How to Fix a Crack or Chip in Your Windshield

We’ve all been there. We’re driving along carefully down the highway and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a rock pops up and nails your windshield, causing an angry little crack or chip in your otherwise perfect windshield. And while that little crack may be isolated now, you know that if left that way, it will spread until it threatens to splinter the whole windshield. Well, the key to getting rid of it and stopping the crack from spread, according to ChrisFix, is a little $10 kit. Take a look at how easy this fix is to DIY in the video below.

The most important thing to do is to fix the crack as soon as possible. If you let the crack sit on your windshield, the chances of it getting worse and spreading into a thin spider crack along more of your glass are more likely. And those larger, thinner cracks are MUCH more difficult to get rid of with this technique.

Materials

  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Rag
  • Pin
  • Sticky tab
  • Pedestal
  • Resin
  • Syringe
  • Scissors
  • Safety razor
  • Paper towels
  • Flat, yellow square

Instructions

Step 1: Soak a rag with alcohol and wipe down the crack to clean the surface.

Step 2: Use a pin to pick at the crack, making sure no little chips of glass are still on break.

Step 3: Open up your windshield repair kit. Take out your seal and peel one side off, pressing that sticky side onto the glass so that the circle is directly around the crack. Peel off the other side to reveal the other sticky side, facing toward you.

Step 4: Take the pedestal and cover the sticky chip entirely.

Step 5: Use scissors to cut off the tip of your resin container. Pour 3/4 of the resin into the pedestal so it’s on the crack.

Step 6: Take your syringe. Push it all the way into the pedestal and pull the syringe up so that it’s fully extended and locked up top. Let this sit for 10 minutes.

Step 7: As you let the syringe vacuum out all the air, knock lightly on the glass around the crack.

Step 8: Hold the base of the syringe and pull out the base to let air in. Push the syringe back down and lock it in the down position to put pressure on the crack. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Step 9: Pull out the syringe. Use a razor to get underneath the sticker and pedestal to pull it off the crack. Put a drop of resin onto the exposed crack.

Step 10: Place the yellow square over the crack and let it sit in direct sunlight for 15 minutes or shade for an hour. When time has elapsed, use the razor blade to peel off the square a scrape off any dried resin.

Alcohol is best to use to clean the surface because it evaporates so quickly. You can use a glass cleaner or specific windshield cleaner, but make sure you spray it onto the rag to clean the chip, not directly onto the glass.

A windshield repair kit, which has most of the materials listed above it in, can be purchased for $10. If you have these items separately in your home for whatever reason, feel free to use them rather than go buy the kit, but just know that some very specific items are needed and included in the store-bought kit. However, the kit is a wise investment as you can use it over and over, it comes with instructions, and you KNOW you’ll have every tool you need in one convenient package.

Once you follow all this steps, the crack in your glass will be gone and your windshield will look good as new!

Have you ever tried this technique before? Did it work for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.