small crack in windshield

[ontoy]

yeah it happen early this morning while going to work. a F**kin truck carrying those yellow barricade with blinking light up top. was ahead of me about 2 car length. when a small pebble of rock flew into my windshield. i was like damn, wtf!. looked in my windshield a small chip on the lower driver side window. i was pissed as hell......... man this sucks this is like my second time it happen to me. first one was when i had my brand new passat back in 2000 and about 2-3 months later a crack on the windshield. to make it worst after work i checked the crack and it already spread-out about 1-2 inches or so when the sunlight hit it. i stop by at this place called best glass here in phx,az and they said they couldn't repair it. The whole glass needs to be replaced. so what now.... i know i don't have a glass coverage trough my insurance with a $500 comprensive deductible it's not even worth it to hassle with my insurance. so i check online for any reputable shops around my area and found safelite. any of you guys heard of this company. anyway i called them up and setup and appointment tomorrow, they said, they could fix a crack if you can cover it with a dollar bill. so i don't know about that, i guess i'll just have to wait till tomorrow. so what do guys think i should do if i were to replace the whole glass. should i go with an OEM or Aftermarket and what brand to look for. anyways here's a pic...

 

[Border411]

Alright dude...I feel your pain. I got a chip, which turned into a 5 inch long crack the day before my wedding! So anyways...I used this stuff and it worked good. I would have worked better if I had more daylight to let it cure, but I was in a rush after I got home from work. It is called "Permatex Bullseye" glass repair. I got the kit from Pep Boys for $8....you kind find it everywhere. What you do is put a bead of the stuff on top of the crack, then GENTLY (And I freakin mean **GENTLY**) press on the crack from the inside and it makes the repair kit liquid seep into the crack. I said to push GENTLY as I had pushed too hard and made the crack spread more (Son of a B----!!!) Then you put these clear pieces of plastic over the liquid and let it cure in the sun for 1/2 an hour. You pull off the plastic repair film things and scrap off the dried excess with a straight razor (also included). You can tell it was repaired, but it is a TON better than having it travel. Trust me...before you give up on the glass, try this stuff. What do you have to lose? By the way, did I mention to push GENTLY?!

 

[Scout Av8er]

ontoy

I hope the crack doesn't get larger. And I hope your state doesn't make you change the whole windshield if it does. I lived in upstate NY for a while, with a different vehicle, and had to change the whole windshield due to the location of a crack. Didn't obstruct my view, but still had to change it.


Border411, dude, nice pictures of the wedding and police photos.

Brother, serve and protect, Hua!

Dave

 

[Cliff s]

I had the same thing happen when my T4R was 2 days old, some guy
in a old beatup dumptruck pulling a backhoe, dropping rocks on the road.
One chipped my virigin windshield(fortunately only a small one).

I tried 3 times to patch it with the Permatex kit, I had a hard time getting
the stuff to cure(took 4 hours in the AZ sun). It kind of worked, but the chip is still visible.

Cliff s

 

[ontoy]

i would try that permatex thing you guys mention. but i already have a dude from safelife coming in tomorrow to check it out. so if he can't fix it, then i'll probably give that a try. thanks for the tip....

 

[Noloc]

Dude... I definitely feel your pain. I just recently had my windshield replaced b/c a stone chipped it and the next morning it turned into an 8 inch crack.

 

[Mark86]

I feel your pain too. About two weeks ago, an oil truck flipped up a little rock right into my windshield. It left a small chip but I was lucky because I was going 65 mph. I saw the rock hit my windshield too. I know in my area, there are some places that come to your house and patch up the chip so it doesn't spread. I think it has to be the size of a nickel or smaller to be able to do that. The chip will still be obvious, but won't spread.

 

[Border411]

I never had a problem with the stuff curing in the direct sunlight. Thanks for the compliment Scout Av8er!

 

[PhxRunner]

Dude. It is worth it to get the extra coverage. I have like 3 chips in my 4runner and 2 in my accord. There is no way around it and I guarantee it will happen to you again.

I wait until a huge annoying crack occurs then get the whole thing replaced. Most of the small ones just get patched at no charge.

 

[GlennD]

When I was driving home from the dealer I took a rock hit at 7 miles on the odometer.

I had it repaired and it lasted for 7 months. I just had safelite put in a new windshield. It cost $211 with tax.

Except fot some ripples in the rubber at the top. they did a good job.

 

[swooopeno]

I'm sure you have fixed your windshield by now, but i'm in az too, and I have always used safelite.

I really don't like the way they 'fix' windows... if it is a star shaped crack, they drill the end of every crack and fill it w/ epoxy. It looks not that good...

HOWEVER.. if you don't have glass coverage, it is acceptable.

I recently had them replace my entire windshield. They asked me what kind of glass I wanted (they manufacture their own brand of glass). I said... Toyota of course. I saw the bill they gave to the insurance company... $650+...


ouch.