DIY windshield repair tool

In detail: a tool for repairing a windshield with your own hands from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Do-it-yourself windshield repair is not a very difficult job, any car enthusiast who loves to repair his car can handle it. To do this, you need to know the rules and procedure for performing work and have the necessary tools and materials.

The chip needs to be repaired

Diagnose the windshield. Triplex glass is suitable for repairs. A chip or crack that appears on the windshield of your car should not panic you. The chip must be repaired, and the crack must be properly treated. Examine the crack and assess the area of damage to the glass surface.

You can repair a single small crack yourself, as well as in a branded car service. If the entire windshield is cracked, consult an experienced technician. Perhaps the cost of repairs is cheaper than replacing the entire windshield, but no one will guarantee the quality of the repair and its preservation for a long period of operation. And the new glass is new. This question is up to you.

Degreasing

After assessing the detected defect, prepare the necessary tools and materials to repair the damage. You do the cleaning of chips and cracks from various contaminants regardless of the elapsed time, when the damage was formed.

Auto glass repair kit

Remove dirt, micro-fragments with special compounds. Blow thoroughly, you can use a simple pump, rinse and dry the place where you will make repairs. Degrease the surface to be repaired with alcohol. Having done all the preliminary work, slowly proceed to the restoration of the windshield.

Video (click to play).

Repair composition

Optical adhesive - polymer. When choosing and buying it, consult the seller, the transparency coefficient of the glue and the windshield being repaired must match. It is desirable that the hardening time be short.
The injector and the bridge are a device with the help of which the polymer is introduced into the damaged places on the glass. These devices are made of metal and plastic. If you need them for one-time use, then get plastic ones.
A conventional pump is used to blow through the damaged glass.
Drill. She drills holes at the edges of the cracks, so the stress on the glass is relieved. It is better to use a diamond drill.
Mirror and electric torch. With their help, you check the presence of air in the polymer and specify the boundaries of glass damage.
Scrayber - they clean and expand, if necessary, the damaged surface.
The UV lamp accelerates the curing of the polymer.
Napkins.

Crack neutralizer

Install the injector over the repair site. How to do this, read the instructions supplied with the repair kit. Everything is written in it in an accessible and understandable language.

The process of repairing a chip on the windshield consists in the following actions. You start to inject polymer glue into the chip. Do it like this. Take a syringe and fill it with glue. Insert a syringe into the nipple of the injector. Repeat this operation two times. The polymerization process takes several hours. After the polymer has completely hardened, clean the place of repair from excess glue. Then all that remains is to polish the repair site or the entire glass surface of your car.

If you have a small crack in the glass, repair it right away. It can change and become ramified. And this is a serious defect, it is sometimes impossible to eliminate it.We'll have to think about replacing all the glass.

Glass repair

Repairing a crack in your windshield will take you longer than repairing a chip. Use the repair kit similar to the previous one. All operations for repairing cracks on the glass surface are identical to your actions when removing a chip on glass. Differences are observed in the process of preparing for future repairs.

Prepare an electric drill with a diamond drill installed in it.
Step back from the edge of the crack 1-2 mm, drill a hole. This will help relieve internal stress on the windshield, so the crack will no longer expand in unexpected directions.
After drilling the hole, clean it thoroughly, dry it well.
Place the bridge with the injector over the repair site, making sure the gander is over the crack.
Slowly feed the polymer into the crack.
When it is full of glue, remove the bridge with the injector. Turn on an ultraviolet lamp, this will speed up the curing of the polymer three times.
Grind the glass surface after the glue has dried.

Repairing the surface of your windshield will take a small amount of your free time and money. You just need to correctly follow all the instructions and advice of experienced motorists.

Another way to repair your windshield:

Any damage to the windshield of a car is an unpleasant thing, you can't argue with that. To a lesser extent, this applies to abrasions and scratches, to a greater extent - to cracks and chips.

The view of the road while driving is deteriorating, the appearance of the car suffers, and there is a danger of running into trouble from the traffic police inspectors.

Therefore, it is advisable to eliminate the elimination of cracks and chips on the surface of the windshield of a car as soon as possible.

There are 3 options here, you can choose any of them:

windshield replacement;
elimination of cracks and chips by automotive service specialists;
do-it-yourself damage repair.

The first option is the simplest, but also the most expensive. If there is an opportunity to get off with repairs, it is simply unprofitable to replace the car windshield.

