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Tiny Windshield Chip - ceramic coating
- Thread starter tesemmd
- Start date
silentcorp
Member
Mine had a chip like that, I was on a road trip and about 10 hours later it had formed a giant crack. I would have Safelite look at it but it may need to be replaced.
joebruin77
Active Member
You definitely do not want to just leave it alone. There is a high probability that the chip will develop a crack and the crack will grow over time. This is exactly what happened to my old Subaru.
But there is another option. You can use a windshield repair kit such as this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-60000...s=windshield+repair+kit&qid=1574610233&sr=8-7
The most important thing is to use the kit to fill the chipped area with a clear resin. This will prevent the crack from growing. But do the repair asap. The longer you go without repairing it, the greater the chance a crack will appear and grow. Then you will have no choice but to replace the entire windshield.
And if the chip occurred after the application of the ceramic coating, then there is no more ceramic coating on that one small spot where the chip is. You could reapply the ceramic coating after you repair the chip with the kit above.
But there is another option. You can use a windshield repair kit such as this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-60000...s=windshield+repair+kit&qid=1574610233&sr=8-7
The most important thing is to use the kit to fill the chipped area with a clear resin. This will prevent the crack from growing. But do the repair asap. The longer you go without repairing it, the greater the chance a crack will appear and grow. Then you will have no choice but to replace the entire windshield.
And if the chip occurred after the application of the ceramic coating, then there is no more ceramic coating on that one small spot where the chip is. You could reapply the ceramic coating after you repair the chip with the kit above.
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It's illegal in Florida to drive with cracked or damaged windshield. That said I believe the generally accepted guideline for a ticket is if your vision is impaired or the crack/damage is more than six inches.
I have a few small chips in my other car, most just surface chips from getting stoned on the turnpike and one a little deeper that has splintering around it but not completely through the glass into the cabin. All are smaller than a pea so I haven't done anything about them over the years and none of them got worse or grew.
It's great advise to fill them with glass repair if nothing more than to fix the aesthetics.
Cousin Eddie
Member
Repair it for sure, otherwise it will spiderweb. Reapplying ceramic on the windshield should only cost $50...
boriszima
Member
I am surprised to see people say to repair such wha seems not deep chip. I got couple of those when hauling truck dropped rocks. Been a year so far no problem.
I had one just that size.. get some glass repair on amazon. same resin material glass companies use. You drip on , add the supplied plastic (which levels it out) razor off the excess the resin sits in the chip. *rain-x windshield repair
FYI- No idea FL makes it illegal for a cracked windshield. (with no annual state inspection required) I've seen doors held closed with ropes - HAHA
FYI- No idea FL makes it illegal for a cracked windshield. (with no annual state inspection required) I've seen doors held closed with ropes - HAHA
if the 'chip' is that small (a tiny pin prick rather than a chip) ... safelite will have to DRILL to make the chip bigger before they can inject the resin. do NOT let them do that. drilling always carries the risk of the tiny prick cracking and you need a new windshield.
i have at least 4-5 of those tiny windshield pin pricks in my Model 3 (~2mm in size or less) ... never been an issue. My wife's GMC has the same. No issues. Every vehicle i owned had them over time.
i have at least 4-5 of those tiny windshield pin pricks in my Model 3 (~2mm in size or less) ... never been an issue. My wife's GMC has the same. No issues. Every vehicle i owned had them over time.
ZappCatt
Member
I am new here....but what is the Ceramic for, if you get a chip like that while driving?
Aren't they supposed to "protect your windshield"? If so, do they offer to fix/repair the damage if it ends up not working(as it seems to have happened in your case)?
Aren't they supposed to "protect your windshield"? If so, do they offer to fix/repair the damage if it ends up not working(as it seems to have happened in your case)?
Msjulie
Active Member
What everyone else says - I saw a small chip in my windshield on a Sunday, figuring keep an eye on it - by Monday you could see the tiniest bit of cracking happening so had the glass repair come to the office and fix the car in the parking lot - 15mins time, covered entirely by insurance as bribe to fix vs waiting till whole window needs replacing.
Replace the windshield. Follow immediately with three applications of ceramic unobtanium window coating. 
In all seriousness, this tiny chip will cause you no problems. Leave it alone.
In four decades of car ownership, from domestic, Japanese and European manufacturers. A dozen or more window chips like...not one has ever led to a crack or required repair or windshield replacement.
In all seriousness, this tiny chip will cause you no problems. Leave it alone.
In four decades of car ownership, from domestic, Japanese and European manufacturers. A dozen or more window chips like...not one has ever led to a crack or required repair or windshield replacement.
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Dolemite
is my name
Every time I think I'm overly anal or insane, I just have to take a stroll through these forums & I feel normal again.
That being said, that looks like it will cause literally zero problems. But if you're worried about it, you can apply some of this stuff & it'll keep any cracks at bay. Been using it for ~10 years (before it was even rain-x brand) & god knows how many "serious" chips I've prevented from spreading. I keep a kit in the car because sometimes you get a nick in the morning & by the time you leave work, it's a massive crack.
Instructions are overly complicated - just put on a tiny dab, place one of the plastic sheets over it, let it cure in the sun, scrape the rest off with a razor blade (using water or some other kind of lube) & move on with your life. I can promise you the headache of getting the windshield replaced will by far outweigh going this route... only for it to happen again a few months later.
https://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-60000...epair+kit&qid=1574610233&sr=8-7&tag=tmc064-20
That being said, that looks like it will cause literally zero problems. But if you're worried about it, you can apply some of this stuff & it'll keep any cracks at bay. Been using it for ~10 years (before it was even rain-x brand) & god knows how many "serious" chips I've prevented from spreading. I keep a kit in the car because sometimes you get a nick in the morning & by the time you leave work, it's a massive crack.
Instructions are overly complicated - just put on a tiny dab, place one of the plastic sheets over it, let it cure in the sun, scrape the rest off with a razor blade (using water or some other kind of lube) & move on with your life. I can promise you the headache of getting the windshield replaced will by far outweigh going this route... only for it to happen again a few months later.
https://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-60000...epair+kit&qid=1574610233&sr=8-7&tag=tmc064-20
As for those advising to do nothing, chips absolutely can lead to cracks. Maybe they don’t *always*, but it depends on many factors that the OP can’t control; depth, moisture getting in the chip, temp variance, etc.
And this isn’t some common Ford or GM we’re talking about. If the chip *does* lead to a crack you could be waiting a MUCH longer time to get a windshield replacement due to the abysmal supply of spare parts for Teslas.
And this isn’t some common Ford or GM we’re talking about. If the chip *does* lead to a crack you could be waiting a MUCH longer time to get a windshield replacement due to the abysmal supply of spare parts for Teslas.
dougatconcours
Former Vendor
Chip proof and/or chip resistant are both bunk. Please don't believe otherwise. The only thing that prevents chips on paint is paint protection film, ceramic coatings DO NOT prevent rock chips or make them any less resistant to chipping.
Same goes for any coating you would put on your windshield. Unfortunately, there are many "snake oil" salesman is this business that will mislead you.
Coatings for glass are only meant to help shed water, improving visibility. Some last longer than others.
ClearPlex is a windshield protection film. Not recommending, just saying this is the only answer to prevent or resist rock chips on a windshield.
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