Chip in Windshield

[PaViper]

I managed to have a rock hit my windshield today. It left a mark about the size of the head of a pin that you can feel with your fingernail. Has anybody ever had this cause a problem later on. Don't know whether I should have it repaired or not

 

[RedEnuf93]

Yes,
Mine cracked (5-7"long) almost a year after initial chip... It was replaced at a cost of $400.

Lauri

 

[Frank 03SRT]

If you take it into an auto glass shop, they can stop any further spread. Better hurry though. They fill it with some sort of resin glue, I believe.

I waited too long on mine and it spread a couple inches --- too late.

 

[Hisserman]

Frank's got the best suggestion -- unless you have a low deductible on your insurance.

 

[PaViper]

Someone just told me that the insurance company will fix it for free just so you don't have to get a windshield later

 

[ChoiceViper]

Yes. Most insurance companies will pay for the repair and waive any deductable. They would rather pay for a $40-$60 repair than have to replace the entire windshield. The crack will eventually spread, and sooner or later the whole thing will need to be replaced. I caught a rock chip a while back, had it repaired by a reputable glass shop. Didn't cost me a dime, and now you can't even tell it was ever damaged. Your "pin head" sized chip sounds smaller than the "shirt button" sized chip I had. Depends on what type of crack you have, but even the bad ones are barely noticeable after a good repair is done.

 

[Doc.]

I agree with the above. I've had several windshields repaired on cars that had a 500.00 deductable and the insurance company has always paid for it.The repair shop handles everything for you so it is no hassle. I've even had them come out and do it at my residence.

Doc

 

[TacDoc]

Took my SRT to Nashville this weekend, caught one stone down and one on the way back, what luck. Insurance sent out repairman, no charge. They said if it needed replaced later they would waive deductable.

 

[Sam Vipeme Brasile]

Have a dime size chip on my 95, it happen the summer of 98. Went to a glass place to have it fixed, but they wouldn't gaurantee it from spreading. 5 1/2 years later still the same size, but im sure if I drove the car in the colder months and had to run the defrosters, it would probably get bigger.
Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[DG Viper]

One thing to possibly note... if the chip is directly in your line of sight, they may not repair it.

I had a very small chip, probably about the same size as yours, and they deemed it was in my line of sight (I would have to look up to see it... so it wasn't like it was directly in front of me) and they wouldn't touch it. Not sure if that is common just to Indiana, or if that is everywhere.

Was able to get a resin fix myself, now good as new - at least for now.

 

[joe117]

"It left a mark about the size of the head of a pin that you can feel with your fingernail."

That's a very small chip. It doesn't sound like the kind that spread, but you never know.

I thought the repair everyone is talking about was for chips that had a little spider web to them.

I wonder if a pinhead size chip would hold the filler that they use.

I'd like to hear what the glass repair guy tells you.

 

[PaViper]

Just got back from the glass repair place, they said that it was just a surface abrasion, and that it was not deep enough to get moisture in and cause further problems. They said that in order to fix it they would have to drill the hole bigger and fill it. He said it should not cause a problem. At least now I can stop worrying about it.

 

[Magicboy2]

I had no idea about the free insurance thing for windshield chips. I called my agent today (Allstate) and surely enough, she said they'd take care of it for free.

Learn somethin new every day!

 

[agentf1]

I had one done on my benz and you can barely see it. Let me know if you need the # of the people that do it.