A crack or chip in the windshield is an unpleasant moment for every motorist, because driving with damaged glass becomes unsafe due to glare. In addition, the crack may become larger over time and in this case only replacement will help. Fortunately, new technologies are being created and windshield repair is possible. There are several effective ways to fix chips or cracks on your windshield yourself at a minimum cost. Read more about how to repair a windshield, and will be discussed in this article.
DIY windshield repair
Causes of glass damage
Damage to the windshield can be caused by various factors, ranging from mechanical damage or an accident to severe hypothermia in summer weather. But most often, defects on auto glass appear for the following reasons.
Sudden changes in temperature
Some inexperienced motorists get rid of ice on windows using boiling water, which leads to cracks. Also, such defects can occur when the element is severely overcooled in hot weather. To prevent such troubles, you need to avoid sudden temperature changes.
Glass cracked due to temperature
Body deformation
Deformation can be caused by fast driving on uneven roads, poor-quality body repairs, or the consequences of minor accidents. All this will sooner or later lead to the appearance of defects on the windshield.
Minor deformation of the car body
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Small objects hit
Quite often, various objects (crushed stone, gravel or spikes) fly out from under the wheels of cars. At high speed, they can damage the car’s paintwork or, if a stone hits the windshield, cause “bugs” to appear.
Pebbles hit the windshield
Polishing tool
Polishing is used to remove small scratches, cloudiness, and wiper marks from glass. No special tools or devices are required for such an operation, so this type of auto glass repair is quite simple and can be done in the garage.
Service stations that specialize in glass polishing do this with a special polishing machine.
But if you will be doing auto glass repairs yourself, then instead of a polishing machine you can use a drill with variable speed settings.
The use of tools such as an angle grinder is not recommended, since the speed of an angle grinder is very high. Its use will lead to overheating of the glass and its subsequent destruction.
You will also need a grinding wheel for polishing. Experts use felt, but if this is not available, you can also use felt.
Since polishing is, in essence, the process of removing a thin layer of glass, you will also need a material that will remove this very layer. The role of such material is played by special polishing pastes, which contain abrasive materials.
The most common paste used to restore auto glass is GOI paste.
In addition to the basic materials and tools listed above, you will need to have on hand:
- Glass cleaning products;
- Marker or electrical tape;
- Spray bottles filled with plain water;
- Clean rags.
In order to avoid damaging other surfaces of the car during the process of restoring auto glass with your own hands, you will need some material to cover them. To do this, you can use plastic wrap and tape to secure it.
Also read - Reserving a windshield, methods, prices on the service market.
Diagnostic features
Even if minor damage appears on the glass, you should not panic right away. This can all be repaired. Of course, the effectiveness of repair largely depends on the size of the crack or chip, so diagnostics are initially needed. Inspect the defect and assess the damaged area to assess the plan for further work.
Windshield diagnostics
If the crack is single, then you can deal with it yourself , without resorting to the help of specialists. But if there is multiple damage, then you need to consult a specialist. It is likely that restoring such glass will cost much more than replacing it. Once the decision to repair has been made, you can begin the preparatory stage.
Inspection of a crack in the windshield
What is needed for repair
To eliminate chips and cracks on the windshield, you need to prepare a minimum of repairs. What is included in this repair minimum is described in the table below.
Table. Automotive glass repair equipment.
| Inventory, photo | Description |
| Flashlight and mirror | Needed to identify possible air bubbles in the polymer. You can also use a flashlight to determine the boundaries of the damaged area. |
| Bridge and injector | Designed for introducing optical glue onto a damaged surface. It is advisable to use a metal bridge, since they have no restrictions on the period of use. |
| Scriber | A special tool used to expand the damaged area. Also, using a scriber, the glass is cleared of tiny fragments. |
| Ultraviolet lamp | An ultraviolet lamp is used to accelerate the hardening process of the polymer. It makes auto glass repairs much faster. |
| Drill | An electric drill is needed to drill holes along the edges of the cracks. Along with the drill, you also need a diamond drill. |
| Liquid polymer | Glue with a short drying time is excellent for repairs. The polymer must be transparent, just like glass. |
Note! To treat glass, you need cleaning fluid and wipes. Without pre-treatment of the glass, the polymer will not be able to strengthen sufficiently.
