Chips, cracks and serious damage to the windshield are an annoying problem for motorists. Sometimes there is simply not enough time for urgent repairs and taking the car to specialists, so the situation requires timely solutions. Fortunately, even a beginner can handle the process of replacing glass at home.
There are common fears in the minds of drivers regarding this windshield installation procedure. Of course, experience is extremely necessary, but how can you get it without practical action? By following a certain point and adhering to the basic rules, you can easily remove the damaged part of the car and replace it with a new one.
To dispel unpleasant thoughts and the beginnings of fear, it is important to mention the cost of car repairs at a service station. It often costs a hefty amount, especially when replacing a heated windshield that cannot be repaired. Therefore, DIY home procedures have huge advantages.
Reasons for replacing glass
There are only 2 reasons for carrying out repair work on the windshield:
Malfunction or defect - chips, holes, cracks, scratches. Most drivers face this problem, which grows over time and turns into a disaster. A whole “web” of cracks blocks the entire view of the motorist, risking people’s lives and health.
The time required to replace a windshield depends on the type of car, but on a passenger car it will not take more than 2-3 hours. Do not risk yourself, your loved ones and other motorists on the road.
Penetration of liquids through the seals indicates poor-quality glass installation. Most often, a leak can be eliminated using sealant, but sometimes the material needs to be completely re-glued. If the leak is small, the windshield seal may need to be replaced. It is removed using a thin screwdriver and replaced with a new one.
Replacing a windshield at home will not happen without the necessary tools and a dry room. Make sure the garage is draft-proof and clear of sharp or bulky objects.
Why replacement is required
You need to re-stick the windshield if you find any defects:
- leak;
- crunching, squeaking when driving;
- the appearance of long cracks or large defects;
- complete destruction of the shield by airbags in an accident.
Replacing and installing auto glass is a responsible and labor-intensive task. You should not start work without reading the instructions and preparing the necessary materials.
Materials and tools
Before starting work on the windshield, you need to wash the car and keep it indoors for exactly one day (to dry).
For high-quality and safe glass replacement, ask a second person for help. It is much easier to cope with heavy work together - one holds the suction cups, the other works with the string, and so on:
- Metal string with holders.
- Sharp wire line or awl.
- Sacral and thin screwdrivers.
- Glass holder in the form of suction cups.
- Nut wrenches.
- Flat gravel.
- Painting adhesive tape.
- Sealant.
- Device for applying glue.
- Protective primer.
- Solvent for old glue.
- Absorbent swabs and cloth gloves.
The entire list of materials can be found in a specialized automotive store or online. It is important to note that the salon cost of replacing a windshield is 3 times higher than the cost of all tools.
How long does it take for a windshield to dry after replacement?
Replacing a windshield is a rather complicated and painstaking procedure, so it should be entrusted to professionals. Otherwise, no one will give a guarantee for the result, and the damaged double-glazed window will have to be paid for out of your own pocket.
Regardless of who installed the new glass, it is important to take into account the operating rules after gluing. One of the main questions that interest car owners is how long it takes for the windshield to dry after replacement.
The exact curing time of the sealant depends on the specific composition used for gluing. If you install the glass yourself, carefully read the instructions on the package, and if you take the car to a workshop, follow the recommendations of specialists.
As a rule, the glue hardens in 1.5–3 hours, dries in about a day, and completely crystallizes only after three hours. Despite the fact that you can move the car after just a few hours, you need to do it very carefully. After a day, you can drive as usual, but it is still best to remain careful for three days after replacing the glass.
If you are replacing glass yourself, it is also important to consider how long the glass primer takes to dry. This information is indicated on the packaging. If you insert the glass too early or, on the contrary, dry out the primer, some areas may not adhere well.
To more accurately determine how long it takes for a glued windshield to dry, you need to take into account the time of year. In general, the replacement technology in winter and summer is the same, however, in winter the procedure can only be performed indoors, while in summer replacement outdoors is permissible.
