How To Repair A Chipped, Cracked or Broken Car Windshield
The sun at your back, wind in your hair, traffic is flowing, you haven't a care...until...SMACK! Now there's a bullseye crack smack in the center of your windshield. The vehicle that fired a rock at you is gone, but the damage it did remains, and your heart sinks as you assume you're going to have to pay for a new windshield. You quickly have more than just the money needed to replace the windshield on your mind . Soon you start dreading dealing with the glass shop, being without your car for a days, having a leaky windshield ruin your car's upholstery and carpeting and paying higher insurance premiums...that is, if your insurance policies will even cover chipped glass.
Maybe the driver's seat can be raised or lowered the a little, to see around the chip, but... Even if the chip isn't in the direct line of the driver's sight, it should be repaired. Why? Rain water will be pulled into the chip by surface tension. If the chip runs completely through the top lamination of the glass, any moisture can delaminate the glass from the center membrane. This will result in the membrane fogging and causing an even bigger blemish. Water can also freeze in the chip, which will result in an ever bigger bullseye, and, eventually...A CRACK. Then water can carry dirt into the crack, and there will be no way for you to flush it out of the glass.
SOOOooo...It's always best to repair a damaged windshield as soon as possible. Take a really close look at the windshield chip to determine if it might be possible to repair it, rather than replacing the entire windshield. Unfortunately, not all glass chips can be repaired. Most chips can be €filled,€ but some may still leave behind a visible flaw. Yet, the repair of most chips will not only be visually sufficient, it will also seal the damaged glass from the atmosphere and keep it from expanding or discoloring.
Since long windshield cracks can NOT be fixed with a windshield repair kit, it is critical to fill all chips before they turn into cracks. Any chip that goes into the surface of a windshield perpendicular to the surface, or at a shallow angle, can be repaired. That includes €star€ €flower€ €B.B.€ and €Bull's Eye€ shaped chips, and almost any other chip that hasn't flaked a big piece of glass off onto the road.
A chip from a rock in the road, or a bull's eye crack, can obscure your vision and make your car's windshield look old. Windshield crack repair kits are in the auto parts department of many department stores (Kmart, Sears), auto parts stores (Pep Boys, AutoZone) and internet websites. My research uncovered 3 different types of repair kits (but there may be others) and each costs about $10. Each is a simpler, cheaper version of professional kits sold to automotive professionals. I found the €Fix A Windshield€ repair kit by €Fix A Flat€ to be the easiest to use. It's important to know what these kits can and what they can't fix on a damaged or broken windshield. Follow my easy, step by step directions below, and NOTE my extra tips, and you'll have the car's windshield repaired in no time.
STEP 1 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Clean the entire windshield with glass cleaner, particularly the damaged area, so that the suction cup will stick easily. Carefully pick out any tiny, loose pieces of glass in that area with a razor blade. Allow the damaged area to dry completely before you move on to the next step. A hair dryer can help speed up the drying time. You must start Step 2 with an absolutely dry windshield that's somewhere near room temperature. If it's cold or wet outside, park your car indoors to warm up the windshield.
STEP 2 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Position the threaded center section of the suction cup tool directly over the center of the damaged glass. Firmly press the suction cups onto the glass, which will secure the 4 arms in place. NOTE: Now, it's OK if you're slightly off center, as this tool is adjustable. Adjust the tool's aim by sliding the arms into and out of the suction cups.
STEP 3 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Thread the repair tube into the suction cup tool as tightly as possible. Do NOT use a tool to do this. Simply tighten it by hand. Next, re-check the position of the threaded tube from inside the car. The rubber end of the tube should be precisely over the center of the chip in the car windshield. If it's not centered anymore, unscrew the repair tube and reposition it directly over the center of the chip again. NOTE: The successful use of a windshield repair kit is totally dependent on the proper alignment of the tools.
STEP 4 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Open the tube of super juice and add it to the repair tube. The directions say to add 2 drops, but some professionals add 4 drops, just to be safe. NOTE: Using too much is not a problem, but using too little will add a lot of time to this repair. Don't perform this repair in the hot sun. It will cause the resin to harden too quickly and your repair won't work as well.
STEP 5 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: After add the repair resin, quickly insert the center plunger and tighten it almost all the way down. The plunger uses pressure to push the repair resin into the damaged windshield. You'll know when you're adding enough pressure, as the plunger gets harder to screw in. Finally, after you've tightened it, loosen the plunger for a minute. This will allow any air bubbles to escape. Lastly, re-tighten it again. NOTE: This is an important step because any air bubbles left behind will show up in the glass repair.
STEP 6 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Let the resin penetrate the glass chip for a minute, then remove the suction cup tool. Immediately place a piece of the clear finishing film over the still-moist repaired glass. Press the resin toward the edges of the film with the edge of the razor blade. You are NOT trying to remove the resin. You are simply making it as thin and even as possible. NOTE: Although it's not in the directions, some experts secure the film, with a piece of tape, while the resin is setting.
