Tag Archives: windshield repair

Cracked Windshield Repair

There are several reasons for not replacing the windshields. Little do they realize the risk they’re putting themselves and their families in by not having cracked windshield repair el cajon.

Excuses vary. Some say their insurance has a deductible that they currently can’t afford. Some say the crack doesn’t obstruct their view, while others say they just don’t see the necessity if it’s not shattered. It’s hard not to roll my eyes at all these answers. The purpose of this article is to tell you why it’s so important to have a good windshield on your vehicle and to give you some tips.

The Purpose of Your Windshield

Believe it or not, front windshields serve a much bigger purpose than just allowing you to see outside of the car when you’re driving. They also protect you from the rain, snow and other elements of weather. More importantly, however, are the safety features provided by your car’s windshield such as the 3 bullet points below.

It Acts As A Shield For Air Bags – Cheap, low-quality glass is more likely to crack or pop out, which can cause incorrect deployment or improper inflation of your air bags.
It Prevents The Roof From Collapsing – Many people don’t realize that the windshield of the car provides from 30% to 60% of the car’s structural strength. In a roll-over crash, a cheap windshield can cause your roof to collapse, which can be life-threatening to you and your passengers.
It Helps Prevent Ejection of Passengers in a Crash – Your windshield can also keep you from being thrown from your vehicle in the case of a collision. With the exception of seat belts, the windshield provides the most safety from being thrown from your vehicle. These are some of the many reasons why OEM glass is required by car manufacturers.

Safety Comes First

Purchasing auto glass for any part of your vehicle is more than just opening the phone book and choosing the first provider with the cheapest price. Safety should always be the #1 concern when we’re driving. Here are four safety questions you should ask windshield replacement service providers before you choose which one to use.

How Qualified are the Technicians Replacing Your Windshield?

While windshield replacement service providers, also referred to as auto glass technicians, are not required to be licensed, they should be highly trained, experienced and knowledgeable of the whole process. With so many makes and models of vehicles around today all having different types and shapes of auto glass, windshield installation and replacement can be complicated. Ask your auto glass technician to provide proof they are certified. Do some research before hiring someone to do the job. Are they reputable? Will they take care of insurance paperwork for you? Check credentials while comparing costs!

What Type of Glass & Adhesive Do They Use?

If your auto glass technician states he can get you a windshield cheaper than average, you should definitely question what type of glass is being used. Is it OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) glass? OEM glass is safer, sturdier and less prone to cracking. If you’ve gone so far as to require OEM glass, you will want to ask if they are using OEM adhesives as well. Low-quality adhesives do not work as well in wet or cold climates and take much longer to dry or cure. This can be a real problem if the car is used too soon after installation. In other words, the windshield may leak with the slightest impact if you start driving around before the urethane has time to dry.

How Soon Can You Drive Your Car After Installation?

With the busy lives we all lead today, we seldom have the time to sit at a garage waiting for a new windshield to be installed. Auto glass providers often come to our home or place of business and do the work while we do our work. This is extremely convenient, but can be dangerous if we’re unknowingly driving the car before it’s ready. The glass and urethane need time to properly cure to the car in order to prevent future problems. This is known as “safe drive away time” and is listed on each bottle of urethane. Question your windshield replacement service provider on this safety issue, as well as if there are any precautions that should be taken a couple days after installation.

What Type of Warranty Do They Provide?

If you’re like many others who have waited almost forever to finally replace your windshield, you’re going to want to make sure it last and, if it doesn’t, that they’ll replace it free. If you’re offered anything less than at least a 1-year warranty, question the type of glass that’s being used. Some companies may offer a lifetime warranty. If this is offered, you can almost assume they’re using high-quality OEM glass.

Windshield – Replacement or Repair?

As much as you may want to put off spending money on your damaged windshield, it’s very possible you may only need a repair. A good rule of thumb is that if the crack is at least as long as a dollar bill, it should be replaced. Even if it’s shorter than a dollar bill, it should be replaced if it extends to the edge of the glass. If the chip or crack is smaller than a dollar bill and it’s not extended to the edge of the glass, it may be able to be safely repaired. Additionally, if the crack is in your line of vision, it needs to be replaced.

While all the glass on your car is important, the front windshield is most important in terms of having it fixed when it’s damaged. Something to consider, insurance companies often will pay to have a windshield repaired because it may prevent a larger expense if it shatters completely. Also, some insurance companies require a deductible be paid for replacements, while others may waive the deductible. Contacting your insurance company could save you money! That being said, the main concern here is safety and hiring a certified technician will ensure the job is done correctly whether you’re saving money through your insurance or not.

