Can You Prevent Auto Glass Damage?

Some types of auto glass damage can’t be avoided, like when a rock, a tree branch or a baseball hits your windshield. While you can take some precautions, like avoiding driving behind a gravel truck, not parking underneath trees and keeping your car away from the outfield, you don’t have complete control over your environment at all times.

auto glass damage

On the other hand, you can take some actions that will help prevent auto glass damage and keep your windshield secure.

Don’t Slam Your Car Doors

Don’t take out your frustrations on your car’s doors — you’re only going to feel worse if you crack the glass. Repeated slamming of a car door sends reverberations through the vehicle’s frame and can weaken the glass, potentially leading to a crack.

Use the Right Cleaning Supplies

You need to clean your windshield, but make sure you’re using the right products. Ammonia-based cleaners are a no-no, but you can find formulas specifically designed for windshields.

Pay Attention to Temperature Changes

Try to park your car in the shade so your windshield doesn’t heat up too much. You could also open your windows a crack so that the heat doesn’t build up too much.

Once you get back into your car, don’t blast the air conditioning right away. Allow your car to cool down slowly, and direct the cold air away from the hot windshield. An extreme drop in temperature can crack the glass. Your goal should be to keep the windshield at a steady temperature.

Replace Wipers and Keep Fluid Reservoir Full

Don’t wait until the rubber is peeling away from the metal to replace your windshield wipers. Otherwise, they can end up scratching or chipping the windshield.

Windshield wipers can cause auto glass damage, especially if there is no washer fluid to help them work. Replace them on a regular basis, and refill your windshield washer fluid reservoir regularly as well.

Don’t Wait to Get Repairs

When you do spot a chip or crack, don’t put off calling a repair company. If you catch the problem early enough, you probably won’t need windshield replacement. Auto glass damage is repairable in many cases, but you will need a knowledgeable technician to look at it to know for sure.

Trust Glasshopper Auto Glass to take care of any type of auto glass damage, large or small.