DIY car glass repair

In detail: do-it-yourself car glass repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The technology of car glass repair has long been no secret for a wide mass of motorists. And, if 15 years ago, even knowing the technology, we could hardly repair the windshield. There was a certain shortage of materials and equipment.

A modern car owner, today can undergo training in auto glass repair, so to speak, remotely, externally. To do this, we have the Internet with training materials on how to make auto glass repair, videos and manual descriptions of various do-it-yourself auto glass repair methods.

People's experience is a great force, especially when it comes to car repairs. Almost any model of any brand today is represented on the Internet by a forum of owners, where you will find the answer to any question regarding your car.

And we start it by remembering the structure of car glasses and their types. You have not forgotten that only triplex glasses are repairable.

You saw that there is a chip or crack on the windshield of the car. If there is a chip, then repair of the chip is needed, but this is not so scary yet. But if there is a glass crack, then follow a couple of simple recommendations for processing the crack. Estimation of the area of damage in relation to cracks. If the crack is one and small, then in this case, auto glass repair is carried out by hand and is no less effective than in the service.

If the cracks "scattered" on the windshield, then it is best to consult a specialist. Perhaps replacing the windshield will cost a little more than repairing. The only difference is that the quality of the repair cannot be guaranteed for a long time. And the new is the new. Decide.

Video (click to play).

Depending on the defect, we prepare the necessary materials and proceed to eliminate the trouble. Clearing chips and cracks from dirt and dust, regardless of whether the defect was formed today or two days ago. Any repair of windshields is subject to the same repair technology, and amateur performance or hope for "maybe" is not the best help.

Cleaning of the repair site is carried out with special compounds, you remove micro fragments, dirt. Rinse, purge and dry the repair site. Degrease the surface with alcohol. That's it, now we proceed directly to the operation to restore the auto glass.

The chip is repaired using a special repair kit. It includes: an injector, a syringe and a glue-polymer. The glue can be either one-component or two-component. With the second, there are a little more mixing operations.

Installing the injector over the place of repair. According to the instructions for the set, everything is very clear. Locking cup and "nipple" for the syringe.

Polymer injection... Glue-polymer is drawn into the syringe, according to the same instructions. Then we insert the syringe into the "nipple" of the injector. There should be at least two swings. This process, both in terms of time and algorithm, is described in the instructions. In each case, there may be peculiarities, so it makes no sense to describe the procedure in detail.

On average for all polymers, polymerization takes 4 to 8 hours. After the glue has completely dried, clean the place of repair from excess polymer (building knife or razor blade). Polish the place of repair or completely the entire windshield, and go.

This operation will require a little more time and other equipment to repair. The glass crack repair kit remains the same. Accordingly, the operations are all repeated. The only difference is in preparing the crack for repair.In this case, you will need an electric drill with a diamond drill.

At a distance of 3-5 mm. holes must be drilled from both edges of the crack. These holes will help relieve internal stress from the glass so that the crack does not continue its historical development in an unpredictable direction.

Remember that while driving, the glass, like all parts of the car, is subject to vibrations transmitted from the body. After drilling the holes, proceed to repair the car glass using the polymer injection.

The final stage of the repair is car glass polishing. Like this. Minimal time and financial costs, and do-it-yourself auto glass repair convinced you once again that everything that is created by human hands and human hands is being repaired. So why can't it be your hands.

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.

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Defects are filled with polymer, but you can not use the car until the glue dries well... You can quickly dry it using an ultraviolet lamp, after dropping PL-106 polymer onto the treated place and covering it with a special film from the kit. The film is smoothed out, and a lamp is installed over the windshield for 5-6 minutes.

When the surface dries, the lamp and the film are removed, and the treated areas are cleaned of excess glue. A blade is used for this, which must be held perpendicular to the triplex. The cleaned surface is wiped with a napkin and rubbed with a special polish.

After the repair, damage should not be noticeable. You can only see them if you look closely.

If the damage is small and there is no time to glue them thoroughly, you can use the tools at hand.

A new crack that has appeared on the triplex must be immediately closed from dust and dirt, so that it can be easily cleaned during repairs. You can use ordinary stationery tape, gluing the place of damage inside and outside with it.

A thin crack can be varnished with a colorless varnish to prevent damage from growing. The varnish is applied on both sides in a thin layer. It should dry well. Even the rains cannot wash off the varnish... It can hold out on glass for several years.

Using these tools, you can prepare a composition that is suitable for repairing damage to the windshield. Recipe:

In a glass container, mix turpentine and acetone in a 1: 3 ratio.
Cut the styrofoam into small pieces and add them to the solution.
When the foam dissolves, it should be viscous and transparent.
The solution is mixed and chips or cracks are filled with a thin brush or syringe.

The adhesive hardens quickly, so it must be used immediately, applying to damage in small portions.

