Everything You Need To Know About Car Windshield

A windshield is a crucial part of your vehicle. It is the glass at the front of your vehicle, which enable the front seat passenger and the driver to have a clear and complete view of the road ahead. This windshield of your vehicle is known by the name of “Windshield” in United States and most of North America. It is also known as the “windscreen” in many other countries. Most of these windshields are made up of laminated safety glass that is precisely bonded in the place by a urethane sealant.

The purpose behind the making of these windshields initially was to protect the passengers of the vehicle from wind, dirt and other contaminants while travelling. But today its role is not only limited to this but its windshields are also used as a safety component in the passenger vehicle by containing the front airbags.

As mentioned in the above section, the windshields are located at the very front of the vehicle. Similarly, the rear glass is situated right opposite the front windshield. Just like the front windshield of your vehicle, the rear windshield also helps in keeping your vehicle it’s rigid vehicle frame and also protects the passengers from wind and dirt. To know more about auto windshield and its related parts, have a look at the subsequent sections.

If you are thinking of buying auto windshield for your vehicle, you must keep in mind its various types. Wondering where to know about those types? Well, worry not. We have worked out a complete list of windshield types for you.

1. Laminated Glass Windshield - This type of windshield is made up with laminated glass. The process of lamination starts when the 2 sheets of glass are placed on different sides of a thin poly-vinyl butyral sheet, also known as the PVB sheet. These sheet under heat and pressure are bonded to make one piece.
2. Tempered Glass Windshield - As the name suggests, this is made up of tempered glass using the tempering technique. For the tempering technique, the glass sheet is heated up to a certain temperature. After that this glass is cooled in the cold air rapidly. This process makes the glass to expand constantly and then contract.

There is a huge list of items used in the making of automotive windshield listed as follows:

Cullet

• Limestone, improves glass durability
• Dolomite, make it easier to work with melted material
• Soda ash, reduces the melting point of the glass mixture
• Silica sand, constitutes up to 60 to 70% of the glass
• Small amounts of aluminum oxide and potassium oxide

If you are the one looking for buying automotive windshield for your vehicle, then do take into consideration these following features:

• It should provide an aerodynamically formed window
• It should have UV coating or either laminated safety glass

Make sure of the vehicle specification too before you attempt to make the final purchase. At PartsAvatar, you can simply find automotive windshield specific to your vehicle.

Some of the common problems faced with automotive windshield are listed as follows:

1. Blocking of Drivers View - If you have cracks in your windshield, then it might end up blocking your view and endanger your and other life on the road. Another issue blocking the view can be the sun refracts off the crack resulting in sun blind spot.
2. Airbag Deployment Compromise - Another life-threatening problem that you can face if you have a cracked windshield is of compromised airbag deployment in case of a mishappening.

If you are not sure if something is wrong with your vehicle’s windshield or not then take a look at these few common symptoms:

1. Blocked View - One of the common symptoms of a bad windshield is the blocked view. Whenever you develop a crack or little chip on your windshield it will affect your ability to make instant decisions.
2. Large Cracks - Developing large cracks on the automotive windshield is common sign indicating that you need a windshield replacement.
3. Harsh Winter Signs on Windshield - Harsh Canadian winters can take a toll on your vehicle’s windshield health. You will notice pits, chips or cracks on the windshield.
4. Windshield Pitting - Windshield pitting is a common symptom that is mostly visible during the time of dusk and dawn.
5. White Haze at the Edges of the Glass - When the PVB plastic starts to separate from the glass the it develops white hazes around the edge of your vehicle windshield. This might endanger your life, so replace the bad windshield asap.
6. Missing Windshield Parts - This is the most obvious symptom of a bad windshield. Make sure you don’t ignore this issue as it might result in your vehicle frame sagging.

Are you thinking of repairing your Windshield on your own? Then there is one thing which you must have, that is the right tools needed for repairing your Windshield. It is essential to make sure that you are outfitted with the right tools to get the work done properly. Have a look at some tools which you might need to get started with your repair work: -

• Windshield Removal Tool
• Automotive Urethane

• Protective gloves

When it comes to vehicle owner’s choice, the brands really matter a lot. You might pay a premium for a specific car part brand, over time, as it has created a perception of quality, stability as well as trust. There are some leading car parts brands which are more than just products or services as they give rise to memories and emotions related with the quality. So have a look at some of the top brands for Windshield.

It is very important to arm yourself with information before you shop any auto part. We are here to help you dive deep into the names of the Windshield related parts.

• Wiper Arm
• Windshield Frame
• Windshield Channel
• Windshield Moulding
• Windshield Wiper Blade

Windshield replacement cost can differ wildly depending on application, the brand of the Windshield as well as who does the work. All you have to do is to replace your faulty Windshield with us online and then you can leave your car to the mechanic and pick it up a few days later. Just be sure that the car mechanic is highly skilled and has a good reputation. Sometimes the additional service level might cost you more than what you have expected. We also recommend you to take pictures of your car before you leave it with them so that you are sure that later on it is returned back to you in an unharmed condition. If you are thinking of replacing your vehicle’s windshield then it might cost you somewhere $350, it might also vary according to the type of your vehicle windshield type.

If you are looking for ways to replace your vehicle’s bad windshield then you are at the right place. We have listed out the step by step procedure to replace bad automotive hood hinges.

Step 1

Is all about removing the trim that is located around the windshield. Also, make sure that you very carefully remove the clips, retainers and the fasteners. Since they can be reused, so make sure you don’t break or lose them

Step 2

Is all about removing the old and bad windshield glass carefully. To do so you will need to cut the old windshield by making use of a windshield removal tool.

Step 3

In this step you need to remove the old urethane. Remove the old urethane by making use of a heavy-duty glass scraper blade. Make sure there is no dirt or debris at the position of the urethane application.

Step 4

Now when you have cut out the old urethane then the chances are that you might have made some scratches. Next step after this is to apply the urethane primer at the perimeter of the windshield.

Step 5

In this step you will need to remove the urethane cartridge bottom cap and then install it on the caulk gun. Now, carefully lay the bead of urethane on a continuous line. While doing so make sure that you are not missing any spot. In case your windscreen requires you to replace the clips then just slide them and lock them into proper place.

Note: make sure that you don’t spill any urethane on car body’s paint.

Step 6

Lastly install the new windshield glass. You might need a friend to help you out with this step. If you plan to do it on your own without any help then make sure that you are using heavy duty suction cups for holding the windshield properly.

Note: one thing you need to make sure before you attempt to repair your vehicle windshield is the right tools.