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Chipped/Cracked Windshield - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited April 2015 in Ford
imageChipped/Cracked Windshield - 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term Road Test

After just a few months in our fleet, the long-term 2015 Ford F-150 got a crack in the windshield. Time for a repair!

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    dgcamerodgcamero Member Posts: 148
    You guys really need to invest in a lot of Rain-X. It seems to make that not happen very often. One good initial application of full Rain-X, and once a month take a spray bottle of the green Rain-X wiper fluid and clean the windshield with it...and you're good to go.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited April 2015
    Lots of people say that using "chemicals" on your windshield will prevent the repair of a stone crack like this. People say a lot of "stuff" on the intertubes. :) It never rains where I am anyway so ....

    Recently did a very small chip with a d-i-y kit. The chip didn't disappear but hopefully it won't spread now.
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    zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    I can't imagine any science would backup a chemical on the windshield preventing a stone crack.

    There is probably plenty of anecdotal evidence out there where people had their windshields hit with no crack; however with countless factors deciding if a chip happens from a rock impact I'd bet the farm that it has nothing to do with what rain treatment is on the windshield.

    I've gone well over a hundred thousand miles on one car with multiple rock impacts and no cracks and had others get hit and crack in a fraction of those miles driving the same roads in the same conditions and same treatments on the windshields. The same rock wouldn't even have the same end impact if you sent it at the window thousands of times, speed, angle, which part of the rock hits the window will always vary and the slightest variance will change what the impact does. I've had rock impacts that sounded like it should have gone through the windshield and they didn't leave a mark and other little 'plink' sounds that sent a crack across the windshield.
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    zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    stever said:

    Recently did a very small chip with a d-i-y kit. The chip didn't disappear but hopefully it won't spread now.

    I've gotten pretty good with the DIY kits, the key points I've found are to make sure the center of the crack is clean so the fluid can get in and then when you have the fluid in and the plunger is set on suction to pull the air out of the crack apply a little heat to the area inside the windshield. Be careful though as too much heat will send the crack spreading but gentle heat evenly applied around the area with a small heat gun or hair dryer and you can watch more bubbles work their way out of the crack. Then be sure to leave the setup on the windshield until the glass has cooled or it will suck air back in as it cools.

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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Yeah, it's a pretty easy repair. My kit was around $8. For a while there insurance companies were paying for the chip guys to come out and fix 'em at no cost to the insured. OEM windshields are part of the safety structure of the cabin, so I much prefer trying to stop a crack than replacing an entire windshield "prematurely".
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    gslippygslippy Member Posts: 514
    It's an Edmunds long-term car - of course the windshield cracked.
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    desmoliciousdesmolicious Member Posts: 671
    Use the DIY kit. Looks perfect for that size chip. $8. And if it eventually fails, well, you're only out 2 Double Doubles with fries ..
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    dgcamerodgcamero Member Posts: 148
    zimtheinvader said:

    I can't imagine any science would backup a chemical on the windshield preventing a stone crack.

    There is probably plenty of anecdotal evidence out there where people had their windshields hit with no crack; however with countless factors deciding if a chip happens from a rock impact I'd bet the farm that it has nothing to do with what rain treatment is on the windshield.

    I've gone well over a hundred thousand miles on one car with multiple rock impacts and no cracks and had others get hit and crack in a fraction of those miles driving the same roads in the same conditions and same treatments on the windshields. The same rock wouldn't even have the same end impact if you sent it at the window thousands of times, speed, angle, which part of the rock hits the window will always vary and the slightest variance will change what the impact does. I've had rock impacts that sounded like it should have gone through the windshield and they didn't leave a mark and other little 'plink' sounds that sent a crack across the windshield.

    Basically, it puts a very thin and slick coating on the windshield, so in my experience, the rock tends to slide on the top of the thin slick coating rather than slide on the windshield and possibly into the glass. It's kind of like a coat of wax for your windshield. Not sure if that makes sense, but I have never had a rock chip on my Rain-X treated windshields in 500k miles of driving with them, and I live and drive near a rock quarry --- so I've been splattered with lots of rocks.
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