A small rock kicked up by a passing truck can damage your windshield, taking a big chip out of it. Over time, this chip will usually spider out with cracks until your whole windshield is ruined and needs to be replaced. If you are quick about it, however, you may be able to fix the chip before it gets any worse. A good windshield repair job looks almost just like new.
Instructions
1. Make sure you are only dealing with a rock chip. A running crack is nearly impossible to fix with a rock chip repair kit. You can try, but you will probably end up having to replace your windshield anyway. Do the repair as quickly as possible, since a chip can become a running crack.
2. Get a windshield repair kit such as the one linked to below.You can order DIY windshield repair kits or buy them at auto parts stores.
3. Park your car inside on a dry day. You don't want to do this repair when it is humid or really cold. Clean the crack out with a little bit of acetone on a clean cloth. Be careful, since acetone will remove your car's paint.
4. Use the corner of a razor blade to scrape out any loose pieces of glass or dirt. Acetone will get grime out of the crack, but there may still be pebbles or small chips of glass in there.
5. Attach the repair alignment tool so that it is directly above the crack. In most kits, there are 4 suction cups with a threaded hole in between them. You want this threaded hole directly above the chip.
6. Screw the repair tube tightly into the alignment tool. The repair tube is a small, threaded tube with a rubber tip. Get inside the car and make sure that it is pressed against the rock chip. If it isn't, unscrew it and move the alignment tool to the right place.
7. Put two drops of resin into the repair tube (or however many the instructions say) and quickly screw the plunger down as tightly as you can. Once you have tightened it, loosen it halfway for a few seconds to let any air bubbles escape, then tighten it again. Let it sit for about a minute, then remove the whole alignment tool.
8. Carefully lay the finishing film on top of the repair. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes and remove it.
9. Use the razor blade to scrape off any bumps in the resin. The chip should be almost invisible.
Tags: alignment tool, repair tube, rock chip, windshield repair, blade scrape, directly above, razor blade
