How to remove a crack on your windshield yourself?

Experienced drivers know that you can remove a crack on your windshield with your own hands. This requires polymer glue and a little patience. On average, repairs take an hour of free time. If everything is done correctly, the glass will be perfectly smooth and intact.

First actions

Once you notice a crack in your windshield, it is important to prevent it from growing and becoming dirty. For this:

1. Cover the defect with tape. If the crack is through, tape must be applied both inside and outside. To check, use a needle: run it across the surface. If the split is through, the needle will catch on it.
   
2. If the outside temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius, you cannot use tape - it will melt. Instead, you should attach a plastic bag or plastic film to the glass.
3. If it's cold outside and the stove is running, you need to direct the air flow downward.
4. Slow down and try to avoid all potholes on the road. Even slight shaking of the body can lead to rapid growth of a crack.

Drill out glass to stop cracking

At the location of the crack, the stress of the glass increases, due to which it actually spreads. To remove it, holes 0.5–1 mm wide are made at its edges. Then lightly press on the glass and push the end of the crack into the hole, which is subsequently filled with glue.

How to properly drill a windshield with your own hands:

1. Treat the surface with soapy water and then with acetone.
2. Insert a drill bit for working with glass and ceramics (diamond coated) into the tool. Its diameter should not exceed 1 mm.
3. Drill holes at all ends of the web, spacing 4–12 mm. Operate at low speeds in non-impact mode. Make sure that neither the instrument nor the glass overheats. The hole must be drilled to the same depth as the split. If it is through, then the hole is made through.
4. Drive all cracks into holes.

Glass bonding

To glue cracks together, you need a special glass glue. It must be heat and moisture resistant, not destroyed by vibration, and have a high degree of transparency. The following compositions meet these criteria:

• Done Deal DD6705;
• First Glass;
• UV SM 510;
• PL-106 Pit Filler.

• detergent;
• degreaser;
• transparencies;
• syringe;
• glass expander (preferred);
• pump (preferred);
• UV lamp or hair dryer (preferable).

It is very important to thoroughly clean the crack, remove glass chips and force air out of the crack.

In auto repair shops, glue is injected under pressure. Therefore, many people prefer to use a repair kit for repairs at home, consisting of an injector, glue, film, blade and syringe.

Popular sets:

• GlassProfi;
• Windshield Repair Kit;
• Done Deal DD6584;
• Permatex;
• WIEDERKRAFT WDK-65182.

Step-by-step instruction

You need to glue a crack in the windshield in the shade, in a warm room.

Progress:

1. Wash and degrease the glass thoroughly.
2. Place the injector opposite the crack and inject glue under pressure. Make sure it fills the entire crack.
   
3. When you have filled the entire crack, you can additionally heat the glass with a hairdryer so that the glue becomes thinner and better fills all the voids.
4. Apply film to the gluing area.
5. Dry the glue with a UV lamp or in bright sunlight.
6. After 10–15 minutes, remove the film and remove any remaining adhesive with a blade.
7. Leave the car in the sun for another 4-5 hours.
8. During the day, try not to expose the glass to mechanical stress and temperature changes.

So, a crack is a fairly serious problem that increases the risk of an accident. Measures must be taken to eliminate it immediately. The fresher it is, the easier it is to repair. Of course, to do this you will have to master the technology and buy a repair kit.