lights should t fall in).
Just want to have some r idea so they dont see me as a female and try snd bluff me into something, I’m not saying they will just have had a well known company do it to me before (took my car in for a warrant snd they told me the coolant fluid needed changing - didn’t realise it had been serviced at dealer four months before for three year new car warranty snd it had been checked snd changed!) no idea why that was checked for a wolf, but just made me a bit more wary :-)
tweake,
Apr 25, 3:46am
thats been hit. the bottom plastic has been pushed back and its bounced almost back into place. looking at the mounts on the back of it will tell all. of course the scape marks are a bit of a give away as well.
christin,
Apr 25, 3:57am
The corner scrape marks are from me bout a year ago, way before this. Just turned too close to a small wooden retaining wall snd scraped it.
The front little one is small and not dented so thought maybe just a scratch from nudging something,
Sorry which part has been pushed in? Can’t see what but you mean sorry. All looks the same as the other side but who knows. Hopefully mounts will tell once diagnosed,
Just thought if I’d hit something enough to push a light that far back I’d have known!?
If it has been hit happy to use insurance as that’s what it’s there for.
If it’s fallen in that should be covered by warranty? Lady said it prob wouldn’t be as wear and tear? (At two years old lights fall in?)
Guess I’ll find out when assessed, they couldn’t tell me today
Thanks
tweake,
Apr 25, 4:07am
ok scrape marks aside, looking at https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/1529945404.jpg the plastic bit the light fits into, look at the right hand side bottom corner. its pushed in a little bit. its not much, but a lot of these panels tend to flex when hit and flex back out. this is why you need to look at the back of the panel and see if any clips are broken or mounts bent. but because the panel flexs and the light doesn't, it can break the light mounts off.
kazbanz,
Apr 25, 4:08am
My guess is that the corner of the car has been hit hard enough to flex the bumper corner . Could be a low speed hit against a kerb stone for example If you are lucky you can peel the inner fender back and just pop the light back onto its mounting clips
christin,
Apr 25, 4:26am
Okay thanks, sorry was looking at bottom of bumper not light holder. I’ll go have a proper look in the daylight :-)
I’ve already talked to insurance today to see if they will cover it if the dealer fixes it ans charges me and they will do that’s good, If it’s just popping back In ans under my excess I’ll pay. Excess is $400.
intrade,
Apr 25, 4:27am
i would say its hit the paint missing black above is a clear indicator. if its fallen in it will have a mark on the lens from a rock
christin,
Apr 25, 4:28am
Will try tomorrow thanks. The lights not broken or anything so that’s good, may have just slipped out, fingers crossed.
Bit of a hassle taking it back as can’t do weekdays and not local but no rush so will organise soon.
christin,
Apr 25, 4:32am
The paints only about a cm or two so didmt think enough, the corner one as I said is way before this.
I find the paint on this car goes easy too, got dings / scrapes past the paint level just from car doors hitting it in carpark vs just dings, amazing how no one gives a sh$t when parked next to you and smacks the door into you despite being plenty of room! (Been in the car when smacked a few times)
christin,
Apr 25, 6:10am
Just been and had a look / feel.
The bit I thought was whiter I’m the bottom right corner Is just the reflection of light , it doesn’t look push in at all or even as if it had.
I can put my hand in and the light is back further snd can’t be brought forward, the weird thing is thr brackets attached to the bumper , light right angled ones aren’t bent at all. Like feel rigid snd straight, and seem I’m the place you’d expect them to be!
If it’s been hit by something it’s prob something from underneath, cause everything front on seems normal, like nothing pushed in or bent etc.
I’ll get under and look in the daylight tomorrow but all seems fine from the front, Like the brackets there, the light should be sitting there but isn’t, Maybe it was knocked somehow to pop it out but no structural damage,
Be interesting to see what they find either way. :-)
marte,
Apr 25, 6:53am
I have hit, or pushed into, a bush which had a solid but cut short branch in it hidden by the leafs, it made a scrape mark & dint on the bumper in one spot. I broke it off the tree, it was about 6 inches off the ground.
If somebody had hit it with a spotlight, it would have pushed it into the bumper like that without any other marks about it.
The other thing i hit was the long wooden posts they bolt flat into the ground in carparks so you use them as front wheel stops/chocks. This car was a tiny bit lower than my other near identical cars & it hit the underside of the front spoiler, pushing it in. Its possible that if when it pops back out, it could leave the spotlight in its pushed in, rear position, like above.
saxman99,
Apr 25, 7:32am
Perhaps the lower bumper trim got caught on one of those taller Carpark wheelstops and broke something.
christin,
Apr 25, 5:09pm
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. If it’s hit something it’s from under neath or pretty low, The bumper doesn’t seem flexible snd pretty solid so doesn’t seem to have flexed, and no obvious damage to it,
Hopefully as all the brackets seem to be there it’s an easy fix and maybe done under my excess and won’t have to worry about insurance!
I’d imagine if it’s been hit and damaged the light that will be more than the excess, haven’t tried to see if the light works yet!
saki,
Apr 25, 10:42pm
by the time you claim the job will probably cost less than your excess.
christin,
Apr 26, 12:52am
Hoping so. It’s though the dealer so know they charge huge prices or did last time I paid for servicing at one, this one I have free serving so not sure of their prices.
If it less and not a fault, I’ll just pay what it costs, thankfully light still works so that would have put the price up,
saxman99,
Apr 26, 4:47pm
If the repair cost is an issue you could also just remove both and not worry about them any more.
christin,
Aug 17, 8:04pm
It’s not an issue. just because I’d prefer not to pay the excess doesn’t mean I can’t afford to, It will be covered by insurance if found to be an accident.
If it is a fault it will be covered by warranty.
It would cost me to remove them, so might as well pay insurance excess, and it seems silly to remove them on a just turned two year old car.
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