STEP 7 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Leaving the clear film in place, let the repair resin dry completely. Ten minutes should be long enough, depending on the humidity. NOTE: DON'T PANIC if you remove it too soon. Simply add a new drop of resin and apply a fresh piece of film. After it's fully dry, carefully scrape the excess resin from the windshield with the razor blade. If you can't even find the old chip in the windshield, you are finished. If the repair isn't perfect yet, repeat the process until the damaged windshield is smooth. Now, pat yourself on the back for doing this repair yourself, and put the money toward something more fun! *smile*
Maybe the driver's seat can be raised or lowered the a little, to see around the chip, but... Even if the chip isn't in the direct line of the driver's sight, it should be repaired. Why? Rain water will be pulled into the chip by surface tension. If the chip runs completely through the top lamination of the glass, any moisture can delaminate the glass from the center membrane. This will result in the membrane fogging and causing an even bigger blemish. Water can also freeze in the chip, which will result in an ever bigger bullseye, and, eventually...A CRACK. Then water can carry dirt into the crack, and there will be no way for you to flush it out of the glass.
SOOOooo...It's always best to repair a damaged windshield as soon as possible. Take a really close look at the windshield chip to determine if it might be possible to repair it, rather than replacing the entire windshield. Unfortunately, not all glass chips can be repaired. Most chips can be €filled,€ but some may still leave behind a visible flaw. Yet, the repair of most chips will not only be visually sufficient, it will also seal the damaged glass from the atmosphere and keep it from expanding or discoloring.
Since long windshield cracks can NOT be fixed with a windshield repair kit, it is critical to fill all chips before they turn into cracks. Any chip that goes into the surface of a windshield perpendicular to the surface, or at a shallow angle, can be repaired. That includes €star€ €flower€ €B.B.€ and €Bull's Eye€ shaped chips, and almost any other chip that hasn't flaked a big piece of glass off onto the road.
A chip from a rock in the road, or a bull's eye crack, can obscure your vision and make your car's windshield look old. Windshield crack repair kits are in the auto parts department of many department stores (Kmart, Sears), auto parts stores (Pep Boys, AutoZone) and internet websites. My research uncovered 3 different types of repair kits (but there may be others) and each costs about $10. Each is a simpler, cheaper version of professional kits sold to automotive professionals. I found the €Fix A Windshield€ repair kit by €Fix A Flat€ to be the easiest to use. It's important to know what these kits can and what they can't fix on a damaged or broken windshield. Follow my easy, step by step directions below, and NOTE my extra tips, and you'll have the car's windshield repaired in no time.
STEP 1 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Clean the entire windshield with glass cleaner, particularly the damaged area, so that the suction cup will stick easily. Carefully pick out any tiny, loose pieces of glass in that area with a razor blade. Allow the damaged area to dry completely before you move on to the next step. A hair dryer can help speed up the drying time. You must start Step 2 with an absolutely dry windshield that's somewhere near room temperature. If it's cold or wet outside, park your car indoors to warm up the windshield.
STEP 2 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Position the threaded center section of the suction cup tool directly over the center of the damaged glass. Firmly press the suction cups onto the glass, which will secure the 4 arms in place. NOTE: Now, it's OK if you're slightly off center, as this tool is adjustable. Adjust the tool's aim by sliding the arms into and out of the suction cups.
STEP 3 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Thread the repair tube into the suction cup tool as tightly as possible. Do NOT use a tool to do this. Simply tighten it by hand. Next, re-check the position of the threaded tube from inside the car. The rubber end of the tube should be precisely over the center of the chip in the car windshield. If it's not centered anymore, unscrew the repair tube and reposition it directly over the center of the chip again. NOTE: The successful use of a windshield repair kit is totally dependent on the proper alignment of the tools.
STEP 4 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Open the tube of super juice and add it to the repair tube. The directions say to add 2 drops, but some professionals add 4 drops, just to be safe. NOTE: Using too much is not a problem, but using too little will add a lot of time to this repair. Don't perform this repair in the hot sun. It will cause the resin to harden too quickly and your repair won't work as well.
STEP 5 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: After add the repair resin, quickly insert the center plunger and tighten it almost all the way down. The plunger uses pressure to push the repair resin into the damaged windshield. You'll know when you're adding enough pressure, as the plunger gets harder to screw in. Finally, after you've tightened it, loosen the plunger for a minute. This will allow any air bubbles to escape. Lastly, re-tighten it again. NOTE: This is an important step because any air bubbles left behind will show up in the glass repair.
STEP 6 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Let the resin penetrate the glass chip for a minute, then remove the suction cup tool. Immediately place a piece of the clear finishing film over the still-moist repaired glass. Press the resin toward the edges of the film with the edge of the razor blade. You are NOT trying to remove the resin. You are simply making it as thin and even as possible. NOTE: Although it's not in the directions, some experts secure the film, with a piece of tape, while the resin is setting.
STEP 7 OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR: Leaving the clear film in place, let the repair resin dry completely. Ten minutes should be long enough, depending on the humidity. NOTE: DON'T PANIC if you remove it too soon. Simply add a new drop of resin and apply a fresh piece of film. After it's fully dry, carefully scrape the excess resin from the windshield with the razor blade. If you can't even find the old chip in the windshield, you are finished. If the repair isn't perfect yet, repeat the process until the damaged windshield is smooth. Now, pat yourself on the back for doing this repair yourself, and put the money toward something more fun! *smile*