Windshield Repair: Don’t Let Small Become Big
A few days ago, I noticed a small squealing noise coming from my engine compartment. After pulling into a large parking lot (thank you Target Mission Viejo), I popped the hood to see if I could determine the cause. While I am an experienced (and excellent) windshield repair tech, the same cannot be said about my diagnosing mechanical issue’s ability. And as you may have guessed, I could not figure out this particular problem.
A couple of days passed and the noise didn’t get any worse. But it didn’t get any better either. So, I decided to quit messing around and have the car professionally diagnosed. After driving over to one of my favorite local mechanics and describing the problem, we walk over to my car, pop the hood and start the car. It takes him all of 5 seconds to determine my water pump is on its last legs. So much for my brilliant deduction of serpentine belt replacement.
He then shows me where it is beginning to leak coolant fluid. There were just a few drips, but it was quite obvious once he pointed them out. It looked so easy for him because he knew where to look. This comes from training and experience. If I had decided to ignore the sound, the damage to my vehicle could have been much worse. Like new radiator worse. Or even new engine block worse. Water pump alone? Not bad. Add in new radiator? Not a deal breaker. A new engine, then we are talking mucho dinero. Or new car shopping time.
Don’t Drag Your Feet On Windshield Repair
So, what does a water pump have to do with windshield repair? Actually, not much. But it does have a lot to do with procrastination. Waiting to deal with an auto repair can lead to more money exiting your bank account vs. dealing with the issue right away. Doesn’t matter if it is your front windshield or your water pump. Paraphrasing the old (OK, very old) Fram Oil Filter commercial, your choice is to pay now or pay later. Problem is later is always more.
In the case with windshields equipped with ADAS (Advance Driver Assisted System), the replacement of your front windshield can easily run you on the wrong side of the 4-figure mark. ADAS includes such features as forward collision alert and lane departure warning, among others. The high replacement cost is due to the camera recalibration auto manufactures state must be performed whenever a new windshield is installed. And when adding the higher windshield part cost, glass labor, adhesives and miscellaneous parts to the calibration fee, it’s not hard to see how easy it is to reach the $1,000 mark.
Your Windshield Repair Solution
The question you have to ask yourself is $85 now vs. maybe $1,000+ later a good way to go? Honestly, this decision should take about 2.5 seconds to make. Windshield repair is a viable alternative when the damage is the size of a quarter or less. This type of repair is our specialty, having performed over 10,000 rock chip repairs. We at First Choice Windshield Repair can make sure your small problem doesn’t mushroom into a large one. And, whatever you do, get that rock chip repaired right away. Don’t let the hot weather make the decision for you.
Special shout-out to Tony over at A-K Auto Repair 23141 Orange Avenue Unit C & D, Lake Forest, CA 92630 (949) 598-9000 as the inspiration for this post. Really good guy and business.
All About Auto Glass Repair
Lousy drivers, crummy weather or perhaps some good old road construction can become the cause of damage to your car’s front windscreen. These factors might even damage the other auto glass parts on your car too. Anyone who has driven the I-5 thru south Orange County lately knows what I am talking about. Even with brand new shocks on all 4 wheels, I wonder at times if I am still on a paved road. Mr. Toads Wild Ride anyone?
Anyway, the very first thought that pops into our mind is what is going to be the cost for auto glass repair. And hoping that you can avoid replacing the windscreen. As you can probably gather, auto glass repair is always less money than replacement. Sometimes ALOT less. Cars and trucks with ADAS fit this description. So what do you do?
Auto Glass Repair vs. Replacement?
To the outside world, repair and replace mean pretty much the same thing. Within the auto glass industry, they are vastly different terms. A few decades ago, some very clever people came up with the idea of filling small holes and cracks in the front windshield with a special resin. This process is now known as windshield repair. Or auto glass repair. And most commonly as rock chip repair.
This process put an end to the days of an automatic windshield replacement on really small dings. It also ended the automatic removal of large chunks of cash from your wallet. Due to the constant improvements in resin quality, injector tools and curing lamps, the auto glass repair end result is excellent. Not only in terms of preventing the crack from further expansion, but also the clarity of the damaged area.
In the case of major glass damage, your windshield must be replaced. And in the case with ADAS equipped vehicles, the cost can easily run into the 4-figure range. Lane departure warning and forward collision alert systems are all part of ADAS. Cameras allow for these systems to work. And the software must be re-calibrated anytime a windshield is replaced on vehicles with these systems. Current fees for this service seem to range from $300-500 range. Bear in mind this does NOT include the cost of glass, labor and materials. Isn’t technology wonderful?
The Auto Glass Repair Process
While windshield replacement requires the removal of the entire glass and installation of a new one, the repair process keeps the current windshield in place. And in the case of the factory installed glass, the original seal, the adhesive bond between glass and car, is kept intact too.
