windshield chip repair?
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
windshield chip repair?
I've seen all sorts of little tents on the sides of the road advertising rock chip repair on glass, but i'm a little skeptical of having a guy in a tint work on my car.
i have a dime sized chip on my windshield directly infront of the driver's side and would like to hear your suggestions on repairing it.
i have a dime sized chip on my windshield directly infront of the driver's side and would like to hear your suggestions on repairing it.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,651
Likes: 9
From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I spoke to a glass repairman last summer... here's what he told me:
1. The sooner the better to repair damage. Once water and/or debris gets into the crack, it's tougher to repair. The longer you wait, the more "crud" gets in and pushes it's way through the glass... eventually causing the affected area to grow.
2. Small damage (smaller than the dime sized area you're talking about) is not really worth repairing... along with the sand blasted look the C5's windshields get. It could be polished, but there is a good chance the glass could become cloudy and/or distorted.
IMHO, if the guy you're referring to is working out of a tent... personally, if he had the most up-to-date equipment, I'd consider it.
Im the meantime, find another repair person to compare and don't put it off too long. <-- Just my .02¢
Good luck
Dave
1. The sooner the better to repair damage. Once water and/or debris gets into the crack, it's tougher to repair. The longer you wait, the more "crud" gets in and pushes it's way through the glass... eventually causing the affected area to grow.
2. Small damage (smaller than the dime sized area you're talking about) is not really worth repairing... along with the sand blasted look the C5's windshields get. It could be polished, but there is a good chance the glass could become cloudy and/or distorted.
IMHO, if the guy you're referring to is working out of a tent... personally, if he had the most up-to-date equipment, I'd consider it.
Im the meantime, find another repair person to compare and don't put it off too long. <-- Just my .02¢
Good luck
Dave
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,488
Likes: 4
From: USA
I would call your insurance and see if they will pay to have someone try and get out the chip. Some insurance companys due to cost, will pay to avoid having the whole windshield replaced. If it really is a dime size rock chip, I would prepare to have your windshield replaced. It would be worth having a professional look at it to see if it's repairable.
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
i probably should have clarified, the chip itself is small, but the spirdering is about the size of a dime. What bugs me is it's Directly in front of my viewing area....dead center.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,998
Likes: 33
From: somewhere in New Hampshire
Also, be careful about applying pressure to the windsheild from the inside, say when you're cleaning the glass. A friend of mine at work had his replaced a couple of weeks ago, the glass repair guy came right out to the parking lot at work. He was going to repair the chip and my friend asked if there was any chance he could just replace it. He said "are you sure?", and then demonstrated that by applying pressure to the spot from inside the car that the windshield would crack. Voila, you're now a candidate for a new one. I had never heard of this before. He said you could press all you wanted from the outside, and nothing would happen. You learn something new every day.
edit: if it's already spidering it might not be repairable, but I'm no expert.
edit: if it's already spidering it might not be repairable, but I'm no expert.
Last edited by RedSoxFan; Apr 26, 2007 at 05:42 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Eugene Oregon
I went to a auto glass shop and they contacted the insurance company and told them it was a safety issue since the glass chip was in the drivers line of vision and the insurance company gave the go ahead right away for a new windshield . I don't think they wanted to be liable if I had a wreck. The glass shop said they won't fix a windshield if the repair was in the drivers line of sight. Cost me $100.00 for the deductible. Insurance company was Allstate.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 607
Likes: 9
From: Sandy Eggo, California
I had a local auto glass company repair a dime size chip in my windshield. I think it was in the $35 range for the repair. They hooked a vacuum pump to area of the chip and extract the air from the damaged area. Then they reverse the process and force a clear resin into the chip under pressure. You will still be able to see the repair when they're done, but it's not quite as noticeable as before the repair. Basically the resin hardens and prevents the damaged spot from getting any larger. It's more of a preventive measure than anything else.
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