Repairing crack on edge of windshield

Question

I was replacing my windshield wiper motor (after asking about it here) and while putting in the new windshield wiper motor, I hit it on the edge of the windshield causing a few cracks. I asked a couple people about fixing it. The one person told me to put silicone on it, while the other person (a windshield repair guy) told me to not put silicone on it (because the acid in it will eat away at the car) and that there's nothing I can do except watch the crack get bigger. I'm wondering if there is any way I can fix it? And if there's nothing I can do now, is there something I can do if cracks start to appear? It is a new windshield and I really don't want to replace it again. Also, it's a 2003 Toyota Camry LE.

Answer 1

The windshield repair guy is correct: there is no way to repair cracks in the windshield. I don't know what the laws are in Alberta, but here in Virginia, if the cracks are on the driver's side of the windshield, it needs to be replaced. Considering that you were replacing the wiper motor and it is on the DS of the vehicle, I will assume this is your case. I will also assume you are still experiencing cold nights there in Alberta, so night/day temperature differential will expedite the cracking which will occur.

For edification purposes, if a windshield has a bullseye type rock impact site, these can most often be repaired by windshield repair person. This can occur even if small cracks occur around the bullseye. Your situation is much different.

Answer 2

My insurance company (and others, perhaps almost all) want a window to be repaired if the pit/crack is small enough to fit under a dollar bill. So when I had a rock thrown up at my windshield and it resulted in a crack growing 4 inches later that day, they insisted upon having a repair instead of replacing the entire window.

I am very skeptical of such a crack being successfully repaired, but I assume that their policy has some kind of success rate that makes it worthwhile. The cost of repair is about $60 (completely covered by insurance) and the cost to replace would be several hundred dollars (my glass deductible is $50; this varies very widely by company and policy). If repairing such a large crack did not work, then their policy would simply be adding $60 to their payout for the replacement.

I am unable to say of the repair would have worked, because by the time it was inspected by the glass company, the crack had extended another several inches, well outside the "dollar" limit, so the windshield was replaced.