Snowy areas in the winter months are notorious for producing a slew of windshield replacements. There have been many times where a giant truck sends a pebble toward the windshield in front of me and gives me a good startle. These dings - good for a window installer, bad for the driver’s pocketbook.
A crack that obstructs the driver is dangerous, and in most states illegal. Damaged windshields should be replaced as soon as possible. A crack, especially if it is obviously obstructing the driver’s view can, at any time, bring the police up behind you and bring a fix-it ticket in your window.
However, if it is caught early, a ding can stay a ding and be much lest costly. Usually dings only cost around $50 to be repaired while a new windshield can be up around $700. Insurance will sometimes pay for the ding repair, but coverage often dictates a high deductible on windshield replacement. So a person ends up paying the full amount anyway.
If you get a ding, here are some things that you can do to keep it from splitting out into one (or more) crack(s) until you have a chance to get it repaired:
- Resist putting pressure on it.
- Keep it clean and dry. Foreign substances in the damaged area increase the chance of creating a star that splits off.
- Avoid temperature changes. Keep the car in a temperature controlled area, like a home or parking garage, as much as possible. Try not to turn on the heat or air conditioning, since the sudden change of temperature, or the difference in temperature between the outside and the inside of the glass can add stress to the damaged glass.
- Put some clear packing tape over the pit. Make sure that the tape does not obstruct your vision - keep the square of tape as small as possible to cover the pit.
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