Why You Should Care What Your Windshield Chip Repair Looks Like.
by
Alan
on Sun 17 Feb 2008 02:44 PM CST
"I don't care what my windshield repair looks like as long as it keeps my windshield from cracking." I hear that a lot, but there are several reasons why you should care.
To begin with though, you should know what windshield repair involves. When a stone strikes your windshield and chips it, what has been created is an air pocket on the outside layer of glass.
The black or silvery gray color is caused by light waves being bent (refracted) as they pass through the air pocket. You can see the coloring in the above pictures of windshield chips.
Windshield repair involves accessing the air pocket and hydraulically injecting a bonding agent. Once the air pocket is filled, the appearance is restored to, in many cases, a nearly invisible point. It will however have some distortion. The type and amount of damage are factors in what the finished repair will look like. Likewise any contamination will affect the appearance. Naturally the more complete the chip is filled, the stronger the repair and the better the appearance.
Sadly bad repairs are more common by far. I can remember walking with a customer to their car so they could show me what needed to be repaired. We talked on the way; I was asked if the repair would look different after the job was completed. It seems co-workers had told them that repairs they had done before didn't look any different. Further that windshield repair was a waste of money. I explained that many shops just don't take the time to fill the break completely. Once the job was complete the customer couldn't understand why the co-workers had made the negative statements. It looked next to invisible.
Still on another occasion, I had a guy ask why it was going to take so long to fix his windshield. He further couldn't understand why I needed all the equipment. In the past the repair they had performed only took 5 minutes. The repair tech had taken a bottle out and put a drop over the impact point, followed by putting a piece of plastic (cure tab) over it. In minutes it was all done, it didn't look any different and it only lasted a while; but according the the repair guy, repairs are only temporary. WRONG, a properly repaired windshield is permanent and should last a lifetime. Of course it only cost $25 for the temporary repair.
A classic case of getting ripped off. I was told this chip had been repaired. The repair tech did a great job of filling the impact point and making it flush with the surface. It most likely will fail and now that the improper repair has taken place nothing can be done.
As you can see by the above 2 photos, there is a big difference in what a repair should look like.
Besides the strength of the repair, there are other factors to consider. Take resale or trade in value; if the repair is noticeable and looks bad, you may see a reduced offer since the windshield would need to be replaced.
Lease return inspections are another problem; and again if the repair is found, you may need to pay for a windshield replacement. I can remember a customer calling and asking if our repairs were guaranteed to pass a lease return inspection. It initially seemed that our repair had failed to pass the inspection. Upon inspecting the damage, I found a very poor looking repair, but couldn't find an invoice for the damage in question. Soon the customer realized that that failed repair had been performed by another shop. They remembered how their spouse had gotten a chip and had whipped it in to a shop for a quick fix. They had bragged how the repair was cheaper than Glass Aid. However due to the poor repair done by the other shop, the customer was now going to pay $300 for a replacement windshield. I might add both Glass Aid repairs on that windshield had passed the inspection.
Okay, so when you look for a windshield repair company, what should you look for. While a lot of glass replacement shops perform repairs and some do acceptable work, the majority don't. That's true here in Oklahoma City and I think in most other cities. Repair only shops that have been in business for a while may be worth a look. Guarantees can also shed some light. A guarantee that offers only a credit towards a new windshield should be suspect vs. one that offers a full refund in the event of a failure. Finally look at price; if a price is low compared to many others, that may be a problem. If the price is low with a guaranteed credit towards a new windshield, "watch out". Finally don't forget to ask friends and family for references.
