is a pin-prick size chip in the windshield reason for concern?

[spin out]

i got a chip in the windshield. literally the size of a pin prick. it's right in my line of sight and it catches a lot of light... so it's annoying. it has minimal depth... but it's there.

is a chip this size capable of expanding into a larger crack?

my insurance company is covering a fix... but i'm almost embarrassed to have them fix such a tiny chip.

am i justified having a glass shop come out here and fix it?

[Firebat666]

yes i belive so... from what i have hears a chip of ANY size is reason to replace or fix as it is a crack waiting to happen

[boojum]

You can super glue it. Just let the glue enter the crack/chip. Capillary action will draw it into the crack. It will fill it and harden. It will the transparent. I have done it on my old truck windshield and it works fine. It is an old trick.

Cheers

[doctordoom]

if it's a pit, it won't spread. if it's a small crack, then you need to get it repaired because it WILL spread. put some scotch tape on it until you have a chance to get fixed. getting it fixed may or may not make it disappear completely, but it will prevent the crack from spreading across your windshield. and the tape on it helps keep dust particles and other crap out of it so that when you do get it repaired, the crack will be filled more effectively and its visibility will diminish more than if you had let it fill with contaminants. good luck!

[KatzeChicX]

Yes, if any water gets into the crack and freezes, it will cause the crack to spider. Also, leaving the car in the sun can cause the glass to expand, put pressure on the crack, and then cause the crack to spider.

So... heat or cold can cause it to spread. It's only a matter of time.

As someone else said, pits are not the same as cracks.

[kenchan]

you should see the pitting my MINI's windshield has.

not an issue as long as there are no cracks and spreads...
other than it being an annoyance.

[Snoodmaster]

I had my fit for a week when I heard a rock hit the windshield really hard. I looked and looked and the only spot I could find was an extremely small top of a pin head small spot on the lower windshield in the black colored area. Fast forward 5 weeks and some extremely cold freezing weather. I ran several errands with the heater and defrost on. A couple of hours after I got home I got back in my car and low and behold I had about a 4 inch crack coming from that small chip. I went to a party and when I came out the crack was about 8 inches. I just got my windshield replaced a couple of weeks ago. I erroneously thought that a chip that small would not spread. Cost me 312.00

[spin out]

that sucks.


a guy from safelite came out and looked at my windshield. he said the pit is small enough that it will never get worse. so he did nothing.

we'll see.

[Rob22315]

Originally Posted by spin out

that sucks.


a guy from safelite came out and looked at my windshield. he said the pit is small enough that it will never get worse. so he did nothing.

we'll see.

It all depends on the circumstances. I've had dime-sized chips in two cars that never spread over 4 or more years. I filled them both with a kit from the local auto parts place to reduce the annoying appearance. I suppose that kept the water out of the chip.

One vehicle I sold with the chip in the windshield and replaced it will the Fit. On the other, a 1993 Saab C900, I eventually replaced the windshield due to pitting, not the chip. The pitting was so bad the car was almost undriveable in morning or evening sunlight.

The wife (it was her daily driver) told me she thought we needed to get the chip in the C900 fixed so I called diamondglass and got a new one installed for $210. After that plus another $900 of repairs she told me what she really wanted was a new car. Must be that secret language women speak and men don't get!!! She got the Fit and the C900 is now my DD.