Posts Tagged auto glass repair

Effective Windshield Chip Repair

Posted on May 8, 2011 | Automotive Repair.

Every single time that you are driving your automobile, small rocks and pebbles are being thrown against it. Sometimes these are flung up by your own wheels and at others, debris is thrown back by other vehicles zooming past. Many times, such road debris hits your windshield and leaves scratches and marks. If the pebbles or debris flung against your auto glass are slightly bigger or sharp, they could cause chips on your windshield. Timely windshield chip repair keeps your car’s glass in usable condition for a longer time and prevents the damage from worsening until the windshield cracks.

DIY Chip Repair

It is not necessary for you to take your car down to a garage to have every chip repaired. The smaller ones can be handled right at home by you. There are any number of auto glass repair kits available in the market today and these typically come with detailed instructions on how you can carry out your windshield chip repair perfectly without professional help. In fact, minor chips that are smaller than 3- 4 inches across can be rectified so effectively that there is no sign of the damage left behind.

If you are using such a DIY kit, take the time to read through all of the instructions in detail well before you start the job. In many cases, simple things, such as, repairing the chip when your car is standing in the hot sun, may reduce its effectiveness. The heat makes the resin harden too quickly and this leaves a visible mark where you have used the DIY kit to repair a chip.

Timely Repair

A stitch in time definitely does save nine when it comes to windshield chip repair. Letting a small chip go uncared for, allows it to expand until it can turn into a fairly long crack. Remember that cracks take more time, more skill and also more money to fix when compared with chips. Sometimes the crack may simply be too big to be rectified effectively. If it falls right in your visibility zone, then you may need to have your entire windshield replaced so that your driving safety isn’t compromised. Take the time to check for chips and similar damage to your windshield during your regular auto maintenance checks and rectify small chips immediately to avoid having to spend much more later.

When to Call in the Professionals

Although you can get small chips repaired on your own, it is also very important to know when you are out of your league. Call in the professionals when the chip is considerably large and it seems to be spreading. Damage control needs to be done quickly and effectively at this point to keep the chip from growing into a crack. A skilled technician will be able to patch up the chip and, in the process, ensure that it never spreads again.

A chip that is right over the driving area and obstructs your visibility is also one that you should leave to professionals if you have never carried out chip repair before. After all, this is not an area of the windshield that you want to try your windshield chip repair skills on for the very first time!

Common Power Window Problems

Posted on May 5, 2011 | Automotive Repair.

Power windows or electric windows are being commonly used in automobiles today as they are highly convenient for the driver as well as the passengers. But these windows can also cause a great deal of trouble when they breakdown or malfunction. Considering the electrical components that make it, repairing the power window can seem very expensive. But if you shop around properly, you are sure to find an auto glass repair company that charges reasonably for all types of auto glass services, including power window repair and replacement.

How Power Windows Work

Although they seem complicated, power windows use a simple technique that enables window control with the press of a button. The main components include – a window regulator, a window motor, the control switch and the window frame. The motor uses electrical current to push the widow glass up and down inside the frame, depending on which way the control switch is pressed.

Power Window Troubles

At times, one or all of the power windows in your car may stop functioning due to power connection failure, loose or broken wires, or a problem with the motor or the regulator of the window. In general, power window repair is necessary when you face one of the following problems.

Blown Fuse

A fuse blow-up is one of the most common problems caused in power windows. To identify if the problems is caused by the fuse or any other component, try to operate the windows individually, using the individual control buttons on the doors. If none of the windows function, and there is no noise from the motor either, it could mean that there is a blown fuse. If such is the case, it is better to go to a skilled technician who can diagnose and repair the exact problem, rather than trying to fix the problem by guessing it.

Jammed Window Glass

A jammed window may be a small but annoying problem that has a simple solution. Usually, the window glass stops moving in one or both the directions because of some foreign object blocking its path. This usually happened during freezing temperatures when icecaps are formed in the window frames, or when too much dust is settled in the gaps. This can be solved by cleaning the blockage in the frame, but at times needs the intervention of a professional auto glass technician.

Motor Malfunction

A burned out motor is a major factor that causes trouble with your car power window. While a power failure or jammed window can be rectified by repair, a motor burnout usually ends in replacement of old motor with a new one. This can be done by buying either a new window motor or a used one from the internet or the junk yard.

A number of vehicle owners make this mistake of buying cheap spares and replacing the motor themselves, with the help of DIY guides on the internet. But to really save your money and time, it is best to use only OEM spares and let an expert technician handle the job.