You are driving down the road when you hear it. A loud smack, as if something hit your windshield. Thankfully, it was not a bird or an animal.
Unfortunately, it was a relatively good-sized rock or pebble on the highway, and now you have a decent-sized chip staring back at you in the middle of your windshield. Not quite pressing enough to go and have it fixed right away, but still distracting enough to want to do something about it soon.
Leaving it unattended and uncared for will not only make it worse, but will leave you ignorant of the fact it can become a much larger problem.
Once a windshield chip is exposed to elements like dust, sun, wind, and most importantly, rain or weather, the chip can easily carry some debris that will make it extremely challenging or even impossible to fix at some point.
Water, moisture, or certain weather elements can create fog or bubbles in a chip, distracting your view to the point it can become completely unsafe.
You have invested time to get a windshield chip repair; right away, you can start saving time and hassle in the future by scheduling your windshield chip repair sooner rather than later! Schedule a windshield chip repair at your earliest convenience, and you will save work, money, and stress in the future.
What To Do When A Windshield Chip Happens?
After a chip occurs on your car’s windshield, you should get your chip repaired immediately or attempt to do it on your own. A chip can quickly turn into a crack that can block your sight when driving and put you in danger.
If you are unable to get it repaired for some reason or have to wait a few days until you can treat it, there are a few items that could help mitigate the chip from becoming larger and growing into a larger crack.
If you don’t take care of the chip and allow it to grow into a crack, in the long run you could be forking up more money to repair the chip- the average cost to repair your windshield will cost between $200 – $1000.
First, you should cover the chip in packing tape in order to prevent dirt from getting into the chip and making it more difficult to repair later on. To avoid leaving marks and debris in your windshield, be sure to only use clear packing tape.
Second, avoid washing the car, especially with cold water. If you live in an environment where it is constantly raining or in cold temperatures, we recommend keeping your car in your garage and not driving it until you repair the chip.
Third, you should monitor and keep track of the internal pressure the windshield is under. Since the windshield glass is tempered, any pressure from the inside of the car can cause the chip to spread into a larger crack.
Do not touch the glass, do not push on the chip, and do not do anything that could cause the chip to have a bigger problem- literally. Do your best to keep the glass in your vehicle intact. Old junk car glass can be recycled.
Fourth, do not add any type of glue or adhesive substances inside the chip. Even though you may come across some remedies online that are supposedly going to repair the chip, do not do this.
Certain mixtures of solutions you may find are useless, and setting up a chip repair will be next to impossible since debris will be trapped in the chip.
Lastly, do your best to repair your chip as soon as possible after your windshield chip occurs. We get it, you have a life and plans; however, the sooner you fix it, the easier it will be for you and your wallet.
If you leave the chip unattended, it can either pop into a bunch of tiny cracks or grow into one long crack across the entire windshield. Knowing this turned into a much larger and costly repair that would be much harder and take much more of your time to fix.
Windshield Chip Repair Kits – Do It Yourself
If you do not want to spend the money to take your vehicle to your mechanic’s auto body shop, or you simply think that you can do it on your own, consider these pros and cons of repairing that windshield chip with a repair kit.
Windshield Chip Repair Kits – Pros
First, it is less expensive to purchase a windshield chip repair kit than to take your vehicle to an auto body shop. Not only do they charge for products used and the actual repair, mechanics also charge for the cost of their labour.
The products used to repair your windshield crack are generally inexpensive and can be simply ordered online if you insist on doing it yourself.
Second, windshield chip repair is a pretty straightforward, basic repair and maintenance task on your vehicle.
The windshield is compared to the other, more complicated internal parts of your vehicle, like the engine or transmission system, a fairly easy part of your vehicle.
The average chip repair kit you can buy comes with all the products you need to do the repair; they all come with epoxy and resin, curing strips, scraping tools, and plungers.
Third, windshield chip repair kits are an easy fix. The process generally takes less than a few hours to perform the repair process if you follow the instructions, and has positive results for the process about 90% of the time. While you’ll likely get a better solution by visiting a shop, it’s much easier and more convenient to do it at home.
Fourth, some windshield chips can spread into longer spider cracks, which can take over your windshield and cause a visibility issue.
Temperature changes have the potential to exacerbate impacts on chipped windshields. If you’re in a temperate climate now, buy a windshield chip repair kit today to try to prevent additional damage.
Look for scratches on your windshield when doing your inspection. A scratch repair on a windshield could be $30-$60 if you need an auto body shop.
Finally, the products you purchase in windshield repair kits are often as effective as the tools that mechanics or mobile windshield repairers have in their kits.