Auto glass repair entails completely filling the damaged area of the windshield with our high-quality resin, curing the resin with our high-powered LED curing lamp and then patching and polishing the surface damage. When done correctly by a trained and experienced profession (such as yours truly), the structural integrity of the windshield is restored to pre rock chip condition PLUS the damaged area looks almost like new.
I said almost. It will never be perfect. If you need perfect, break out your wallet and spring for a whole new windshield. This is your trade off. And ultimately your decision. But if you can live with some very minor flaws, the repair process will definitely save you money. And in the case of the newer ADAS equipped cars, ALOT of money.
Moral of the story: Get a small chip, get it repaired right away. If you are looking for auto glass repair in the south Orange County area, First Choice Windshield Repair can help. We specialize in rock chip repairs, performing well over 10,000 of them since opening in 2008.
Importance Of Auto Glass Repair
Car glass is more vital than we than we typically think it is. Tempering (heat treating) the glass makes it difficult to break. Lamination (2 layers of glass with plastic in the middle) greatly raises passenger safety. In case of an accident. your car’s auto glass produces an incredibly stable framework that protects driver and passenger as well as keeping them separate from the outside world.
Just think if your vehicle wasn’t equipped with a front windshield. You would have no defense from flying objects such as rocks, nails, baseballs or binkies. Plus, if you wanted to feel the wind on your face at 70 mph, you would have bought a motorcycle. All auto glass, and specifically the windscreen, are part of the safety control system of your car. Operating in tandem with your air bags and seat belts, the windshield helps to keep the car’s passengers from ejection during an auto accident. By keeping drivers and passengers inside, less fatalities take place.
Back in the day, those people that built model planes and trains and took apart transistor radios, it was fairly simple to learn all there was to understand about cars by taking them apart and putting them back together in your garage. A little experimentation and hopefully no extra parts left over, and boom, you’re done. From the nonprofessional’s point of view, glass is glass. Place it in the appropriate grooves, apply the glue, make certain the rubber is secured and be sure all parts are put back in their original place. When something appears simple, it is frequently viewed as not important. And that view would be wrong.
Proper Auto Glass Repair Features
Nowadays, being a grease monkey just won’t cut it. Glass techs need to be part computer geek and part engineer. Car glass and also the adjustments of it should never ever be taken for granted. As an example, if you ever find a couple of small pieces of glass left over from a side window breakage, just remember, the part was designed to break in this manner for your safety. If these parts had not been through the tempering process, those tiny pieces would have been large, jagged and dangerous shards capable of slicing an artery.
With much even more innovative safety and security functions than were in place just a few years ago, car manufacturing engineers made automobile glass, seat belts, and air bags to function together to maintain driver and passenger safety. In the event of a collision or rollover, a poorly installed windshield will merely pop out of its setting unless high quality adhesives are used. And, not allowing these adhesives to set up and cure properly will also have the same result.
Cars and truck glass is also instrumental in prohibiting much of the noise and weather from bombarding you and your passengers. And lastly, there are the newest components that your windscreen effortlessly takes care of in the background. Features such as lane departure warning systems, forward collision alerts, heads up displays and rain sensors. It’s pretty amazing how many things your cars glass handles without your realizing it.
Vital Benefits Of Auto Glass Repair
For these factors as well as many even more, it’s critical to get your glass repaired quickly after damage occurs due to accident or just road debris. When having any pieces of glass replaced, it’s critical to choose well trained and experienced professionals. Here is some FREE advice: choosing a company based solely on price often doesn’t end well for the customer. Just a thought.
If repairing the car’s front windshield in an option, get this done. Immediately. Because once the damage begins to spread, you only choice left is the more expensive replacement. And speaking of choice, First Choice Windshield Repair (that us) should be at the top of your list for rock chip repairs. We have been in business since 2008 and have been performing windshield repairs since the late 1990’s.
Is Avoiding Auto Glass Repair Possible?
There aren’t many circumstances more aggravating than driving down the roadway and having some random debris shoot up and damage your windscreen. While this is at first annoying, eventually this could turn into a dangerous situation. There are a number of ways your windshield can be cracked and understanding the various causes will assist you in dealing with this scenario.
Common Causes Of Auto Glass Repair
- Rock, Gravel and Other Debris. The most common. When traveling through an area under construction (The I-5 in San Clemente comes to mind), tires from cars in front of you can throw this stuff at your windscreen. When traveling at the high rate of speed we tend to do here in southern Cal, even small rocks or gravel can chip your glass.
- The Sun. A damaged windshield left out in the direct sunlight can cause a windshield to split. Just by sitting there. Especially during the summer months here. As the glass heats, it also expands. And this can be made worse by the use of those sun shielding dashboard protectors. While they do a good job of protecting the dash of the car, they end up making the front windshield even hotter.