In any hardware store you can buy a silicone-based adhesive and apply it directly from a tube to damage. If the crack is thin, you can use a syringe. The cavities are filled with silicone slowly to avoid air entrapment. The glue can dry from 12 hours to a day.... After that it can be covered with clear varnish.If you have a little experience and a special kit, you can repair the glass yourself with your own hands. However, if the damage is serious or you are in doubt about your ability, contact a car service that solders the windshield. There, with the help of special equipment, they will quickly be able to solder almost any chips and cracks. After such a renovation, the triplex will look like new.Before we deal with the types of equipment for auto glass repair, we need to decide on technologies and terms. Modern cars are named.The windshield of a car (in everyday life it is also often called "windshield" or "windshield") is one of the most vulnerable elements of a car. Kog.Almost any scratches can be repaired with quality glass polishing wheels. Thanks to high-quality abrasives, they grind damaged.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 razor.
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).

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?

Everyone has happened to get into situations when, during normal driving, a stone flies out from under the wheels of a car driving in front of you. In this case, the windshield of a car is often damaged in the form of cracks. And then what to do if you do not have extra time and money, and this unfortunate, albeit small, crack does not give you peace of mind? You are quite capable of coping with this ailment on your own and without outside help, without resorting to the services of a car service. Here are 4 easy ways to glue a crack on your windshield with your own hands.

The first step, of course, is to prepare the cracked glass for repair. To do this, first rinse the glass with water and detergent, and then wipe it dry with a clean cloth. It is very important that there is no water and dust in the crack area, since in this case the glue will not adhere well.After the glass has dried, the surface must be degreased. We take a synthetic fabric (leaves no villi behind) and moisten it in acetone or solvent. Well, here are 4 easy ways:

1 way. Silicone glue

This is the easiest way. We apply glue directly from a tube or using a medical syringe. The cavity should be filled slowly and gradually, avoiding air bubbles. We leave the work done for a day until it dries completely. Depending on the type of silicone, the repaired area will take 12 to 24 hours to dry. For reliability, the former crack can be covered with a thin layer of clear varnish.

Method 2. Polyfoam + acetone + turpentine

What is needed here is already clear. We mix acetone and turpentine (3: 1, that is, there will be three times more acetone) in a glass jar. Next, in the resulting solution, you need to crumble the foam into small pieces (the smaller the pieces of foam are, the faster the reaction occurs). Stir, wait a bit for the foam to dissolve, and the mass becomes transparent and viscous. This glue quickly hardens, so you need to do it in small portions and use immediately after preparation. The resulting glue can be applied to the crack with a syringe or fine brush.

Method 3. Clear nail polish

If the crack in the glass is very thin, cover it with clear nail polish. Such bonding is able to prevent crack growth, and should last for about 3 or more years. Apply a thin layer of varnish on both sides and wait until it dries completely. The varnish applied from the outside of the window will not wash away the rains.

Method 4. Stationery tape

It is best, as soon as a crack has formed on the glass, to seal it with ordinary stationery tape to protect it from dirt and dust, and also to prevent its growth. It is enough to glue the damaged area on both sides. Of course, such repairs are short-lived, and soon you will have to take more serious measures.

Trouble can happen at any time: on the windshield, suddenly, you find a chip or crack. The most offensive thing is that you can foresee this situation, but you can hardly avoid it. The issue of a malfunction (chip, crack) of the windshield must be treated philosophically, and if this is not fatal damage, when, unambiguously, the replacement of the autoglass is required, then there is a way out. Either you go to a car service, or do your own car glass repairs.

Car glass repair is a serious undertaking and requires your patience and understanding of the goal. Glaziers have different estimates of the length or area of damage to the glass of a car that can be repaired. At one of the forums, the figure of the total length of the repaired cracks on the windshield was even announced - 3 meters. This is a clear overkill, most likely the car was being prepared for sale. Not serious.

The simplest option is when the glass is simply overwritten. As a rule, this happens due to the incorrect installation of the "wipers". In this case, auto glass repair is not required, you just need to polish the glass.

The second option is a stone chip. Chipping is not a cause for particular concern, but you must try to eliminate it immediately. So that later, after a certain period of movement, it does not turn into a crack on the glass. Car glass repair with a chip will also require you to know the technology of car glass repair.

Well, the most unpleasant moment is the cracks on the glass. The cause of the crack may be a stone, a chip removed at the wrong time, a defect in the geometry of the car body, or poor-quality glass. Automotive glass repair technology will require certain materials, tools and desires from you. In principle, there is nothing difficult, but you will need attention and patience.

Important! If a crack appears on the glass while driving, follow a few rules:

Turn off the blowing of the windshield (if it is on) in order to eliminate the temperature difference.
Reduce speed to minimum to avoid strong body vibration.
When driving on rough terrain, choose a route so as to minimize the effect of "twisting" of the body.
Get to the place of deployment, determine the loss (size of cracks) and start repairing the glass of the car.

In order to carry out high-quality and efficient repair of auto glass, you will need a "repair minimum:

Optical adhesive (polymer). Initially liquid. Should have a transparency coefficient the same as that of glass. It is better to choose polymers with a short curing time. The technology of auto glass repair is thus improving.

Bridge and injector for introducing polymer into injury. It is better to purchase the bridge and injector from metal, because plastic are limited in terms of use. Although you are not going to repair auto glass every day.