What To Do When Windshields Fog Up

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What can you do when your windshields fog up after starting to drive? Why does this happen and what can you do about it? There are a variety of reasons why your windshield would fog including humidity, heat, and condensation.

Humidity

Humidity causes a buildup in water that turns into water vapor. You breathe the humid air. This air comes out from inside your body or off of it. Windshield fogging tends to be more of a problem when there is more than one person in the car since there is more breathing.

Heat

Temperature is actually molecules moving. More moisture is held with warm air than cold. However, this isn’t a chemical reaction. The molecules aren’t holding on to water molecules. More water becomes gas when it’s warmer than it does a liquid. And, there’s more space between each molecule with warm air therefore, the water molecules can fit into this space.

Condensation

Moist, warm air condensing when it hits your car’s colder windshield causes condensation. This usually happens in the early morning. This is also why on humid, warm days when you have your car air conditioner running you’ll see condensation form at the windshield’s base where it meets the cool air.

When there’s 100 percent relative humidity, if the temperature decreases more, the water needs to find its way out someplace. On a morning that’s cool outside when there’s fog or dew on the ground, that’s because the moist, warm air contacts the cold ground.

How to Clear Away the Fog on your Windshield

You can clear fog in many ways. And although there’s no special way of doing it that works best each time, the two that are more likely to work better are as follows.

Put your defroster on a high setting.
Set the temperature to hot.
Turn off the recirculation setting.
Turn on the air conditioner.
Crack your windows.

Dry the Air Out

Your best option is to run your air conditioner, depending on your comfort level. This method works well when the outside temperatures are above freezing and damp, wet humans getting into the car causes the fog. While cold is best when running your A/C, you can still run the air at a warmer temperature and get rid of the fog.

Evaporate the Water Vapor

For an easy and fast fix, turn the heat on and run it through your defrosters. This causes the condensation to evaporate kind of like the moisture on your clothes evaporating when you turn the clothes dryer on. This method works better when there are colder temperatures and you are catching the fog buildup early.

When your windshield is extremely foggy, you can use a small squeegee or dry cloth to clear up the fog quickly and then turn on the cold A/C. Slowly increase the air’s temperature if you find the A/C is too cold for you until you dry out the air inside your car.

Keep in mind that when you’re drying air that’s inside your vehicle, you need to pull in the outdoors air rather than simply circulating inside air. These days, most defrosters already do this.

Now, that you know what to do when your car windshield fogs, do you know what to do if your windshield has a chip or a crack? Call 7 Star Auto Glass today!

Seat Belts for Safety

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Car safety is important. Motor vehicle deaths are the major cause of death in the first three decades of an American’s life. By wearing seat belts and buckling children into age and size appropriate car seats and booster seats, people can reduce the risk of serious injury and death by half. Most drivers do follow the safety measures but there are still millions who don’t. This is a primary enforcement for seat belt violations, which means that a driver can be pulled over and sited just for not wearing a seat belt.

Certain strategies have been put in place to TRY to increase seat belt use.

Laws have allowed officers to stop and ticket someone for not buckling up. Some states only allow officers to give tickets when they have pulled the driver over for something else.
Increased penalties can be given resulting in higher fines or points on a driver’s license.
High-visibility enforcement – Combining law enforcement and media coverage is effective for reaching people who don’t use seat belts regularly such as men, teens, and young adults.
Programs are conducted at night to target people when seat belt use is the lowest and crashes are the highest.

Certain strategies can increase car seat and booster seat use

Child restraint laws require children riding in a car to use approved devices appropriate for their age.
Effective programs can help advertise car seat and seat belt use.
Distribution of car seats through giveaways or low cost rentals.
Incentive programs with coupons or prizes reward parents for correctly using car seats.

Some facts:

Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat beltsreduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%.
Seat belts prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected during a crash.
People not wearinga seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash.

Seat belts protect people from needless death and injury. People are in a hurry, distracted, and simply forget. Many people don’t wear their seat belts, and thousands die as a result. BE SAFE AND BUCKLE UP!

For car safety and windshield repair, please call 7 Star Auto Glass in San Diego.

Chipped Windshield

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A chipped windshield can cause the integrity of your windshield to be in question putting yourself and your passengers in danger. We understand that whether you have a new or old vehicle, safety is the most important. We all rely on our cars to transport us and our loved ones on a daily basis. Taking this into account we strive to provide the highest quality windshield repair and replacement services available. Our main goal is to get you and your vehicle back on the road safely and quickly.