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- Poly 500 PL;
- Super Pit Filler PL;
- Poly 25 PL;
- Pit Filler Plus;
- Pit Filler PL;
- Permatex 16067;
- Crystal Clear;
- Windshield, etc.
In general, there are quite a lot of options. I only advise you to first read reviews about manufacturers and study the instructions on the packaging.
Each glue has its own transparency coefficient. It is selected based on the color of the glass. Otherwise, after application, the treated area will visually stand out.
In addition to the glue, you will need to collect an additional set of tools and materials. It includes:
- Injector. It comes in plastic and metal. Plastic is disposable mainly, and is suitable for treating one damage. Metal ones are reusable, but expensive;
- Scribers and pumps. These two components allow you to clean the damaged area and get rid of air bubbles;
- Drill. Moreover, it is better to use a diamond drill to relieve stress from the crack. You will have to make 2 holes;
- Ultraviolet lamp. Will speed up the drying process of the glue;
- Sponges and cleaning products.
To minimize your costs, if you have minor damage, simply buy a ready-made repair kit. It costs up to 5 dollars. In fact, this is a smaller copy of everything listed above, minus the drill.
Windshield repair
There are several important conditions when repairing a windshield. First of all, you need to make sure the quality of the polymer used. The fact is that not all products from well-known manufacturers are suitable for our harsh climate. But as soon as everything is at hand, you can start working. The processes for repairing chips and cracks separately are described below.
Repairing a chip on the windshield
It is worth noting that repairing chips is much easier than eliminating cracks. Moreover, you can buy special tools for repairs in auto stores. Below step-by-step instructions describe the repair process in detail.
Step 1. To work, you will need a special kit for repairing windshield defects. You can purchase such a set at any auto store.
Windshield repair kit
Step 2. Inspect the syringe and make sure that the adhesive substance in it has not frozen.
Liquid polymer in a syringe
Step 3. You will also need sticky circles, an adapter and a pin.
Sticky circles, adapter and pin
Step 4. The chip is small, so our kit can easily handle it. Before work, clean and degrease the surface.
Cleaning the glass surface before repair
Step 5. Stick a plastic circle on the windshield so that the chip is in its center.
Fixing a plastic mug
Step 6. Glue the plastic adapter on top and press it firmly for a few seconds.
Gluing a special adapter
Step 7. Insert the syringe with polymer glue into the adapter.
Installing a syringe with polymer glue
Step 8. Pull the plunger out of the syringe to a certain point. At this moment all the air will come out of the chip.
Creating a vacuum in the cleavage cavity
Step 9: Lower the piston by applying slight pressure. Then repeat the procedure 4-5 times or until no air bubbles come out.
Lowering the syringe plunger
Step 10. All information is provided in the instructions. Once all the air is out of the chip, carefully trim the Velcro from the windshield.
Detailed instructions for repairing a chip
Step 11. This is what the chip looks like after the repair procedure.
Windshield after chip repair
Step 12. The polymer takes quite a long time to dry in the sun, so use an ultraviolet lamp if possible.
The windshield is ready
Auto glass crack repair
There are many similarities between repairing a crack and a chip in your windshield. But in the case of cracks, the process becomes more complex and painstaking. All actions, conditionally divided into several stages, must be performed indoors.
Step 1: Carefully inspect the crack to determine the drilling point.
Inspection of the damage site
Step 2: Make a small indentation.
Mark on glass for drilling
Step 3. Drill a hole no more than 1.5-2 mm deep.
Making a small indentation
Step 4: Thoroughly clean the surface with a brush. You can use an old toothbrush.
Cleaning the surface with a toothbrush
Step 5. Insert the scriber into the hole you made and lightly hit it with an object. This is necessary to obtain a bull's eye.
