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windshield chip repair? leave it alone or buy the 10$ kit?

aseibel

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aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
Posted

Hey everyone. So I was cruising a rural freeway yesterday and the guy in front of me decides to hit the brakes and then throw on his blinker and immediately hit the shoulder before the turn lane begins. He kicks a block of broken asphalt up at me. I saw it coming and actually ducked.

 

It left a triple chip in the window, not exactly in my line of vision but close. It is not deep and does not appear like it has or will crack anything. Its just the surface layer.

 

So my question is- should I just get one of those adhesive repair kits to fill the 3 little chips? (I've done it before on older vehicles. I can buy one for like $10 online)

 

Or is the repair pointless and I should just ignore it and wait for the inevitable crack and full window replacement down the road? could be weeks, could be years, but I know this glass won't last the life of the truck.

 

I tried to search for windshield chips and nothing came up, so just looking for pros and cons to the self-repair job.

Thanks.

15_silverado Enthusiast

15_silverado

Posted
Posted

Call Safelite, they can repair it professionally. Do this imeadatly before the chip turns into a crack that cannot be repaired. That's what happened to me, it cracked the very next day, before I could even call to make the appointment.

vinemann12 Enthusiast

vinemann12

Posted
Posted

I second on Safelite or similar "local" glass repair shop..

Those $10.00 kits really do not work,, tried on 2 cars years ago and glass still started hairline cracks within weeks..

Proper windshield prep-work and great epoxy job was key..

 

Safelite did repair on my old 96 Tahoe that lasted 4+ years and 4 cold winters in Iowa until I sold it to buddy..

It's still holding strong at a $35.00 fix..

 

Cheers----K

aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Jeeze, now I feel like a fool for not calling my insurance co first.

 

Turns out they will send out safelite for a patch job and it doesn't even trigger my deductible. I should be able to leave the truck in the garage this week to avoid heat stress from the sun. I'll try to post a before and after photo of the repair if anyone cares to see their work.

 

Thanks for the tips!

JimCost2014 Senior Enthusiast

JimCost2014

Posted
Posted

If it has not been fixed yet, put a piece of clear packing tape on it to keep out the dirt. This also helps the crack from "running".

Black02Silverado Senior Enthusiast

Black02Silverado

Posted
Posted

Insurance covered the cost of my chip repair that was done 10 years ago. All is still good, but will have to replace the windshield anyway due to serious hazing from all the small sand blasting it seems to have taken over the years.

Ezekiel2517 Enthusiast

Ezekiel2517

Posted
Posted

Even it it doesnt crack further (it likely wont) if you dont repair it soon, it will get dirt in it and it will be more obvious when you do repair it. The sooner you fill it the less noticeable it will be. Most insurances cover the repair for free. A few bucks now saves them a lot of bucks later.

Loco-diablo Senior Enthusiast

Loco-diablo

Posted
Posted

I got a chip in my 2014 Volvo when it was about 1 month old. I called insurance (liberty mutual) and Safelite did the chip repair. It last almost 3 years before it finally cracked on a hot summer day. Safelite then replaced the windshield with a new OEM Volvo to the tune of something like $1100 dollars! Covered by liberty mutual with no deductible.

 

Naturally, depending on the depth of the chip, some patches will work better than other.

 

A triple chip is a different story. I'm curious to hear Safelite's take on that. Let us know if they feel that a triple chip is even worth patching. They may recommend a replacement.

aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

safelite is on the way to fix it this afternoon. I grabbed some before photos. The 3 spots would all fit under a quarter. they are pretty small.

 

(sorry, I couldn't get my phone to focus on the glass.)

post-172242-0-36285800-1505928923_thumb.jpg

 

The smudging is from when I licked my finger and rubbed it to wipe the dust off and see how deep the dings were.

post-172242-0-55728800-1505928975_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-36285800-1505928923_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-55728800-1505928975_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-36285800-1505928923_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-55728800-1505928975_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-36285800-1505928923_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-55728800-1505928975_thumb.jpg

aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
  • Author
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Well the good news is they already came and fixed it.

Unfortunately, I'm going to be left with visible spots forever. I guess that's what I get for the free chip repair covered by my insurance. If I wanted new glass, I'm paying the deductible.

 

The guy said it wasn't even technically a "chip" since no glass was missing, it was more a "scratch" in the protective layer of the glass. He filled it with epoxy, but it made almost no difference in appearance. It is straight in front of my view, but below the horizon so hopefully it won't annoy me forever. The guy said it will always look like a bug spot. darn.

post-172242-0-46629700-1505931722_thumb.jpg


post-172242-0-52370500-1505931745_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-46629700-1505931722_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-52370500-1505931745_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-46629700-1505931722_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-52370500-1505931745_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-46629700-1505931722_thumb.jpg

post-172242-0-52370500-1505931745_thumb.jpg

Supreme Pizza Senior Enthusiast

Supreme Pizza

Posted
Posted

I have dealt with those before. Its harder to hide a scratch, than a chip that penetrates to the plastic layer. Many glass shops will waive the deductible for you, so that the windshield is free. Here is how they do it:

 

 

If you don't have insurance, they charge you $200

 

If they use your insurance, they just increase the cost of the windshield to $300 and then they pay your $100 deductible for you.

 

You get the window for free, the insurance pays their own deductible, and the glass shop still gets their $200.

 

I was really surprised to find out that its standard practice to inflate the repair bill if it goes through an insurance company. Its normal practice, and the insurance companies accept it. Same thing with car accidents and other comprehensive claims.

 

My neighbor broke his back window with a weed eater rock. The glass shop quoted $500. He sent the bill to the insurance company. The glass shop rejected the payment from the insurance, and "adjusted" the bill to $1,500 because it was through insurance. The insurance company accepted the new bill and paid it. Crazy.

 

Anyway, just call around to the local glass shops and tell them you want to get a windshield and that you want them to take care of the deductible.

aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Anyway, just call around to the local glass shops and tell them you want to get a windshield and that you want them to take care of the deductible.

 

Interesting. I'll keep that in mind if I decide I can't stand the scratch.

 

Grand scale of things its pretty minor and since it is a pick-up truck that I use as a truck- it already has a few dings and whatnot. I'll probly just ignore it for now. Even if its free to me, a replacement would show up as a claim on the ole insurance. If I don't need to do that, I probly won't.

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