Why Repair a Windshield?

If a stone chips your windshield and the damage is smaller than an inch in diameter and not in the driver’s line of vision, we can repair it to prevent the crack from spreading. If you catch it early, an auto glass repair could be all you need and repair is a fraction of the cost of replacement. A chipped windshield could be dangerous and almost all chips will spread eventually.

When considering Windshield Repair:

Windshield Repairs are quick and affordable and can sometimes be covered by your insurance provider at little or no cost to you. Many insurance companies waive deductibles up to $500 if you repair rather than replace. Let one of our insurance billing specialists help you determine your coverage.

Small nicks or chips can turn into a large crack requiring a full windshield replacement. The sooner you have a repair done the better.

If you are unsatisfied with your windshield repair or the repaired area ever spreads, the cost of the repair will be credited toward the cost of a brand new windshield installation as long as we performed the windshield replacement.

A chip in your windshield can cause the integrity of your windshield to be in question putting yourself and your passengers in danger.

When you call us, we will dispatch a certified technician to remedy the issue quickly and professionally. We can dispatch a technician to your location of choice or have you come in to one of our service centers and have you back on the road in no time.

When we Replace a Windshield

When a windshield can’t be repaired the only alternative is to replace the cracked windshield with a new one. When we replace your windshield, our Certified Technicians follow certain safety standards to make sure your vehicle is as safe as when it left the factory.

Steps that will be followed:

The certified technician will explain in detail the service being performed.

The technician will remove your rearview mirror as well as other attachments to the glass like your EZ PASS, State inspection sticker (if applicable), parking sticker from work or school or other stickers like oil change details.

Completely and safely remove the old windshield and the old adhesive. It is critical that the old adhesive be removed and new sealant used to install your new windshield.

After the replacement is completed, the technician will reattach rearview mirror, inspection sticker or any other items that were previously removed, when possible.

The technician will inform you of the Safe Drive Away Time (SDAT) and other precautions to take with your new windshield. This is an important step that makes sure the adhesive has set fully and your vehicle is safe to drive.

Windshield Wipers Can Scratch Windshields

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Windshield wipers are a life saver when they are in good condition. They make your view clear. When your windshield wipers get old, they can create hazardous driving conditions, like driving in the rain or at night. If the wipers cause streaks, it can block your view and make it difficult to see road signs or oncoming traffic. Continue reading →

Windshield Glares

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Windshield glares are one of the most annoying driving problems to have. They block our sight, blind us while driving, and cause us to nearly get into car accidents. Glares are a driver’s worst enemy. And since they can get us into car accidents, they can destroy our windshields. A good way to prevent an accident is to have a car glass repair. This can help eliminate those irritating glares. Obviously, you cannot get rid of the sun or streetlights, which are the culprits behind those glares. However, you can protect your windshield against those glares by doing a few things. Continue reading →

Power Window Repair

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Is your power window jammed? We can fix it. When power windows jam in the open position, it is important to get a power window repair right away.

Keep the rain outside the car, not inside.

If you are driving with a jammed power window and a rain storm comes up suddenly, your car’s interior can get drenched. Besides that, it is distracting. If you have a jammed window, act fast. Getting a power window repair prevents rain from ever entering your car. This way, you will not get into accidents because you got drenched while trying to concentrate on the road.

Thieves can see your car’s contents

Another important reason to get a power window repair is to prevent thieves from breaking into your car. Just picture your jammed window, which is open just a crack, leaving room for thieves to unlock your car. Having an open (or even broken window) tempts thieves. It is best to protect your car by getting a repair. This way, the chance of a thief eyeing your car decreases.

Your window can shatter

If your power window has a chip or crack in it, then it definitely needs a repair. A big reason for that is because the damage can get worse. Although a tiny chip might appear harmless, it is not. Imagine driving on the road when your window shatters. If you happen to be right next to that window, the glass might fly at you. This can be dangerous on the road. Avoiding this situation is best, and you can do it by taking your car for a repair.

The weather outside may be frightfully cold or hot

It is impossible to keep outside temperatures stay outside since you have a jammed power window. If you have a jammed or broken power window, hot or cold air can seep in. While it might be fun to have the windows down occasionally, if it is freezing or hot, this isn’t ideal. Getting a power window repair is a wise choice. It will protect you from extreme weather temperatures and keep your attention on the road.

