If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
93 Civic DX sedan. It was a collision hard enough that the drawer
beneath the radio opened and sent the coin change I keep there flying. As I got out, I thought I would find the Civic's rear would be partly flattened. I was amazed that externally, the bumper only showed scratches. The exhaust system is intact. Is the integrity of the foam etc. in the bumper compromised, though, after a hard rear-ending? The police made their report. I spoke with my insurance company last night. While only once before (on another car 20 years ago) of several rear-endings have I pursued a claim, this collision was so hard that I am concerned. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
Elle wrote:
> 93 Civic DX sedan. It was a collision hard enough that the drawer > beneath the radio opened and sent the coin change I keep there flying. > As I got out, I thought I would find the Civic's rear would be partly > flattened. I was amazed that externally, the bumper only showed > scratches. The exhaust system is intact. Is the integrity of the foam > etc. in the bumper compromised, though, after a hard rear-ending? > > The police made their report. I spoke with my insurance company last > night. While only once before (on another car 20 years ago) of several > rear-endings have I pursued a claim, this collision was so hard that I > am concerned. if there's no deformation, there's nothing to worry about. if there is damage, of much more concern is whether you get to keep your own car - if you have full insurance coverage, chances are, the insurer will take your car, junk it, and give you a trivial settlement as "market value". only insure old cars third party if you like them and want to keep them. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
On Jul 7, 7:19*am, jim beam > wrote:
> Elle wrote: > > 93 Civic DX sedan. It was a collision hard enough that the drawer > > beneath the radio opened and sent the coin change I keep there flying. > > As I got out, I thought I would find the Civic's rear would be partly > > flattened. I was amazed that externally, the bumper only showed > > scratches. The exhaust system is intact. Is the integrity of the foam > > etc. in the bumper compromised, though, after a hard rear-ending? > > > The police made their report. I spoke with my insurance company last > > night. While only once before (on another car 20 years ago) of several > > rear-endings have I pursued a claim, this collision was so hard that I > > am concerned. > > if there's no deformation, there's nothing to worry about. > > if there is damage, of much more concern is whether you get to keep your > own car - if you have full insurance coverage, chances are, the insurer > will take your car, junk it, and give you a trivial settlement as > "market value". *only insure old cars third party if you like them and > want to keep them. To clarify and/or double check: There is no deformation of the bumper that appears on an external inspection. I asked the policeman about the styrofoam inside, and he said the external plastic would often bounce back, showing no deformation, but meanwhile the styrofoam inside could be permanently deformed. Is this not so from your understanding of bumper construction? Thanks for giving this some time. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
Elle > wrote in news:00476f13-f562-43bc-a945-
: > > To clarify and/or double check: There is no deformation of the bumper > that appears on an external inspection. I asked the policeman about > the styrofoam inside, and he said the external plastic would often > bounce back, showing no deformation, but meanwhile the styrofoam > inside could be permanently deformed. > > Is this not so from your understanding of bumper construction? The cop is correct. A junkyard crawl will confirm this. The steel bumper rebar is bolted to the car. The foam is affixed to the bumper skin which covers the rebar. The foam is meant primarily to hold the bumper skin out to its finished dimensions and shape. It also absorbs very minor "parking lot" type nudges. Under heavier impacts, the foam tends to compress and break up into large chunks. Those chunks often stay in place on account of the shape of the skin, but they can become dislodged and even fall out. Theoretically, the rebar comes into play above 2.5mph (5mph in Canada), and theoretically protects the lights and other safety systems from damage during those impacts. Although I've seen too many instances where the bumper appears to have provided little more protection than a 1960s bumper, while costing a lot more. -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
On Jul 7, 8:08*am, Tegger wrote:
