Auto Repair Emergencies: How to Prevent Your Windshield Damage from Spreading

There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a long road trip when a pebble suddenly jumps up and chips your windshield. There is simply no way you can get the damaged repaired for at least a few days, but you know that if you do nothing the damage will only continue to get worse and you may even end up needing a whole new windshield by the time you make it back from your trip. The good news is, while this situation may seem hopeless at first, the truth is that you can prevent this type of glass damage from spreading temporarily by taking just a few simple steps.

Step 1: Cover the Damage

Windshield damage often spreads as a result of water, dirt, or other small particles getting into the space between your outer layer of glass and the sheet of vinyl that protects the inner layer of glass from shattering. When this happens, the strength of your windshield will be greatly compromised and the chances of the damage spreading will increase significantly. That is why the first thing you should always do is to cover the damaged area with a piece of translucent tape. This will allow you to continue driving without interfering with your line of sight, but will also keep any small particles from working their way into your glass.

Step 2: Protect the Glass from Extreme Temperatures

Another reason that windshield glass spreads is because of exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures. This is because as the glass changes temperatures, it will either expand or contract based on the current outdoor temperature. This flexing of the glass can put additional strain on your already weakened window glass.

In order to protect your vehicle from exposure to extreme temperatures, you will need to spend a few extra minutes ensuring your find a parking spot in the shade on a hot summer day or finding an indoor parking structure to house your vehicle in the middle of a winter freeze. You will also need to be mindful of the way you use your vehicle's heating and cooling systems. This is because turning your heat or air conditioning on full blast the moment you step foot into your vehicle can cause a rapid change in the glass temperature and ultimately cause the damage to this glass to spread. Consequently, rather than turning your defroster or air conditioner directly on high, you will need to gradually raise or lower the temperature in your vehicle in order to give the glass time to adjust.

A Final Thought

While taking these steps will help you to get through an emergency without your windshield damage spreading, these steps are not designed to be a permanent solution to the problem. Therefore, you will still need to take your vehicle in for a proper repair (at shops like Denville Transmission) as soon as you are able.

Share