Surrendering to the mercy of car service specialists is tempting - you don't have to suffer yourself. In addition, they have all the necessary equipment for auto glass repair, experience and skills. But this option will also entail financial costs - not everyone is ready for this.

For those who did not fit the first two options, there is only one way out - to eliminate chips and cracks on their own.

To do this, you need a special auto glass repair kit. It contains all the necessary materials and tools to fix the problem as soon as possible.

Auto glass repair kit

In order to professionally and efficiently eliminate damage from the windshield of your car, the industry offers motorists a special kit, which has everything you need.

Using this tool, you will be able to get rid of chips and cracks almost on a professional level in a short time.

The tool is suitable specifically for the car windshield - the lateral ones cannot be processed with it. This is due to the fact that the front glass has internal lamination, which is not available in other windows. This kit removes star-type damage and is also suitable for chips and cracks up to 30 cm in length.

Ease of use of the kit

The kit includes a special syringe, a plastic nipple injector and a polymer to eliminate cracks and chips. The components do not need to be mixed, they cure when exposed to sunlight. Using this tool, you spend only a few minutes on repairs.

Let's consider what advantages such a kit has:

ease of repair;
the presence of all the necessary materials and tools in the kit;
the convenience of use;
the speed of glue hardening;
elimination of different types of damage: chips ("bull's eye"), "stars" and ordinary cracks.

All work must be performed in a darkened room. The temperature of the surface to be glued must be within the range from +10 C to +23.9 C. You must in every possible way protect the car body from getting the adhesive resin on it. Image - DIY windshield repair tool

Using the Chip and Crack Repair Kit

Let's consider step by step the algorithm that must be followed when using a tool for auto glass repair:

We carry out degreasing of the area that we plan to process with a swab with a special alcohol agent outside and inside the car.
We get rid of the fragments at the place of damage.
We put a piece of cloth under the glass to be processed to avoid polymer leakage.
We make a hole in the center of the gluing disc.
We get rid of the protective gasket on only one side of the disc.
Align the hole in the center of the disc with the central part of the area to be machined. Place the protrusion on the disc so that it is directed upward.
Press the glue disc firmly against the surface. It is necessary to ensure full contact of the entire disc with the bonded surface. Air bubbles must not be present on the disc on the inside of the windshield.

All conditions for the level of illumination of the room for repair and the temperature of the treated surface are the same as in the previous section.

DIY auto glass repair

The process of repairing damage itself is as follows:

We perform degreasing of the treated area from the inside and outside with a swab moistened with an alcohol solution.
We remove the nozzle from the syringe, squeeze out a little polymer and distribute it along the entire length of the damage.
After that, we place an adhesive plastic film on the damaged area. We take as many small fragments of the film as is necessary to close the entire crack. In this case, no force should be applied.
Press lightly on the glass from the inside so that the edges of the damage part. So the polymer gets between them. Make sure that the force is not excessive - as a result, the size of the defect may increase.
We make a visual inspection at an angle of 45 degrees - we should not see the defect. If it is noticeable, we repeat the process again.
We put the car in direct sunlight and wait for the polymer to solidify from half an hour to an hour.
After the polymer has hardened, remove the plastic. With the blade, which is in the kit, we eliminate unnecessary rubber elements.
We wipe the surface with a swab with an alcohol solution.

As you can see, a special kit for removing cracks and chips from the front window of a car greatly simplifies the work and saves you time and money. It contains all the necessary materials and tools for work - you just need to carefully follow the instructions.In order to eliminate defects from the windshield of your car, you will need no more than an hour and a half. This will save you the trouble of going to a service station and spending extra money. The auto glass repair kit is an indispensable tool for every car enthusiast.Hello dear car owners! Before we figure it out with what equipment exists and is needed for the repair of auto glass, let's define the terms and technologies.In modern cars, only windshields are subject to repair, since they are made according to the "triplex" principle - they are laminated inside with a film. Side and rear windows crumble upon impact on them and, accordingly, cannot be repairedA chipping on the windshield is a slight and shallow (non-penetrating) violation of the structure of the windshield, when a piece of "native" glass flies off in a small area due to mechanical impact.A set for repairing auto glass in case of chipping is a perfectly acceptable purchase for any driver, and, most likely, it should be like a "first aid kit". This "field" windshield repair kit will help you get rid of the chip.That is, take preventive measures so that the chip does not turn into a crack.A set for repairing auto glass from a chip includes: a one-time device - a plastic nipple-injector, a syringe, a polymer for auto glass repair. These are the main components of a do-it-yourself repair kit for polymerizing a windshield chip.A crack on the windshield is already a more serious violation of the glass structure. Yes, you, having a crack on the windshield, can move and, at times, for a long time. But this movement is in the constant expectation that the glass will collapse completely, not to mention the discomfort (refractive effect) during bad weather or at night with oncoming light. And don't forget about the traffic police.By no means are we trying to convince you that every garage should have a windshield repair kit. Especially when you consider that professional equipment for auto glass repair starts at $ 500.Although, if you set yourself such a goal, then in your garage cooperative, you might think about purchasing a kit for windshield repair. But, this is your choice.

