Windshield crack
06-03-2008, 06:35 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 09-11-2007
Location: Palm Bay, Florida
Posts: 1,379
Windshield crack
I pulled my car out of my garage and discovered a crack across the driver's side of my windshield. It appears that there was a small chip right along the the edge of the rubber windshield gasket about the size of the head of a pin.
The auto insurance company will have it replaced at no cost to me at my house. I just can't figure out why such a small chip would cause the windshield to crack. Of couse, I'm on the road for two and a half weeks, in my toy car and wont get back to Florida until next week.
I have filed four claims in my 40+ years of driving. Three were windshieds and one was for a deer running into a car.
The auto insurance company will have it replaced at no cost to me at my house. I just can't figure out why such a small chip would cause the windshield to crack. Of couse, I'm on the road for two and a half weeks, in my toy car and wont get back to Florida until next week.
I have filed four claims in my 40+ years of driving. Three were windshieds and one was for a deer running into a car.
06-03-2008, 07:53 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-13-2006
Location: USA
Posts: 378
your from fl... do you aircondition you garage or did you have a cold spell... we were there in NOV 40 degree in orlando... the shuttle driver was talking like the second ice age was coming
i know here in washington in the winter chips grow in to cracks fast.
i know here in washington in the winter chips grow in to cracks fast.
06-04-2008, 01:38 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-04-2008
Location: Ridgecrest, California
Posts: 294
I'm not a glass expert, but it seems when the glass is made there are stresses in it that if hit in the right spot it will crack all the way across. I had a motorhome w/s get chipped in the center of a flat spot and it stayed that way for years, but caught a chip in a slightly curved part and it radiated all the way across. I do know old glass responds different than newer glass, and the stuff being used on today's cars doesn't hold up nearly as well as stuff I have in 40-50 year old cars. The new stuff sand pits a lot quicker also! I live in the desert and one good wind and it will ruin a windshield.
06-04-2008, 01:54 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-30-2006
Location: Maryland Heights, MO
Posts: 9,149
When you have it replaced, keep in mind PPG does make a windshield with a tint strip too for the HHR. When I had to replace my windshield I had one installed with the tint strip. It's nice to have and didn't cost any more.
06-05-2008, 09:16 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-29-2007
Location: Wilmington,Illinois
Posts: 175
I can sympathize with you. I had a 2002 Alero that the w/s cracked in. I took it to the dealer because there was absolutely no evidence of damage on the outside. They replaced it as a defective part.
Sometimes things just happen I guess.
Sometimes things just happen I guess.
06-05-2008, 11:26 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-13-2006
Location: USA
Posts: 378
we went to a window tinter... had a 4 or 5 inch med/dark tint put on the wundshield... still abouve the mirror attachment.
because of the shape of the window it seems a little deeper near the window edges... which works even better for us... from the outside the new tint looks to be about 2 two inches lower than the factory tint.
you get more sun in FL than we do here in WA at least lately any way.
we get alot of sand here in WA during winter and spring... we had the window in CLSYKAT we were replacing the windshield about every 15-16 months. the 69 elCamino was blinding when the sun was in front. our 55 has taken a few chips (new glass) the last stone the 55 were two blocks from a glass shop... no "star" didn t chip through the first layer of glass. maybe that is the key is... if it is through to the laminate get it to the glass shop quick... if a quarter can cover the star it can be fixed... with the insurance company we have... no cost for "star" repair... we don t fill anything out for the repair... can t get any easier than that.
by the way... we have had the window tinting done on our PU... think was about $35 because it was a little larger. goning to have another slightly deeper piece put over the first piece on truck
because of the shape of the window it seems a little deeper near the window edges... which works even better for us... from the outside the new tint looks to be about 2 two inches lower than the factory tint.
you get more sun in FL than we do here in WA at least lately any way.
we get alot of sand here in WA during winter and spring... we had the window in CLSYKAT we were replacing the windshield about every 15-16 months. the 69 elCamino was blinding when the sun was in front. our 55 has taken a few chips (new glass) the last stone the 55 were two blocks from a glass shop... no "star" didn t chip through the first layer of glass. maybe that is the key is... if it is through to the laminate get it to the glass shop quick... if a quarter can cover the star it can be fixed... with the insurance company we have... no cost for "star" repair... we don t fill anything out for the repair... can t get any easier than that.
by the way... we have had the window tinting done on our PU... think was about $35 because it was a little larger. goning to have another slightly deeper piece put over the first piece on truck
06-05-2008, 12:03 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-14-2008
Location: fayetteville tn.
Posts: 410
When they replace your wshield, take a look at the patch under the cowl and check the seal around it. The big black patch on the passenger side of car. Some people said that after they had their wshield replaced, it started weaking water in the passenger side floor. It will be easy to check while they have that piece off.
weaking = starts as a small leak and then becomes a waterfall.
lol
weaking = starts as a small leak and then becomes a waterfall.
lol
Last edited by mudd274; 06-05-2008 at 10:24 PM.
06-05-2008, 01:01 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-12-2005
Location: Parkland (Tacoma), WA
Posts: 317
lol @ "weaking". :)
My 1st windshield broke when my car was only a few months old. A small rock hit at the top edge and it cracked big time. 2nd windshield also OEM got very pitted and hazy. 3rd one is PPG with the tint strip and so far, so good. It seems to be better than the stock one as far as how strong it is. It's not getting hazy anyway...
My 1st windshield broke when my car was only a few months old. A small rock hit at the top edge and it cracked big time. 2nd windshield also OEM got very pitted and hazy. 3rd one is PPG with the tint strip and so far, so good. It seems to be better than the stock one as far as how strong it is. It's not getting hazy anyway...