When doing it yourself, you’re not necessarily skimping on product quality, but are probably just saving money on labor costs.
Windshield Chip Repair Kits – Cons
First, if you repair your own windshield chip, you may void your vehicle’s warranty.
If you’re unable to repair the chip, or it spreads, you could damage your car further or cause problems that could cause injuries or an accident, and then you’ll be in trouble.
Second, if you’re trying to repair the chip and make a mistake in following the instructions or don’t get the solution right, you won’t get a do-over. If you messed it up and don’t follow the instructions properly, then it’s permanent, and you need to replace the windshield.
You’ll have to buy a new windshield if you don’t do the steps properly. A new windshield is an average of $100-$400. The average price of a windshield is $214.
Third, assuming your damage is minor, like small windshield chips, then only very minor damages can most likely be repaired with the do-it-yourself approach.
Most mechanic shops have the needed gear and can examine your issue further. They can repair bigger problems. Bigger problems could include cracks that are longer and have spiderweb cracks, or just cracks that are longer than a few millimeters.
Fourth, cracks and chips that are near the wipers on the windshield are not usually repairable with a windshield chip repair kit.
Those areas are under pressure due to the wiper movement and can easily re-crack.
Finally, your car insurance may cover any windshield repair you need for your vehicle, without raising your premium.
Having your chip looked at professionally, in many ways, can prevent you from damaging your car further and/or prevent an issue with your insurance if you make the problem worse.
Windshield Chip Repair Kits – Which Kit To Get?
If you have decided to repair the chip yourself, the next thing to determine is which windshield chip repair kit is for you.
While the procedures may vary a little from kit to kit, the methodology is mostly the same. There are a variety of products and kits sold at multiple stores, like Permatex, RainX, ARISD, Loctite, and Gilston.
This will cover how to use a windshield chip repair kit, which includes basic tools.
Step 1 – Prep The Chip
The first thing to do is to prep the chip and the windshield for the repair. Use the cleaner that comes with the kit or an alcohol pad to clean the area thoroughly and remove any loose glass that has remained around the center point of the chip.
Next, hook the mirror inside of the windshield. Center the mirror on the exact point of the chip you are repairing. This is helpful to watch the chip with an appropriate field of vision.
Step 2 – Create A Seal
Place your bridge or tool in your kit directly over the chip and center your bridge or tool directly over the chip. This is so you can create a seal of glass over the area that is glass-free after the incident.
Step 3 – Utilize The Resin
Once you have created a seal around the chip, insert 3-8 drops of resin into the injector area. Resin is a highly viscous substance created of organic compounds that acts as a glue that transfers stress between the fibers.
Step 4 – Injecting The Chip
Now, you will need to use the injector to force the resin into the windshield chip and the missing glass area. You should be able to see it starting to clear up through the hanging mirror that you have in place.
Make sure to watch the process, and re-inject the resin when needed after you take breaks and release air. After this step, just let the resin sit for about 5-10 minutes.
If you are doing the repair in direct sunlight, make sure to cover the area while you wait so the resin does not cure too quickly.
If possible, try to do this repair indoors, and have your car under a covered area. Once you let the resin sit, you will remove the bridge.
Step 5 – Fill In The Missing Glass
Although it may seem as if you are finished with the repair, do not forget this step. You need to fill in the main center portion of the chip.
The center spot (or pit) is where the little pieces of glass are missing, and this step will allow the glass to have a smooth finish and a similar feel to the rest of your windshield.
Get your pit filler, and drop a little bit of the liquid on the point of impact. Use a plastic cure tab and place it over the area. You can now take your car and leave it in the sunlight – let it sit in the sun for a minute or so, let it cure.
Step 6 – Scrape Off The Excess
You will want to get your razor or scraper and hold it firmly. Scrape away the excess pit filler you applied, but leave a small amount in the location of the glass that was missing. If you have the tools available, you can use a light polish to flush the area for a smooth feel.
Repair Or Replace?
There are a few variables that dictate whether or not you will be replacing or repairing your windshield. If you are repairing a windshield chip and it is under ⅜ of an inch wide, you can typically repair it yourself or at least bring it to a mechanic if you’re unsure.
If you see multiple chips or a crack in your windshield, make sure you visit the mechanic or auto body shop to fully repair the crack.
If the repairmen and auto body workers see that the windshield chip has spread and your windshield is now unsafe or no longer structurally safe, they will tell you to just replace the windshield.
A windshield replacement is generally going to cost you between $100-$400, with the average cost being between $210-$230. The average cost of replacing a rear windshield is $200-$450.