How does Sand Damage the Windshield?

Windshields damaged by sand are hazardous for both personal as well as commercial vehicle operators. You must never take it lightly as there are major risks associated with the same. While a good insurance policy will cover an Alto or Wagon R front glass price but your safety is something of which you yourself must take care.

Although it only requires a repair job to fix a sandblasted windshield, a replacement becomes essential in extreme conditions, especially in case of commercial vehicles.  Here is everything you need to know about sandblasted windshields and how to take care of it.

What exactly is sandblasted windshield?
The presence of dust and sand on roads is inevitable. You might have often noticed tiny particles of sand and dust hitting your windshield while driving on the road. Although the size of these particles is small enough to cause any substantial damage, the condition might worsen over an extended period of time. You will not even realize how fast small chips develop into cracks. Hence, appropriate measures must be taken to restore your car windshield immediately.

What is the reason behind sandblasted windshield?
• Tailgating
If you are in the habit of tailgating, then your car will be prone to a sandblasted windshield. The impact of sand on the windshield increases when you are driving close to a vehicle in front of you. The rear tires throwback particles of sand towards your windshield. Hence, it is always mandatory to maintain considerable gap between the vehicle in front of you.

• The surrounding environment
Where you drive and what type of vehicle you own also plays a great role. It is natural for your windshield to incur more sand damage if you drive around construction sites or farms. Not only is the particle size bigger in such areas, but they hit your windshield at high speeds as well.

The impact of sandblasted windshield 
One thing that gets severely affected is the visibility. When you drive out especially during sunny days, the pits in your windshield can blur your vision. These pits will further deteriorate the condition and eventually warrant a replacement.

Ways to prevent windshield sand damage
While maintenance is the key to keeping your vehicle in good shape and the windshield shouldn’t be ignored either. Here are some of the ways you can follow to ensure the same:

• Frequent cleaning - Regular cleaning is the most important step to take care of the windshield. It is necessary, however, to use the right products. Avoid products containing ammonia as they can cause substantial damage to the rubber, plastic, vinyl and other materials. The fumes released by these cleaners are also dangerous for the passengers.

• Careful parking - Be careful while parking your car and do not do so just anywhere you find space. Always park your car in a garage or covered area so that rain and sun don’t affect the windshield.

• Replacing the windshield wipers - Wipers play an important role in keeping the rain and dirt off your windshield. Hence replacing your wipers every six months is essential to maintain the windshield.

Read More

Windshield Repair and Replacement – Things to Know

The importance of car maintenance cannot be stressed enough. While you may be particular about servicing the engine and replacing the accessories of your vehicle, the car windshield often gets overlooked. A car's windshield lends primary support to the roof of your car. It acts as a barrier between the exterior and the cabin and is also one of the most important components that facilitate the safety of the car and its occupants. The windshield is a very sturdy piece of glass and even when completely shattered, it is designed to break into blunt, harmless pieces. Repairing or replacing the windshield, however, may be a tricky decision and here are a few points to keep in mind before you head to the auto shop.

Find the right option – Repair with the help of chemical treatment may help temporarily but in the long run, replacing the glass will save added expenditure and retain the integrity of the car.

The perfect fit – Finding the perfect fit in terms of make and model when it comes to windshield replacement is essential. Leading car manufacturers such as Skoda and Volkswagen have numerous car models and variants. If you are looking for a Skoda Laura windshield replacement ensure buying an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) car glass. Do not be persuaded by local windshield centers to skimp on the costs and use a glass that is not a perfect match.

Find a professional – Auto repair shops are very common in India. In fact, most major cities have auto markets with a number of repair shops. The problem, however, is that not many of them are professionals. A poorly installed windshield can cause more damage and put your safety at risk. It could also mean additional and recurrent costs. Find a professional to repair or replace the car glass. Word of mouth recommendations and online reviews of auto shops help. Once you have narrowed down your choices to about 3 or 4 shops, ask for price quotes and compare prices. Do factor in the installation charges. What this means is that while the Skoda windshield price may remain the same, the installation charges of different auto shops may vary.

Replacement takes time – windscreen installation is a time-consuming process. Do not expect it to be done in an hour’s time. Also, do not hurry the auto repairman. The urethane and other chemicals used in the installation process require a few hours’ time to seal the bond.

Delay increases damage – The most important thing to consider is that delaying repair or replacement of the car’s windshield will only add to the problems. Delay may put your car and its occupants at serious risk and damage the vehicle further.

Read More

Your Guide to Windshield Care in Winter

With winter looking to arrive in the coming months, your car would need adequate servicing to be able to withstand the cold. Low temperatures have a huge effect on the car and its vital parts, often detrimental in nature. While servicing the engine and other moving parts of the car is often on top of the getting-the-car-ready-for-winter checklist for many, we tend to miss out on taking care of the front windshield glass.

Winter can cause damage to the windshield in the form of cracking and loss of visibility. Here are a few expert tips to prevent such a thing from occurring to your windshield in the cold:

1. Don’t remove ice or snow from the windshield with the wipers.

If you’re living in a snow-prone area, doing so will cause scratches and chip marks on the windshield. Always use an ice-scraper to clear the snow or the ice.

2. Keep the wipers in the raised position when the car is parked outside in the cold.
This will prevent the wiper blades from sticking to the windshield due to the freezing cold, and save you from unnecessary windshield repairs.

3. Use an anti-freeze agent in your wiper fluid.
If you are already using it, then make sure to check if it hasn’t evaporated due to the summer heat. If you are not using the anti-freeze agent, then fill up the windshield washer reservoir with a water-based anti-freeze solution immediately.

4. Defrost the wiper fluid reservoir with a hair dryer.
In case you find the reservoir or the washer fluid to be frozen already, do not panic. A few minutes of the hair dryer treatment should do the trick. If the opening is visible, but the inside is frozen, then adding more anti-freeze solution might help.

5. Ensure that the car heater directs air flow towards the windshield properly.
You don’t want to get your windshield all fogged up on a winter drive under any circumstances. Maintenance of the air conditioner is very important, especially before the winter sets in.
  
Follow the above mentioned tips to navigate your car, and its windshield, unscathed through the winter. Keep in mind that any substantial damage to the windshield, either front or the back, due to the winter cannot be repaired. Your only option then would be to get the windshield replaced.

Read More