Getting the bull's eye effect
Step 6. Lightly press the hole from the inside until a characteristic click appears. This is necessary so that the crack reaches the “bull's eye”, that is, the drilling point.
Pressing the hole from the inside
Step 7: Drop a little glue onto the crack to see how it will fill.
Applying polymer to a crack
Step 8: Continue filling the crack with polymer. Do everything carefully, using a little glue.
Filling a crack with liquid polymer
Step 9. Glue the spilled areas with special translucent plates.
Gluing a translucent plate
Step 10: Fill the crack in small sections until you reach the bull's eye.
Filling a crack with glue
Step 11. Now drop a little polymer on the border of the filled and unfilled area, and then lightly press the drilled hole from the inside.
Pressing the drilled hole from the inside
Step 12: Continue pressing down on the inside of the glass until the entire cavity is filled with glue. This is a slow process, so you need to be patient.
Pressing the glass until the crack is completely filled
Step 13. If necessary, add another drop of polymer composition.
Application of polymer composition
On a note! You can’t drip on the bull’s eye itself yet, as it serves to remove air from the crack.
Step 14 : Install the injector. It must be installed in such a way that the drilled hole is exactly in the middle of the rubber band that is located in the injector itself.
Installing a bridge with an injector
Step 15. Fill the injector itself with a few drops of polymer, and then screw it back in, as seen in the photo.
Filling the injector with polymer
Step 16. Wait 3-5 minutes until the polymer from the injector fills the hole in the windshield.
Filling the bull's eye with polymer
Step 17. Remove the injector and apply a translucent plate.
Installation of a translucent plate
Step 18. Install an ultraviolet curing lamp.
Connecting an ultraviolet lamp
Step 19. After polymerization, remove excess polymer with a special blade.
Removing polymer residues with a special blade
Step 20. The repair is complete. As you can see in the photo, it is impossible to see traces of a crack with the naked eye.
This is what the windshield looks like after repair.
If a crack appears while driving
On the freeway, even the most careful driver is not immune to pebbles hitting the windshield. And if such an unpleasant phenomenon as a crack in your car glass catches you on the road, then you need to follow a few simple rules. First of all, you need to reduce the speed of the car to a minimum so that body vibration does not aggravate the situation. Also, to eliminate temperature changes, it is necessary to turn off the windshield defroster.
Windshield repair
The “twisting” effect of the body puts additional stress on the damaged glass, so when choosing a route, preference should be given to the most flat road possible. Therefore, driving on rough terrain is not advisable. Once you get home and examine the extent of the damage, you can begin car glass repairs.
What to do if a crack appears on your windshield
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In such a situation, try to cover the defect with tape as quickly as possible. The most ordinary stationery tape will do. This will not repair the product, but it will protect it from moisture, debris, dust and other nasty things that will only get in the way. Then you go to your garage or to a car repair shop if you decide to entrust the repair to specialists. There is no point in pressing or performing other mechanical actions now, otherwise the chip will begin to grow and the crack will spread further.
It is also not recommended to wash glass with soapy water and various soap products. Molecules of water and the substance itself will penetrate into the chip, which will ultimately interfere with the action of the glue.
It is important that the inside of the chip remains dry. So superglue or a special polymer will perform its functions much better. But before you prepare your tool kit, it’s worth answering one question.
How to avoid windshield damage
There are several recommendations that, if followed, can reduce the likelihood of cracks and chips on the windshield:
- Maintain a maximum distance from trucks on the road. The same goes for cars with the “Ш” sign;
- avoid driving on uneven roads, especially in a car with a hard suspension;
- If even small pebbles get into the glass, stop immediately and inspect its surface;
- when replacing a windshield, give preference to original parts;
- monitor the operation of the air conditioning system to prevent sudden temperature changes;
- Adjust the heating power of car windows smoothly in winter.
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Compliance with all these rules will not give a 100% guarantee, but will significantly reduce the likelihood of defects appearing on the windshield. Good luck on the road, dear motorists!