Tools:

Axle and injector with injector seals
A drill with a set of drills.
UV lamp for the polymerization process (it can be powered from the battery).
Opener for windshield cracks.
Scrubber for cleaning holes.
A brush for cleaning the defect cavity from debris and dirt.
Scraper blade for removing resin residues after repairs.
Inspection mirror.
Correction tape for drying polymers.
Safety glasses, instructions for the use of a particular tool, and the trend of modernity - a DVD with a video process for teaching repair procedures and using equipment for auto glass repair.
Advanced Windshield Repair Kit includes: hand pump, sander, power drill attachments and glass polishing felt discs.

Chemicals for auto glass repair (either included or separately)

Glass cleaner
Liquid for degreasing the repaired surface.
Grease for the suction cups of the injector bridge.
Polish for cleaning glass from polymer residues after polishing.
The main universal polymer for the repair of auto glass, both chips and cracks.
High flow polymer - used for repairing sprocket chips and long thin cracks.
Viscous polymer for chips and finishing of drill holes.

This long list of windshield repair equipment shouldn't scare you. After all, it is not necessary to purchase all the items, some of them probably already exist in your arsenal. Therefore, feel free to buy the remaining components and ... repair the windshield of the car is within your reach.

Actually, we want you not to receive such damage, and to know about the existence of equipment for auto glass repair only from our article.

Good luck to you lovers of your car. Image - DIY windshield repair tool

Good day to all.

The journey ended successfully and the package was received at the local post office. The kit came in an ordinary plastic bag, so that nothing was damaged during transportation, the seller wrapped it in a little bubble. So, the chip repair kit itself comes in a rather nice original packaging, which is a plastic blister covered with a beautiful green film 🙂 (until you rip it off, you cannot open the blister).

The reverse side of the package contains brief information about what is inside and what it is for.

Tearing off the green sticker, you can get to the contents of the blister.Inside it is a detailed instruction with pictures (a very useful thing) :), a tube of glue, a cunning syringe, a blade, a pedestal, 2 base stickers and 5 films.

The instruction looks like this:

As you can see, there are 12 steps to success ahead on c, which are described in detail in English and schematically shown in the pictures.

The tube is designated as glass repair resin. Its contents are transparent, liquid. Very similar to super glue from tubes.

On the back of it, there are precautions:

The blade is with an emphasis, it is very good for them to cut off the remnants of the glue, so that the blade, after carrying out repair work, will not go to the trash can, but to the shelf.

Now about the syringe. It differs from the usual 3 minor modifications. Firstly, its nose is hidden in an external threaded plastic ring, so when you put it on a pedestal, it sits securely. Secondly, there are 2 cut-out stops on its piston, which will be needed during repairs. And thirdly, it has a metal bracket-stop.

It seems that there is nothing more interesting in the set. Well, it's time to move on to direct action. We open the instructions, read, do.

In conclusion, I want to say that I was very pleased with both the quality of this kit and the result obtained. He carefully folded all the leftovers into a blister and hid it in the trunk for a rainy day, you never know what. And so all the glass repair work can be carried out even in the field, even in the forest 🙂 I ordered a couple of such kits for friends, it’s better to let it be, but not useful than it will not be at hand at the right time.

On this, in principle, everything. Thank you for your attention and your time.

Nowadays, there are various proposals on the market to protect glass from damage. One of the most popular options is a protective film sticker on the glass, which protects an expensive part from damage, and many car owners prefer not to wait for the next stone in the glass with subsequent repair or replacement of this glass.