If we take into account the difference in air humidity, then in summer the sealant hardens on average in 1.5 hours, and in winter - in 2.5–3 hours. During this time, it is prohibited to open the doors, windows of the car or move it. Any movement can cause the glass to vibrate, causing the seal to be broken.
How to check glass
Before picking up the car from the workshop, you can check the quality of the work performed yourself. And if you replaced the double-glazed window yourself, first check in the instructions how long the windshield should dry after gluing it with the selected glue. If you start checking before drying, you can ruin the work.
To test the glass for strength, press it from the inside and listen: there should be no cracking.
Regardless of how long the windshield adhesive takes to dry, it is recommended to check for tightness only after three days, when the adhesive has already crystallized.
To ensure accurate results, it is best to wash your car at a professional car wash using high-pressure washers. After washing, carefully check the seam for leaks.
If there are any, and the replacement was carried out in a workshop, the work will be corrected under warranty.
Rules for operating a car after replacing the windshield
Despite the fact that 1.5–3 hours after replacing the double-glazed window you can drive a car, it is not recommended to immediately return to your usual driving style. The first few days you should be extra careful. To do this, follow simple rules during the first three days:
- ♦ If possible, avoid potholes on the road and do not run over curbs.
- ♦ Do not park on uneven surfaces - the car should not be parked on an incline for long, as the sealant has not yet fully set.
- ♦ Avoid exposure to rain and snow for the first day, and it is better to wash your car only after three days. In some cases, washing the next day is allowed, but it is better to check this with the workshop where the replacement was carried out.
- ♦ Don't slam doors too much.
- ♦ Do not abuse the stove and air conditioner.
- ♦ Do not accelerate over 70 km/h.
If you are not careful, the seal of the adhesive may be compromised. In addition, experts recommend replacing the wipers, since sand particles usually remain on the old ones, which can scratch the new double-glazed window and significantly reduce its service life.
We recommend: Do-it-yourself replacement of brake fluid on a car
Removal process
Using a thin screwdriver, remove the seal along the entire front surface of the car. Next, we carefully disassemble all the unnecessary parts on the glass: wipers, moldings and protective plastic coating.
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In the cabin, it is necessary to protect the dashboard from further action.
We remove the seal from the inside of the cabin, and also remove the front pillar cards through the latches. Using a screwdriver, remove the screws and visors in the interior.
We eliminate all unnecessary wires that interfere with further work.
We pierce the old glue with a sharp awl. We insert strings into the holes and begin cutting off the sealant from different sides. It's better to work together.
After completing the action, carefully remove the glass using suction cup holders. Use a solvent to remove the old sealant. Place damaged glass on cardboard or a blanket to avoid splinters on the floor.
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Even a beginner with 1 person can handle a car. But, if you get around to replacing the windshield on trucks, you need to involve 2-4 people in the dismantling. Heavyweight glass differs greatly not only in distance from the ground, but also in weight categories.
Removing the old windshield
The procedure for removing a damaged windshield is as follows:
- We dismantle the decorative panels installed in the car interior on the pillars on the right (left) of the windshield using a plastic spatula. The ceiling does not need to be dismantled, since the cutting string will not affect it.
- Remove the decorative seal (molding) located on the outside of the glass. In modern cars, three types of seals are used, differing in the material of manufacture: rubber, plastic and plastic reinforced with aluminum (usually Japanese-made cars). Moldings made of plain and reinforced plastic are removed by hand. If removal is difficult, it means that the molding is glued in or secured with clips. A glued plastic seal can rarely be removed undamaged, and this is not advisable, since a new windshield for such cars (Toyota Camry, Skoda Octavia, Mercedes W201 and some others) comes with a molding. Otherwise, you will have to purchase it (the molding) separately and put it on it before installing the glass. Rubber seals can be removed quite easily, but it is also better to replace them with new ones, since when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, they lose elasticity and resilience, which will affect their tightness when reinstalled. If clips are used to fasten the moldings, prepare a set of new fasteners (clips) in advance, since in the process of cutting the glass, this element usually receives damage that prevents its reuse. When choosing clips, use a sample, since not all modifications of this fastener are interchangeable.
