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subject: Prevent Improper Auto Glass Installation During Windshield Replacement [print this page]


Prevent Improper Auto Glass Installation During Windshield Replacement

Roads are littered with debris, rocks, stones and pebbles. When vehicles run over such things, bits and pieces could break off and fly in all directions. Such flying debris can cause windshield damage. This happens all the time. Windshield replacement is therefore needed very often. A vehicle owner should, however, know how to prevent shortcuts in the windshield replacement process because such practices are common. With improper windshield replacement, the vehicles occupants are not properly protected on the road. In fact, an improperly installed windshield which has not bonded properly can in itself be the cause of accidents.

Windshield repair is, of course, always the first option. Windshield replacement is unavoidable, though, when windshield repair is not possible for the damaged car glass. If the vehicle owner does not have time to bring the vehicle to the shop for windshield replacement, mobile windshield replacement may be availed of.

For proper windshield replacement, the service provider should use original equipment manufactured car glass like Pilkington. Original equipment manufactured car glass is totally comparable to dealer car glass but is less expensive.

For proper windshield replacement, the old windshield as well as its old molding is completely removed and discarded. The lower windshield cowl panel is also removed and set aside, to be returned only after the new car glass has been installed. Before installation, the old urethane adhesive is scraped off with only 1/16th of an inch remaining in the adhesive bed. The windshield channel is re-primed to prevent rusting. New urethane adhesive is used and after the new car glass is in position, new molding is installed. The prescribed drying and curing time for the adhesive is observed before the vehicle is released.
Prevent Improper Auto Glass Installation During Windshield Replacement


Following are the shortcuts usually done by unscrupulous technicians during the auto glass installation process in windshield replacement.

The first shortcut done in the auto glass installation process in windshield replacement is flush cutting. This involves slicing away the exposed portion of the old molding and setting this aside to be reused. The embedded parts of the old molding are scraped away and discarded. Once the new car glass is in position, no new molding is installed. Instead, the sliced off portion of the old molding is merely glued on. This means there is actually no real molding holding the new glass in place. The new windshield is vulnerable to vibrations and leaks and may loosen.

The second shortcut done in the auto glass installation process in windshield replacement is close cutting. In this method the old adhesive is not scraped off. Instead, only a thin layer of adhesive is placed on top of it. This means that the new car glass is not properly bonded to the windshield channel.

The second shortcut done in the auto glass installation process in windshield replacement is jumping the cowl. The lower windshield cowl panel is not removed during the entire process. This means the new car glass has not been placed completely flush to the windshield channel.

If vehicle owners are fully aware of the ways in which unscrupulous technicians apply shortcuts during the windshield replacement process they can take the necessary steps to prevent this.

by: Businesslocallistings




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