Ahhh, don't we all remember are first ding with our TL, maybe not, but mine happened yesterday. I had parked near a stone wall, it was in back of me and to the right of me. No issues parking, issue was getting out. I feel like an ass even describing this. So I get in the car to pull out, I knew I had a good 2 feet behind me in clearance. I drop it in reverse (AT by the way), stop the car, then drop it into Drive, but it doesn't shift into drive right away and rolls back into the stone wall. Needless to say I was cursing up a storm, had the TL for about 3 weeks now. I get out and notice some small scratches on the bottom right, sorry no pics, really isn't that bad. It is more like little pieces of bumper removed, nothing big, but it just pissed me off.

Regarding dropping it into drive, I have noticed that the TL transmission is completely different then any other car I have driven. When you put into a either reverse or drive it doesn't take off, almost like it was still in neutral, something I still have to get used to.

In any event, just thought I would share my story. I was at a wedding and kept thinking of baby with her little scratch. It was bound to happen one day. I still don't have any scratches on my rims, yet...

 

it could of been worse the wall could of fell down on car

 

after a year and a month I finally got my first ding...in the passenger side door... was parked in a nice wide spot where one side was a grass island... We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express in Hagerstown, MD on my roadtrip to KY and woke up the next morning with it.....grrrrr....no note..no nothing! The offending car wasn't there either...

and I've been so careful!!! aaaarrggh!!!

 

That sucks AutoGirl. Life goes on, not the end of the world

 

mines happen last night I was at a club and I park in the parking lot for 20 dollars, when i came out i notice the dent on the bottom corner of the front bumper, the parking lot guys try to say it was already there that they will give me back my 20 dollars , AT THAT MOMENT I TURN INTO THE INCRDIBLE HULK I WAS REAYD TO KICK ASS FROM THERE THE OFFER WENT FROM 100 TO 120 FINALLY they gave me 200 dollars , hopefully i could get that dent pop out for less than that

 

I don't even wanna think about how I'm gonna act when I get my first ding on the TL. I know it's gonna happen, it's just a question of WHEN.

 

Yessssss I Stuck My Hand Under The Bumper And Pop That Dent Back Into Shape Looks Like New Yayyyyyyyyyyy! And To Think Autoshops Was Charging Me $ 600 To Fi Xit

 

I've got a dent on the passenger side front bumper. (I must of done it - hitting one of those concrete ??? things in a parking lot. I'm trying to figure out how I can pop it out myself. Don't want to take it to shop to have it done and spend $$$. This is in an awkward spot. There's a piece behind it so that I can't get in there to pop it out. Is it easy to actually take the bumper off or the piece behind it? I'm willing to try it myself if it's not that difficult to get on and off.

 

Here's a thread with the service manual scans. From what I have read, it is not too hard but you will need a helper. Also, it will feel like you have to pull really hard to get it loose but that is normal.

Do a search and see if you can find some threads where people actually did the job and posted about it.

 

Yesterday was a ding (more like a scratch/dent) day for me too. Sucks. Wasn't paying complete attention and rubbed up against a steel pole in my parking garage at work. Oh well. It could've been worse. To make me feel better, i just ordered the complete ASPEC body kit! Put it on since its in the body shop anyways.

 

Thanks! I'll give it a try.. even though the manual refers to pages 20-130 and 20-141 which are not show.

 

I missed it and no one ever mentioned the missing pages, but they are there now.

Good luck with your project.

 

Just about a year .. no dings no scratches and then my wife trips carrying in grocery bags and catches herself using the TL .... yup you guessed it ... 1 1/2 inch scratch right at the top of the trunk lip from her diamond ring .... I'm still paying for that damn rock!!!!!!

 

Thanks Ron!!!

 

1 year 8 months ...have managed to avoid dings.

 

That sucks Brewmaster. So far all dings (1 for now) have been caused by me, so I can only blame myself. Not the end of the world