Getting a power window repair is important, even essential, if you have a jammed car window. It ensures your safety on and off the road.

What to do for Windshield Repair

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As you are driving to work you pass some road construction work. Somehow, a pebble from the street strikes your car, and next thing you know, your windshield is cracked. What do you do? Well, you should not panic. However, you should do these four musts once you realize you need a cracked windshield repair El Cajon: Continue reading →

Mobile Windshield Repair

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If you have a damaged windshield but you cannot drive to an auto glass repair shop for one reason or another, you have another option. What option? you ask. Well, you can call for a mobile windshield repair El Cajon service from 7 Star Auto Glass San Diego. Here are four reasons why you should.

Convenient for You

Driving somewhere for a repair is never fun or convenient. If you have work, you basically must waste hours out of your day. A repair takes some time to be completed, and it is dreadful having to wait, even if that is only for fifteen minutes. Calling for a mobile windshield repair El Cajon service with 7 Star Auto Glass San Diego is convenient for you. You do not have to do a thing. You can continue going about your day and doing what matters to you, and we will work on your auto glass repair until it is back to the way it should be.

Safer for You

If your auto glass is terribly damaged, you should not be driving your car. If you do, you would be putting yourself in danger. What if the entire windshield or window shatters? And what if without the windshield in place the car roof collapses on you? Yes, that can happen. Calling for a mobile windshield repair El Cajon service is safer for you. Without putting yourself at risk, you can get your car repaired.

Does Not Cost You Extra

Calling 7 Star Auto Glass San Diego for a mobile windshield repair El Cajon service does not cost you anything extra. We only charge you for the repair, and driving to you is on us. After all, at 7 Star San Diego, our goal is to keep you and your car safe on the road by fixing your glass, and we will do anything to make sure we meet our goal and promise.

Saves You Precious Time

7 Star Auto Glass San Diego understands that everyone is busy in their own right. So, by calling for a mobile windshield repair El Cajon service, you can save precious time. You can call us right from your job so that you can keep doing your important work. Or you can call us from home while you are taking care of your kids. You can even call us from the restaurant you are dining at. The options are endless. We can go anywhere you need us to be, just make the call for our complimentary, high-quality service!

If you need a car glass repair but cannot drive to a repair shop, call 7 Star Auto Glass San Diego and ask for the mobile windshield repair El Cajon service at no additional cost!

Protecting your Windshield in Summer

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Did you know that your car can really take a beating during the summer? Summer temperatures can wreak havoc on your windshield, which is why you should always take steps to protect summer windshield damage.

At 7 Stars Auto Glass, we know that when you’re driving, you’re only as safe as your car’s weakest link. If that happens to be your windshield, you should have it repaired promptly to protect the integrity of your vehicle. And if your windshield is in great shape already, then we have a few tips to help you keep it that way.

Park In the Shade

Whenever possible, park in shaded areas to prevent your windshield from excessive heat. When you leave your vehicle parked in the sun for prolonged periods, high temperatures can render your windshield unstable. If this occurs, even a tiny chip or crack can quickly grow into a much larger problem. A parking garage or some type of covered parking is your best bet as it prevents your entire vehicle from sun exposure. If you do find a small nick or crack in your windshield, take it to your local auto glass repair shop to prevent it from spreading.

Use Caution When Washing

If you do notice chip or crack while washing your windshield, the heat of the day can cause the damage to spread. Spraying cold water on hot, cracked glass creates a sudden temperature difference that causes the glass to react suddenly. As the glass expands and contracts under changing temperatures, even the tiniest chips can become large cracks. If you must wash your vehicle before you have your windshield repaired, wait until evening when the temperature drops. Similarly, avoid automatic car washes where machinery may place pressure your windshield.

Adjust the Air Conditioning Gradually

Drastic temperature differences can wreak havoc on your windshield, so try to avoid them at all costs. Even though it may be sweltering outside, use caution when adjusting your air conditioning. When you start your vehicle, your windshield may be well over a hundred degrees. Immediately turning the AC on high will create a temperature difference between the interior and exterior of the vehicle, compromising the strength of the glass. Just imagine dropping a few ice cubes in a room temperature drink. Can you recall the noises those ice cubes make? That’s how your windshield responds when you immediately crank up the AC.

Your Auto Glass Repair Experts

When you notice chips and cracks in your windshield, we are here to serve you. We specialize in auto glass repair and replacement, and all of our technicians are certified. If you can’t come to us, our mobile repair team will come to you. To schedule a service appointment or an estimate, just give us a call.