Question about rock chip repair....

[diitto]

Hi... I have a brand new car (just turned over 2k miles) and got a cracked windshield on a freeway here where getting hit by rocks is not a matter of if but when... It just came a bit sooner than I might have hoped...

So here's the deal... It left a small, clamshell type wound with a central pit and then this clamshell like looking flaw beneath... I took it to a windshield repair place and the guy seemed to know what he was talking about so I chose to let him attempt repair... He first drilled a hole into the pit and down (he said) to the laminate. Then he put his bridge over the wound and did the repair... You folks will know more about what that means than me though I was watching and trying to understand... First vacuum to suck out any debris and then pressure to put in the resin?? That last part I wasn't sure about... Anyway, he did the repair and kept tweeking screws on the bridge throughout the few minutes he did the repair... When he got done, he then said he was now putting in something to fill the "hole" he said... I assumed that to mean the pit that was still left in the center... I've been so sick over having this windshield broken already that I chose not to really look at it too closely until I got home... What I observed is the following... If the clamshell break originally went in a full circle of 360 degrees, now most of that is invisible but you can still see maybe a quarter circle of the damage (say 90 degrees)... The other thing I see is that the pit itself isn't filled at all, why I don't know... So what he said he was "filling" there at the end I don't know. I decided not to go back until I learn a bit more, thus my reason for finding this forum... Where before sun reflecting off this wound showed the clamshell as being dark, now the clamshell is mostly gone so instead I see this bright thing in the center which is clearly the main pit that is not filled and the sunlight scatters off that... Can I just buy one of these home repair kits and force some resin into this pit??? I've looked at the products I see in auto parts stores and the resin appears to be of very low viscosity and I would think you would want a more viscous material to fill the outer pit... So my first desire is to truly get this pit filled and to do it in the best way possible... Any advice??? Then comes my other question... I understand that the pathway in to the original clambshell wound is now sealed with epoxy... But what is the possibility of using a small drill to attempt to drill a new hole right over what is left of the clamshell damage so as to facilitate a path to inject some resin into that area to attempt to clear out the last of that visible damage... Being a new car, this is all about cosmetics and since I still see this damage differently yet still very obviously, I just think it could be improved upon, certainly with respect to this central pit. Your thoughts??? Any advice would be much appreciated...

Last, how hard is it to drill into glass??? What type of bit needs to be used, carbide?? High speed like with a dremel tool?? Is the risk of cracking the window high when you drill or not bad??

I doubt I will go back to this place, especially after I realized they did not even fill the original pit... I would go somewhere else but I have no clue how you go about finding the folks who really know how to do this repair... Do you know any real pro's in the Oakland, Ca (East Bay) area???

Again, any advice??? thanks much... bob...

[mafsu]

If noone refers you to a tech in the area. Call the salesman you bought the car from. He should be able to refer you to the windshield repair tech their dealership uses.

[Mr Bill]

Did you have to PAY for this repair?

[mrchip]

sounds like you are just being anal...you should have looked at it before you left there will always be a pit there is nothing you can do about it..you just don"t like it because its not perfect because its a new car..the pit probably has some pit filler in it but not perfect for you..go back and have him fill it for you.he will probably be glad to do it..the repair is still repaired even though pit is not to your satisfaction..you will probably never be happy ..spend the money and have the windshield replaced

[StarQuest]

diito,

Without seeing the repair your decribing, it's pretty difficult to answer this one.

Any chance you could snap a few photo's with your digital and post them for review? I think that's the only way any of us could tell you if repair was done properly or it wasn't.

[daris]

Hey Ditto...

There was a posting some time ago here on the forum about using heat to take the old resin out. In my experience as a windshield repair tech, I never drill. As a new tech they teach us to drill as a last resort-- if we've tried everything possible and there's absolutely no other way.. With experience we learn to just take a needle, mark our position and lightly pop a tiniest, smallest bulls eye possible. I personally don't know where my drill is and don't remember the last time I've used it on stone chips, not to brag but most of my stonechips are hard to find after repaired. Also in my opinion: The better the repair looks, cosmetically, the more air has been taken out and replaced by resin.. I 'll do the air-vacuum cycle 3, 4, 5 times if I have to, then when I can't see the break anymore I'll cure It with u.v.light.

Questions to consider;

How big was the damage? I assume it was a stonechip because you stated use of vacuum/pressure.

Was your tech A repair only, or was there pressure to come back for a replacement? Again some replacement companies can be that way, although the majority are honest "In my opinion".

It would be nice to see a picture of the repair.

I'm sure you can get a second opinion in your area.

THanks... Good luckhttp://www.windshield-repair-forum.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[clay507]

MR CHIP

Answer the guys question don't be a-hole he asked a question...help the man... Thats why the forum is here for...