The windshield on your car or truck serves many purposes, and there are some times that you need to consider replacing it with a new one. An automotive glass shop can help you determine if you need a new windshield or not, but if you are not sure, take the car in and let them look at it for you.

Cracks or Damage to the Glass

The windshield can pick up damage from many different situations, but the most common is from a rock or road debris hitting the glass. The impact of the debris is not likely to shatter the glass, but it can chip or crack it. Once a crack forms in the glass, the solution is to repair the crack or replace the glass. 

Take the car or truck in and have an auto glass technician look at it to determine if the crack is repairable or if the entire windshield needs replacing. The tech will measure the size of the crack, look for areas that appear to be moving or expanding, and check the depth of the crack to determine how severe the damage is. 

Leaking Glass

The windshield can leak over time, but determining the reason for the leak is critical. The seal on the glass may be bad, the car body could have a rust hole at the edge of the glass, or the urethane glue on the glass may no longer be holding correctly. 

If you have a leak around the glass, have a glass shop check the leak. In most cases, a leak won't require a new windshield. However, if the glass cracks around the edge where the seal is, pulling it out and replacing the seal is not likely to work.  There is a high probability that the glass will break at the chip when the technician tries to remove it from the car. 

Damage from an Accident

If you are involved in a collision or accident, the damage to your car may not directly involve the windshield, but it may change the structure, causing the windshield frame to put pressure on the glass. This could cause it to crack. Sometimes this can happen minutes after the accident, and other times it can be a week later. It is difficult to predict, but if your car has a lot of damage, the body shop may need to pull the glass and replace it when they repair the vehicle. 

To learn more about windshield cracks, contact a company that offers windshield replacement services in your area.

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