- Changes In Temperature. On days where there is a big difference between high and low temperature, this can also cause the small chip or crack on your windshield to expand. Glass has some amazing properties, one of them being flexibility. It has the ability to expand or contract depending on whether the temperature surrounding the glass rises or falls. However, if the glass has a flaw, this flaw will be exploited if there are rapid temperature changes. This is the main reason why you see disclaimers at car washes saying they’re not responsible for cracks getting worse when running your car through their car wash.
- Lousy Installation. An improperly installed windshield can undergo a stress crack. These are cracks that occur when nothing hits the windshield but is the result of something not done properly during a windshield replacement. Some common causes are improper placements (too high or low and too far to one side) or poor cleaning and preparation of the pinch weld.
- Acts Of God. These can include hail (not too common around here), wind, gardeners or baseballs.
Auto Glass Repair – Avoiding Replacement
Avoid the construction areas, the busier streets and freeways when possible. More cars and more debris equals greater chance of incurring auto glass repairs, even those of the small rock chip variety.
Driving slower also lowers the chance your glass will become damaged when coming into contact with rocks and gravel.
Parking indoors or in the shade helps keep your windshield cooler during our warm summer months. And don’t take to a car wash if you have a chipped windshield. Get the windshield repaired BEFORE taking it to the car wash.
Auto glass repairs are best done as soon as the damaged is noticed. This is especially true of the newer vehicles equipped with lane departure warning and/or forward collision alert systems. The cost of replacing these windshields routinely exceeds $1000. Don’t wait. Ge that chip or crack filled immediately.
Are DIY Rock Chip Repair Kits Worth It?
We’ve all been there. Driving along, minding our own business, when out of nowhere, something hits the windshield. If you’re lucky, you escape this situation with nothing more than a tiny pit or scuff mark on the glass. If you’re not so lucky, you see some damage.
Hopefully it’s just small. You know this situation needs to be addressed. And to save money, you think about heading on over to your nearest auto parts store or onto the internet to purchase a do it yourself (DIY for short) windshield repair kit.
You’re a pretty handy person and the idea of performing this seemingly simple repair just feels like the right call. The YouTube videos make it look like a cakewalk. But before you part with your cash, there are some things you might want to know.
What’s The Deal With These DIY Windshield Repair Kits?
The big draw to these products is the price. They run about $15-$20 US. They come with a set of instructions, some resin, a tool to inject the resin and a piece of curing film. Seems complete right? If only it were that simple. Once you begin peeling back the onion, some other factors begin to arise…
- How much pressure should be applied.
- The rock chip doesn’t look the same as the once in the instructions.
- The outside temperature might be too hot. Or too cold.
- No customer support when questions arise.
And here comes the monkey in the wrench: if the repair you attempt is not completed properly, you’re screwed. Neither I, or any other windshield repair technician, can come in afterwards and fix the failed repair. Once the resin is inside the crack, it’s in there to stay. You get one shot to do this right. You’ll have to break out the magnifying glass to find mention of this fact in the fine print. If it’s even in there. And, instead of saving money, now you’re looking at spending more money to fully replace your windshield. In some cases, ALOT more. 4 figures more.
The Most Important Thing Missing From DIY Rock Chip Kits
Me. Or someone like me. A qualified professional. While not being able to speak for anyone else, I have performed over 10,000 auto glass repairs in my lifetime. An experienced windshield repair tech is able to determine the method needed for a proper repair, how much pressure should be applied and whether or not the windshield is too hot or cold.
We use professional grade injectors, the best resin on the market and cure the repair with LED UV lights. We also finish the repair by filling the impact pit with a thicker resin, curing it, scraping it smooth with a razor blade and buff the area with polishing compound.
Whatever you decide, do it quickly. Last thing you want to do is put off the repair. This gives the crack more of an opportunity to spread. Once this happens, replacement of the glass becomes mandatory. And, if you don’t believe it’s worth the risk, give First Choice Windshield Repair a call. We’ll happily perform the work at your home or office.
Windshield Crack Repair In Laguna Niguel
We’d like to say “Thank You“ to our customer Cynthia C over on Yelp for her kind words and for choosing us to repair the rock chip on her windshield. We really appreciate customers like you. Thanks again.
Link to original review on Yelp can be found HERE
Windshield Repair In Rancho Santa Margarita
When we receive comments like this, we are truly humbled. Thank you Stephanie for putting your experience with First Choice out there for everyone to see and we really appreciate you choosing our company for your rock chip repair needs.
Link to original review on Google can be found HERE
Mobile Rock Chip Repair In Dana Point
We would like to recognize and say thank you to Daniel H for the kind words you wrote about First Choice Windshield Repair on Yelp. And for choosing us to repair your damaged windshield. Hard to put into words how much we appreciate customers like you. Thanks again.
Link to original review on Yelp can be found HERE
Auto Glass Repair In San Clemente.
Thank you Brandy S for the great review and for choosing First Choice to repair your windshield over in San Clemente. We really value customers such as yourself. Thanks again.
Link to original review on Yelp can be found HERE