Do it Yourself Windshield Chip Repair

One minute you're gazing through a clear windshield, then: Ping! You cringe as a chip ruins your view. One chip may not seem like much, but left alone, it could spread to a crack and you could eventually end up having to replace the whole windshield. You could take your car to an auto glass shop and have them fix the chip, but with a do-it-yourself kit and less than an hour of time, you could make the repair yourself.

Repair kits

There are two types of auto-glass chip repair kits. The least expensive includes a syringe and a special resin. That type of kit is intended for one-time use and contains enough resin to repair one chip. Slightly more expensive kits include the resin and a plastic bridge. You can buy refills of resin for those kits and use them over and over.

You can repair chips or pits of up to an inch in diameter with these kits. They aren't intended for cracks, spidering or starred chips. Repairs work best when done as soon as possible. The resin may not adhere to old cracks.

Clean the Windshield

Clean the windshield thoroughly with glass cleaner and allow it to dry. If there's any dirt in the chip itself, you can use a safety pin or bent paper clip to clean it out.

Spread out an old towel or rag on the hood below the chip to catch any resin drips.

Inject the Resin

Your kit should contain a small adhesive disk and a plastic pedestal. Adhere the pedestal to the windshield with the adhesive disk, centering it over the chip. Remove the cap from the syringe and seat the syringe firmly in the pedestal. Pull back on the plunger and hold for a few seconds, then let go. That helps pull air out of the chip, and when you release the plunger it forces resin into the chip. Repeat that 10 times.

Inspect the Repair

Check from inside the car to see if there are any air bubbles. If so, you may need to repeat the plunging process some more.

The resin will cure in about a half hour. After the resin has cured, remove the syringe and the pedestal. You can scrape the pedestal off with a razor blade.

Some kits include an additional step for applying a curing film. Follow the directions on the box for that step.