But what about the situation if the windshield of the car was nevertheless damaged, and small cracks and chips have already appeared on it? Go to a car service for an expensive repair or try to fix this problem yourself?

If you decide to repair cracks on the windshield with your own hands, we will tell you what materials and tools you need and how to do it according to all the rules.

To begin with, we will determine what minor damage can be easily and simply repaired on our own, without replacing the windshield.

Glass chips in any part of it. Chips should be repaired immediately before they develop into deep cracks, otherwise you cannot avoid glass replacement.
Simple cracks. They often appear as a result of a sharp and constant temperature drop due to improper heating of the car, non-observance of the temperature inside and outside the passenger compartment.
Branched cracks. Unlike simple cracks, branched cracks are difficult to remove. Untimely elimination of a simple crack can lead not only to the appearance of deep branched cracks, but also to the forced replacement of the windshield.
Chipped. The reason for their appearance is a gross mechanical effect.

So, in order to independently repair cracks on the glass, you need to prepare the following set:

Photopolymer glue. This glue is intended for the repair of automotive and other glass. The glue has a sufficiently high coefficient of transparency and reflection of sunlight, therefore, after application, it remains completely invisible on the glass. Photopolymer hardening occurs due to exposure to directional ultraviolet radiation. The hardening time is 15 minutes (when using a UV lamp) and 45 minutes (when naturally drying).
Glue injector. With the help of an injector, the polymer is applied to a crack or chip on the glass.Injectors can be either plastic (disposable) or metal (reusable). We recommend purchasing a reusable injector.
Electric drill. It allows you to remove excess stress from the glass by drilling the edges of the crack to prevent its possible enlargement. For cracking, thin diamond drills are used.
UV lamp for drying glue.
Scriber. Used to gently clean the edges of the crack, as well as the working area around it.
Applicators. Allows you to attach the injector to the windshield.
Liquid and wipes to remove excess dirt and moisture.
Pump for cleaning the edges of cracks from dirt and dust.

Having prepared the necessary set of materials and tools, we proceed to the repair.

Watch a video detailing the entire windshield repair process:

If you want to get a high result of windshield repair, we recommend that you take this process with the utmost seriousness and scrupulousness. Read also how to fix cracks in the bumper.If the glass is cracked or chipped, it must be repaired as soon as possible. Self-repair of auto glass is a rather complicated procedure that requires special tools and materials. For beginners in this difficult task, it is recommended to start by eliminating minor damage. Large and complex cracks are often not repaired even by specialists. The glasses are simply replaced with new ones. Image - DIY windshield repair tool

As soon as damage is detected on the glass of the car, appropriate measures must be taken immediately so that later this damage can be easier to repair.

Place a crack or chip with several layers of paper and tape it so that the tape covers the entire surface of the paper. This is necessary in order to prevent the penetration of dust and moisture into the damage cavity and to facilitate the repair of the car glass with your own hands.

Instead of trying to properly repair the crack, do not try to rub the crack with glue, or wash and rub the damaged area. Because of this, a web of small cracks can form, and because of the glue that has filled the entire cleavage space, it will be impossible to perform high-quality repairs.

If you need to drive a car with damaged glass, you need to do it smoothly, avoiding all irregularities. Excessive shaking will increase the crack.

Strong temperature changes contribute to the growth of damage.

Therefore, do not turn on the stove or air conditioner at full power. Try to use less windshield wipers and washers.

Do not postpone car glass repair indefinitely. Minor damages are repaired easier, faster and better.

Optical glue is needed from materials. It is a special liquid polymer, colorless and completely transparent after solidification. There are one-component and two-component adhesives. In the latter version, the polymer consists of 2 parts, which must be mixed according to the instructions before use.

When choosing an optical adhesive, pay attention to its density. For small chips and cracks, it needs high penetrating power and low density. Repair of auto glass with large open damage requires a polymer with high strength and high density.

An important indicator of optical glue is the transparency coefficient. You must also pay attention to it, it must correspond to the transparency of the auto glass being repaired. The transparency coefficient of auto glass is specified in the operating instructions or in the repair manual. In extreme cases, you can find it on the official website of the automaker.

Check in advance the polymerization time of the composition.

