Fall is the perfect time to check your vehicle for chips, cracks and general gunk. The winter will bring ice, freezing rain, snow and extreme cold conditions. With the elements, it also brings sand, salt, rocks and other flying debris. To maximize your safety and to protect the life of your windshield, follow our top windshield tips.
Windshield Tips:
Windshield Maintenance
A windshield is an investment and it is important to keep your windshield in the best shape possible for your safety. A few tips to help you achieve this goal are:
- Repair or replace your windshield when it is chipped or cracked
- Replace your wiper blades every six months
- Keep your windshield clean
Rock Chips
Sounds obvious, but avoiding rock chips is the best way to keep your windshield in great shape.
- Always stay a good distance behind other vehicles when on the road
- Avoid following behind large vehicles or semi-trucks with big wheels, especially if they don’t have mud flaps
- Avoid driving fast or too closely on any gravel surface
If you happen to get a rock chip on your windshield, have the damaged repaired as soon as possible. If left, the chip can spread and crack your glass. A cracked windshield is extremely unsafe and is a much more expensive repair.
Wiper Replacement
The recommended time for replacing your wipers is every six months. At a minimum, replace wipers once a year. Winter weather is especially hard on your wipers. Salt or sand that is spread on the icy roads can become embedded in your wipers and scratch the surface of your windshield causing poor visibility.
Windshield Cleaning
- Clean rubber element every time you fill your gas tank by wiping it gently with a soft cloth.
- When hand washing your car, use a small amount of non-abrasive glass cleaner on a wet sponge to clean both the windshield and the rubber wiping elements.
Cold Weather
With excessive humidity, freezing and cold exposure in the winter, your vehicle’s auto glass is at risk of a variety of problems including cracking and shattering. Here are a few tips to beat the upcoming cold.
Be careful when chipping ice from your windshield
- Invest in a proper scraper to remove ice from your windshield to avoid scratches
- Scrape your vehicle from the side
- Never use other tactics like hot water to defrost your windshield
- Ensure your safety by not driving until you can see through your entire windshield
Watch your chips and cracks
Cold weather quickly spread chips and cracks. If your windshield chips, don’t turn your defrost on or it may spread the chip to an unrepairable crack. Let the cars vents defrost the windshield slowly. Too fast of a temperature change is more likely to spread a chip to a crack.
If you have any chips or cracks this fall, contact GoGlass to repair them. Be proactive with chips and cracks. Moisture seeps into cracks and freezes, then expanding in warmer weather. Always remember, safety first.