> Elle > wrote > > 93 Civic DX sedan. It was a collision hard enough that the drawer > > beneath the radio opened and sent the coin change I keep there flying. > > Hope you were OK. Did you see it coming? Yes thanks no injuries; just shook up. Mostly while waiting for the police report I was just really unhappy that my beloved Honda may have been blemished+ or more. I was and am really irritated with the person who caused this and have half a mind to maximize her insurance company's hit to compel her to think twice while she drives (with two small kids in the car). But gosh I loathe insurance companies, so... I was at a stoplight that had turned green yet the cars in front of me were not moving. So I did not see it coming. I will do all the checks you described soon. Thank you for the detail! |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
Elle wrote:
> I was at a stoplight that had turned green yet the cars in front of me > were not moving. So I did not see it coming. > > I will do all the checks you described soon. Thank you for the detail! > Glad you are all right. When I got rear-ended, I was stopped a bit short behind another car waiting to make a left turn. I watched in the rear view mirror as a driver of a little econo-box stomped her brakes, making the rear end pop up and swerve back and forth as it approaced my bumper. I had a split second to turn my car left, but not into oncoming traffic, to avert the oncoming blow. Luckily she turned out of my lane and a full-on smash to just graze the rear right corner of my bumper cover. Deep scratches in the plastic, but fixable. I should have made the insurance pay for a whole new bumper, but instead, I just had her pay for paint. I just repaired and repainted the whole bottom of the cover that needed refreshing anyway. I didn't give much thought to the styrofoam underneath. It is fairly easy to remove the rear bumper to see what's going on under there. dan |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Update & Happy Ending Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
dan > wrote:
snip but all read and found helpful > It is fairly easy to remove the rear bumper to see what's going on under > there. I checked everything people listed here. The factory shop manual has a single page for directions on how to get the bumper cover and styrofoam absorber apart, and it is dead-on correct in what (easily accessed) screws and bolts to remove. Everything looks good! I am amazed that the styrofoam absorber is not cracked nor does it appear deformed. At most, the bottom 3/8-inch of the styrofoam has small indentations from where gravel from the road accumulated over the years between the styrofoam and bumper cover. Then the gravel got pushed into the styrofoam some, either from this rear-ending or lesser ones over the years. The bumper beam looks fine. I guess the styrofoam, the bumper beam, and the car moving some upon collision took the force (in the vein of Tegger's post). Kudos to Honda engineers or whoever sets standards for bumpers. A little more touchup paint here and there; some Armor All, and I think my Civic will be good to go. Thanks again Jim, Tegger and Dan. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Update & Happy Ending Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
Postscript: On reflecting on this accident and preventing it in the
future, and from reading Dan's post, I think one of the lessons here is when there is a green light yet people ahead of one's car are not moving, glance at the rear-view mirror throughout and see what people in the back are doing. Maybe scoot the car up a little until people start moving. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Update & Happy Ending Rear-Ended; New Bumper?
Elle wrote:
> Postscript: On reflecting on this accident and preventing it in the > future, and from reading Dan's post, I think one of the lessons here > is when there is a green light yet people ahead of one's car are not > moving, glance at the rear-view mirror throughout and see what people > in the back are doing. Maybe scoot the car up a little until people > start moving. Yes moving forward when the vehicles in front of your vehicle haven't moved would increase the odds of having your vehicle pushed into the vehicle ahead of yours. Increasing the amount of damage to your vehicle and involving other vehicles and people in the collision. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
2002 Jeep cherokee rear bumper will a 2000 bumper fit?? | Harry Palmer | Jeep | 9 | February 1st 07 02:19 PM |
rear-ended while parked--what to look for | zanzuz | Honda | 0 | October 13th 06 04:58 PM |
I Rear-Ended Someone | [email protected] | Driving | 15 | July 25th 06 11:10 PM |
C5 Rear-Ended!!! :-( | Pappy | Corvette | 12 | January 7th 06 11:36 PM |
Rear ended... | Chicago Paddling-Fishing | VW water cooled | 11 | November 13th 05 05:32 AM |