For convenience, this time should not exceed 24 hours. Ask the manufacturer of the composition. For example, the repair of automotive glass with materials made in the United States often does not withstand domestic climatic conditions.Be sure to check the expiration date of your optical glue.

Try not to skimp on the polymer composition. Never try to repair car glass with liquid glass or sealant. It is impossible to achieve even satisfactory results with such materials, and after their use, the glass can simply be thrown away. It will not give in to alteration.

Of the auxiliary materials, cleaning agents for auto glass are required: napkins, rags, cleaning fluids, degreasing solvents. You also need special blades to remove excess glue.

Of the tools, the first thing you need is a bridge with an injector. It is necessary to fill the cleavage space with optical glue. Both plastic and metal bridges are commercially available. Plastic ones are much cheaper, metal ones give a higher quality of car glass repair. Steel models can be reused, while plastic ones are intended for single use only.

For glasses with a strong bend, you need to purchase bridges with three supports, for flat and slightly curved ones - with two legs. Suction cups on supports can be pump, lever-vacuum or conventional. Each of them is good in its own way: the pump pump is more convenient on vertical surfaces, the lever-vacuum one gives equally good results anywhere in the glass, ordinary suction cups allow you to fill long cracks by sliding the bridge along the damage.

A drill with a diamond drill should drill in modes from 5 to 10 thousand revolutions per minute and smoothly adjust the rotational speed within these limits.

For the convenience of work, you need not an ordinary drill, but a micro drill with the ability to connect to the vehicle's 12 V on-board network.

The pump for removing air from the damage cavity is a scriber. In addition to its main function, it is used to cleanse the repair site from the smallest particles of glass and dirt, to create additional chips in order to relieve stress in the area of the main damage or in the places of drilling.

Professionals prefer to use steel automatic parting pumps with a special spring device to create additional chips. Their main advantage is the precisely calculated impact force when creating a chip, which is guaranteed to create this chip, but at the same time will not lead to the formation of a crack on the entire surface of the auto glass.The UV lamp accelerates the curing (polymerization) process of the optical adhesive.This is a useful but optional tool. The peculiarity of the lamp is that its efficiency does not depend on the power of the lamp, but on the type of bulb used and the characteristics of the polymer itself.All automotive glass is divided into 2 categories: triplex and stalinite. Triplex glass is relatively easy to repair. As a rule, they are installed as a windshield, sometimes as a rear, rarely as side ones.Glasses of the Stalinite type are very hard, but at the same time they are quite fragile. It is difficult even for professionals to repair them, since with any careless handling they crumble to pieces. Most often, stalinite can be found on the side windows of a car, sometimes on the rear window. The windshield of the Stalinite type has not been used since the 50s - 60s of the twentieth century. Image - DIY windshield repair tool

It is possible to independently repair glass chips with rays up to 3 cm and linear cracks up to 15–20 cm long. More extensive damage is within the power of specialists in their field. Specialized centers do not always undertake such work, or provide a limited warranty for their work. Especially in cases where a car windshield repair is required at its lower edge.

The basic rule when self-repairing damage is to try to eliminate them at an early stage, without waiting for a small chip or scratch to turn into large cracks.

It is better to entrust large damage to professionals or replace the glass completely with a new one.

Do-it-yourself auto glass repair begins with the preparatory stage. On it, the glass being repaired must be thoroughly cleaned, degreased and dried. In this case, it is better to use cleaning agents to a minimum and press on the glass. This can exacerbate the damage.

Usually, at the preparatory stage, they try not to wash the glass, since moisture can get into the space between the laminated glass layers, and it will become impossible to dry it. But if the chip or crack is heavily soiled, there is no alternative to washing.

When repairing a chip, it is recommended to carefully clean it with a diamond drill, and then blow the resulting cavity with a strong stream of air. A compressor, pump, or household vacuum cleaner can be used to create airflow.

Residues of dust and glass are removed directly from the damage cavity with a special pump - a scriber.

After the completion of the preparatory work, the injector is installed on the repaired place so that it is located exactly opposite the center of the cleavage. Use a tape measure, ruler, or laser distance meter to get the accuracy you want. With the help of adjusting screws, the injector is set strictly parallel to the surface of the auto glass.

