Had my first Crackout today.

[Mr Bill]

Today I had my first crackout. It was 2 chips side by side about 3/8 inch apart but connected by a crack. It was near the frit at the top of the WS.
The car was a Mitsubishi. ( Large frit )
Anyway, the frit area heated up in the sun while the rest of the WS stayed about 20 degrees cooler.
I was probing a crack leg and it started to get longer. Then a crack appeared on the other side of the break.
I was using the UV bubble.
The lady didnt get mad, since she had already noticed that the damage was growing.
I did another repair on another car at the same location and it turned out OK.
The life of a WS repairman can be intense sometimes!

[stihlcarven]

Hey Mr. Bill....I also had my first crack out ever last week.....was a bad star damage....put the tool on and in a few seconds it split out about an inch off each side...I drilled the cracks...they both split past my drill point...repeated 3 times on each side till it finally decided to stop splitting....I believe that sometimes a windshield can be installed with a slight twist to it causing an uneven pressure variation across the glass...causing them to sometimes "tear" while you attempt repair...this is of course the opinion of only myself and could likely be incorrect....I just couldn't explain how the crack was moving past my drill holes....oh well, my customer was also very good about it like yours....nothen you can do about 1 out of several hundred not goin as planned....

[Starbrite]

Not sure if any of this info helps. But I most often find during the spring that inside layer of glass can be 30-50 degrees warmer then outside layer. (especially when interior trim is dark or black) Have to check prior to repair that both surfaces are close in temp. If not, open windows, doors and let them equal prior to applying any pressure or bridge.

[just chippen away]

If you feel any better an old timer had a crack out at 8:30 this morning also. Doors open, had an umbrella to keep the W/S cool as possible. and popped 10" Customer delt with it better than myself...
Just tells me summer is here.

[Fuzz]

I am curious as too how you guys handled it afterward. If you were not able to complete the repair, did you not charge anything or did you pay for the windshield?

I assume since i keep hearing that the customers were not mad or anything that there was no charge and they didnt expect you to pay for a windshield. Is that a correct assumption?

[stihlcarven]

I am curious as too how you guys handled it afterward. If you were not able to complete the repair, did you not charge anything or did you pay for the windshield?

I assume since i keep hearing that the customers were not mad or anything that there was no charge and they didnt expect you to pay for a windshield. Is that a correct assumption?

....I didn't charge for the repair...even though the customer did bring me a broken windshield to fix....I made sure that it was finally complete after the final crack out measure larger than a foot. I dont believe they will be back with an issue on the repair but not charging them for that repair and explaning how rare it was and that maybe today would be a good day to buy a lotto ticket might persuade them to return with a new damage should one occur.

[Mr Bill]

Correct!
The WS was already broken.
Before the repair, I had explained that breaks close to the frit were more unstable due to heat stress. The frit is always hotter than the WS because it is black and absorbs infrared (heat).
Ask the customer if they have ever washed a glass in hot water and then rinsed it in cold water and had it crack. The crack was caused by heat stress.
I was trying to stop the damage from growing.
The lady even asked me how much I wanted for trying to fix it.
There was no charge.

[Starbrite]

Bill,

Unfortunately, a crack out can occur for something you did do wrong or didn't do wrong. It happens! Do what you have to do for the customer and yourself and leave it behind you. Look forward to next repair and don't look back. You'll feel much better!

[Fuzz]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I have read several posts in the past about WSR techs paying for a new windshield if it cracked out during an attempted repair. I found it kind of strange seeing that the windshield was broken to begin with and the service they were providing was a high percentage attempt to save the windshield and save the owner potentially hundreds of dollars.

I don't disagree with the approach of purchasing a new windshield, especially when it was totally the fault of the tech, since it could be a big plus when they talk to others about you.

I also see the flipside of that approach being that when they do talk about you they will likely tell the story and the person they are talking to will remember that you made it worse. Also they would expect you to replace theirs were something to happen.

I think I will take the waiver approach on the invoice as well as educate each customer on what exactly a windshield repair is for, the odds of a failed attempt at repair and why sometimes crack outs happen during the process.

[paulrsf]

Also had a crack out today. Real bummer when it happens. I was about to repair a small star break (about 1/3" ). The car was parked in semi shade and the damage was about 2 mos. old. I had to treat for Rainex/wax as the car owner often took the car through a car wash. I used a lighter two separate times to evaporate a little bit of moister and to liquify the rainex before using some steel wool to remove it from the windshield. I believe the temperature of the glass was still to hot to apply the bridge and with just a minimum of pressure the windshield slowly cracked into an "s" shape measuring about 8" on each side of the impact point. I explained what I thought had happened to the car owner who was a lot more understanding that I might have been. I contacted his insurance company to let them know that the repair was not successful and a replacement would be necessary. I've only had one other experience like this before about 6 mos. ago. I also believe temperature had something to do with that crack out. I am always on the fence about what to do when I need to use either a lighter or the drystar to evaporate moisture or Rainex. After using a lighter or the drystar how long does it usually take before it is safe to proceed with the repair? Any suggestions for steps to take to ensure these crack outs happen as infrequently as possible?

Thanks-