A piece of gravel or stone striking your windshield at high speeds can nick or chip the glass. The jostling of your car can change that nick into a spreading crack. A nick or crack impairs your vision and is therefore a safety issue. Most small chips can be repaired without removing or replacing the glass. The fix is a quick one but requires specialized equipment.
Instructions
Repairing a Car Window Chip
- 1
Spray the damaged windshield with a non-abrasive window cleaner that will not scratch the glass. Wipe dry with a lint free cloth in order to keep fabric fibers from contaminating the damaged surface.
2Place the specialized nozzle over the chipped area and turn on the vacuum switch. In order to create a good seal, all the air must be removed. While keeping the nozzle in place, add liquid resin to the vacuum tank by reversing the switch and allowing the resin to flood the damaged area. Remove the nozzle.
3Hold an ultraviolet heat lamp 6 inches above the repair site for approximately 3 minutes, allowing the liquid resin to solidify. Maintain this optimal distance and time frame to avoid any glass melt around the repair site.
4Allow the resin to cool to room temperature. Clean the repair immediately with window cleaner and a lint free cloth to remove any excess residue and allow for a seamless repair. Letting the resin harden further on its own, without cleaning the surface of the glass, may make it difficult to remove imperfections later.
5Attach a gentle polishing pad to the disc of your rotary polisher. A 2-inch diameter disc and pad should be sufficient for most small repairs. Place a small amount of creamy polish, rated for use on glass, in an X- shaped pattern on the buffer pad. Polish the area with soft, sweeping, side-to-side strokes for approximately 2 minutes or until the polish is dry.