The polymer is mixed (if using a two-part adhesive) according to the instructions and injected into the injector using a syringe. The latter, in most cases, is sold complete with an injector. Then, using the injection piston, the material is injected under pressure into the damaged cavity. The piston is deepened until all air bubbles come out of the cleavage cavity. It is more convenient to control the presence of these bubbles with a powerful lamp or flashlight.

In cases where the chip is deep, the procedure for filling it with glue has to be repeated several times. It is recommended to calculate in advance the required amount of polymer and, just in case, introduce a little more of the composition.After that, the injector is carefully removed, cleaned and washed. Excess polymer composition is carefully removed with a dry napkin.As soon as the optical adhesive comes into contact with air, the polymer begins to solidify. Its curing time is indicated in the instructions for use. You can speed up the process with an ultraviolet lamp. During the polymerization of the glue, it is better to seal the repaired area with a finishing film so that dust or moisture does not get on the glue.At the final stage, using a blade, the excess polymer is once again removed, and the glass itself is carefully polished.The procedure for repairing a crack is more complicated in comparison with the process of sealing a chip. First of all, the glass is also cleaned, degreased, dried and blown with air.The area around the crack is scrubbed.At the second stage of the repair, stress is relieved along the crack. For this, holes are drilled with a diamond drill at a distance of 1–2, but not more than 5 mm from the edge of the cracks. The distance between the holes should be 30-50 mm. The depth of the holes should not exceed half the thickness of the auto glass itself, since the film is located in this place of the triplex. You need to drill the holes carefully, trying to expand the crack to the holes themselves, but so as not to accidentally drill through the glass. Image - DIY windshield repair tool

With the help of an injector, the cavity of the crack (and the holes made) along the entire length is filled with optical glue. The injector is installed on the edge of the crack, and then sequentially rearranged along it. Injectors with conventional suction cups can be sliding to a new location, which significantly saves time and effort.

At the final stage of repairing a chip or crack, it is advisable to polish the repaired surface.

This will allow you to achieve up to 95% transparency when restoring the windshield with your own hands.

It should be remembered that polymer glue is a rather toxic material, therefore it is not recommended to inhale its vapors. In addition, it is necessary to protect the skin, eyes and car body from this adhesive.

What to do if a chip appears on the windshield? Try to repair the glass as quickly as possible, because due to vibrations and temperature changes, even a small chip can turn into a large crack. You can remove a crack or chip on the windshield at a service station or using a special kit.

You can buy a special set at a price of 300 rubles. It should include: a syringe with a repair compound, an applicator for filling in chips and rings with a sticky surface for installing the applicator on the glass. Additionally required: blade and food film. Using the kit, you can repair a crack in the windshield up to 20 cm in length.

The windshield must be clean, dry and cool (not exposed to sunlight).

Procedure:

Remove shards of glass from the chip (with a vacuum cleaner or a pin).
Remove the protective film from the ring from the set and stick the ring on the chip (the protrusion should be directed upwards).
Remove the protective film from the other side of the ring and install the applicator on the ring (align the projections).
Insert the syringe into the hole of the applicator.
Pull the syringe plunger to the mark and turn it to fix it with a stopper (wait 30 seconds for air to come out of the chip).
Release the piston from the stopper (the piston will go down).
Press the piston gently until resistance appears.
The procedure for removing air (points 5-7) is repeated 3-4 times.

Release the syringe plunger and leave it in the down position for 15 minutes.
Check the filling of the chip with the repair compound (from the inside of the glass). If there are voids, repeat the air removal procedure (points 5-7).
Remove the applicator and the remnants of the ring with a blade.
Cover the chip with cling film.
Put the car in the sun for 20 minutes to polymerize the compound (on a cloudy day for 1 hour).

The windshield must be clean, dry and cool (not exposed to sunlight).Procedure:

Place the syringe firmly on the edge of the crack.

Squeeze out the repair compound by moving the syringe (from the end of the crack to the beginning) slowly and smoothly along the crack. In order for the repair compound to completely fill the crack, lightly press on the glass under the crack.

Cover the crack with cling film.

Put the car in the sun for 20 minutes to polymerize the composition (on a cloudy day for 1 hour).

To stop the crack in the windshield, you will need to drill the glass, for this, seek the help of specialists. If the number of cracks on the glass is large and they cannot be repaired, then the windshield should be replaced (instructions).

Video (click to play).

If the crack is in the driver's line of sight, then such vehicle operation will not be safe. By the way, do you know which washer nozzles do their job better?