Be Aware of Sudden Temperature Changes
When you walk outside to warm up your vehicle after a night of cold temperatures, be careful about heating up your windshield too quickly. If a frozen or cold windshield is immediately hit with hot air, it can cause the glass to crack due to the sudden change in temperature. This is even more likely to occur if the auto glass already has a small chip or crack in it. When turning on the heat in your vehicle you might consider pointing your vents away from the windshield or windows, also avoid blasting your defroster right away, allow the vehicle time to slowly warm up internally first. Direct the hot air towards the passenger seats or the floorboards so the glass has a chance to warm up slowly. Also, it’s best to never pour hot water on your vehicle’s frozen glass, it can cause extreme damage.
Get Auto Glass and Windshield Chips Repaired Immediately
The most important thing is to get chips repaired before they spread and turn into long cracks; cracks will only continue to grow during the colder months. The Motor Industry Research Association reports that auto glass chips were 80 percent more likely to spread once the temperature dropped into or below the 30’s.
Ice Removal Tools Can Help
While in Houston this might not happen often, but when your vehicle’s windshield does freeze over do not use a knife or shovel on the surface of your auto glass. It’s best to purchase a windshield ice scraper that is designed exactly for the purpose of removing ice from auto glass. It’s also best to slide and scrape horizontally along your auto glass; avoid stabbing or chopping the ice because that can chip and crack your vehicle’s glass.
Keep Your Windshield Washer Fluid Tank Full
It’s always a great idea to check your windshield washer fluids regularly, this is especially true during the colder months since you will use your wiper fluid more often during this time. A clean windshield makes it easier to see out of and it also makes it easier to see any cracks or chips that need to be repaired. As a best practice you will also want to ensure that your wiper blades are in good condition and are able to smoothly brush away any ice that may accrue. Invest in a new pair of wiper blades if needed, you might consider switching them out before the seasons change with a pair that’s made for winter weather.
To discuss repairing your windshield before the cold weather arrives contact us by visiting here or by calling us at 281-807-1488.