- The insertion of the string into the layer of glue is carried out using a knife that has a fairly long and flexible blade, which actually cuts a slot for inserting the string. With moldings remaining on the windshield, the flexibility of the blade will come in handy. The strings included in modern glass removal kits can be of three main types:
- round;
- square;
- twisted, or consisting of two separate strings.
The most preferable is a string with a square cross-section, since a twisted string requires some experience in use, and the efficiency of using a round string is relatively low.
- Before you begin the process of cutting the windshield, you must carefully cover the dashboard and dashboard of the car to avoid damage to them from glass fragments.
- Cutting off the windshield.
Attention! In the process of cutting glass, it is necessary to constantly monitor the parallel position of the string relative to the vehicle body, which will help protect it (the body) from damage.
New glass installation process
We treat the boundaries of the body and glass with a primer that improves tenacity.
We install a new seal. Apply sealant to the contours of the body.
Using suction cups, install the glass into the opening and fix it. It's better to use tape. We return moldings, protective film and wipers.
It is important to protect the glass from moving, so we leave the car alone for 24 hours.
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After removing the protective layer of masking tape, you need to wash the car and check the tightness of the seams. If leaks are detected, we perform the procedure of additional application of glue-sealant.
Polyurethane adhesive sealant
The most common and high-quality adhesive composition for windshields today is polyurethane adhesive-sealant. It is a one-component composition that hardens by reacting with air humidity at room temperature. At high temperatures and air humidity, the hardening time is reduced. At temperatures below +5 degrees Celsius, the curing process of the adhesive-sealant stops.
Before use, place the sealant tube in water at a temperature of approximately 60 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Next, prepare the adhesive sealant for application. To do this, you need to cut off the spout in a certain way, remove the cap from the back side and insert the tube into a special gun, with which the adhesive-sealant will be squeezed out.
The nose is cut at a 45 degree angle in a “V” shape. This shape of the spout will help you apply the adhesive-sealant of the desired shape and height. Glue applied in a strip with a rounded shape may leave gaps after gluing the glass, which will lead to leaks. In addition, adhesive sealants with a round shape are more difficult to press evenly, which can also lead to leaks and leaks. When the glue is applied in the shape of the letter “V”, when the glass is pressed, no air bubbles form in it and it is evenly distributed.
The V-shaped cutout of the tip of the adhesive-sealant spout should be the same size or 3 mm larger than the distance between the windshield seat and the roof plane. To check that the cut is correct, you can place the tip on the seat at the top of the opening and see if the sharp part of the cut lines up in a “V” with the edge of the roof. If the cutout is shorter than needed, you can make it a little larger. The correct cutout will give the required height of the glue when applied and the glass will lie in the opening at the required depth.
If installing glass requires the use of a second package of glue, then it is better that additional glue is prepared in advance and the spout is cut as needed. This will eliminate the loss of time during which a film forms on the already applied glue.
The adhesive sealant must be applied at an angle of 80–90 degrees to the surface. This way the applied glue will have the desired shape and height.
The higher the air temperature, the faster the adhesive sealant hardens. The time it takes to install glass with adhesive applied can be reduced to 5 minutes at high ambient temperatures.
Correct application of adhesive sealant requires positioning the gun with the tube at an angle of 90 degrees to the glass surface. If the glue is applied at a smaller angle (see photo), then the strip will not have the correct height, and there will not be good contact between the glue and the surfaces being glued.
BETASEAL polyurethane adhesive sealants are an example of quality products that, when used correctly, can restore a bonded windshield to original specifications. This company's line includes quick-drying adhesives that allow you to safely start driving a car with new glass 1 hour after installation.
