How to Repair Windshield or Mirror Cracks?

Mirror or windshield cracks are common problems when you have a car. Even if you are really extra careful, you will still end up having minor cracks. You might not be the cause most of the time especially when you are just driving and suddenly a rock came off and boom, it hit your windshield. Well it happens, really.

But do you know that it should not be a problem nowadays? You can go to the nearest auto shop to fix the problem or (this is a blow) you can do it all yourself! Yes! But don’t forget that I am talking about minor cracks, okay? So, let’s get started.

Follow these steps and you can see magic right in front of your eyes. Please bear in mind that you need a windshield repair kit to make all these steps possible.

1. Check all over your car to see if there are no other cracks that requires attention. You don’t want that your windshield is okay then your windows are not. One minor crack, one repair kit.
2. Make sure the crack and its surrounding area are free from dust or other debris. Pour an alcohol to a microfiber towel and apply to the affected area. The good thing about alcohol is it dries fast. If no alcohol is available, you can also use glass cleaner. But still, put it on the towel first and not apply directly to the windshield.  
3. Now, grab your windshield repair kit. If you are thinking where you can purchase one, worry no more since they are available at various auto supply and hardware shops. Items included in your kit are safety pin, seal, pedestal, resin, syringe, safety razor, and flat yellow square.
4. What I would suggest is to put a cardboard or paper behind the windshield especially when you are working outside. This will help you see the chip better.
5. Inside your kit, find the safety pin and gently point it in the center of the crack and slowly scrape for any possible mirror chips left.
6. Next, using the seal (you need to peel off one side), paste it on your windshield putting the center or the hole directly to the crack. The crack should be visible after placing the seal. Make sure the seal is intact by pressing all the side.
7. Once you are done pressing and you are sure enough that the seal already stick, peel now the remaining side to expose the sticky side.
8. Get the pedestal and line it up to the seal. You should be guided on how because of the tab on tap. You just need to match the shape of the seal and the pedestal. Secure it by pressing all the sides again. In this step, the chip should be completely covered and has the pedestal on top.
9. Now, the resin. This is where the magic came from. Cut the tip of the resin and in the hole of the pedestal; pour 3 quarters of the resin to it.
10. Then place the mouth of the syringe to the hole (where you poured the resin). This is important. Using your one hand, hold or secure the syringe in place then pull the pump upwards using your other hand. You will notice a small piece of metal in the syringe. That will serve as the lock after you finish pulling upwards, thus creating a vacuum. You are doing this to suck all the air out.
11. Check your package instruction and see how long you need to suck the air out. If the direction says 10 minutes, then let the syringe sits in that position for 10 minutes.
12. While you are waiting, bang around the windshield (but don’t be too hard, okay?) This will help the air bubbles escape.
13. Just to give you some amusement, remember the cardboard earlier? Well you can remove it and you will see bubbles being pulled out by the vacuum.
14. Say 10 minutes have passed. Now hold the pedestal with your left hand and the base of the syringe with your right hand. Then pull the syringe out letting the air in and then push it back in again in the hole. It should be nice and air tight.
15. Remember the metal thing that locks the plunger? Move it in a way that it will allow you to move the pump downward. Once you are done, gently pull down the plunger about 1/3 of the body of the syringe. This gives the pressure which forces the resin in to the crack. Let this sit for 20 minutes.
16. After 20 minute, pull out the syringe.  We will not need it anymore.
17. Using a safety razor, remove the peel together with the pedestal. Because there is resin inside, make sure you have paper towels with you to wipe off drippings.
18. Once you have removed all the items, get your remaining resin and put a drop right on top of the crack. Important reminder: When you are doing this step, you should be in direct sunlight.
19. Get now your flat yellow square and place it on top. You can use the flat razor edge and press the top of the yellow square to remove any bubbles. Do this for 15 minutes under direct sunlight. If it is cloudy, it will take about an hour for this step.
20. After 15 minutes, you should see that it is smooth. Again, using your razor edge, pull the tip of the yellow square off. Once you removed it, scrape the residue left in your windshield. Try to go as parallel to the glass as you can to avoid further damage.
21. And that’s it. You will notice that the crack has been removed. Looking good as new!

Minor cracks can become big and major cause of disaster once not fixed at an early stage. If this happens and the above procedures are no more applicable, I suggest bringing your car to auto repair shop or salvage yards (like New York City Auto Salvage and Glass). Not that they offer cheap windshield or mirror parts, they can also do the work for you at an affordable cost. So always consider your safety and inspect your car for any damage regularly. Your safety is the top priority.