Your car’s windshield is an essential part of your vehicle because it acts as the primary safety feature. A windshield ensures that you are protected from elements like rocks flying from the road, dirt, and dust from getting into your car. Drivers can also see the road clearly as it prevents the glare from the sun.
If you’re involved in a collision, the windshield can save you and your passenger from the initial impact of the accident. It even offers support to your roof so that it doesn’t end up collapsing during an accident. Like any other part of your vehicle, proper care and maintenance should be taken to avoid hefty repair and maintenance costs.
Here are a few tips from the pros you’ll find handy.
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Watch Out Where You Park Your Car
There are instances where you have few options on where to park. However, when plenty of choices are available, you should avoid parking under trees or indirect sunlight. By parking your car under a tree, especially during the stormy weather, you risk damage to your windscreen from falling tree branches. Exposure of your windscreen to direct sun for a long time can wear your car’s tint, which ultimately compromises your windshield’s structural integrity.
By exposing your car to extreme temperatures like parking in direct sunlight for long hours after running, your A/C can lead to stress cracks forming on your windshield. Temperature changes can also result in cracks or chips spreading across your windscreen.
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Inspect And Replace Your Windshield Wipers When Necessary
The condition of your windshield wipers impacts your car’s windshield in different ways. Windshield wipers feature two components; a rubber coating on the outside and a metal structure (rubber blade) on the inside. Following prolonged use, the rubber coating will begin to wear, exposing your windshield to the wiper blades.
This means that when you run your wipers, you risk the rubber blade scraping the windshield, leading to scratches. A few aspects that can lead to the degradation of your wiper blades include sunlight, moisture, debris, and wear and tear. That’s why you should replace your windshield wipers at least once a year. Here are a few tell-tale signs your wiper needs replacement:
- Metal corrosions at claws and joints
- Rubber squeegee creating streaks and having challenges conforming to windshield shape.
- Frame arm that’s detached at connection point or broken frame
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Take Precautionary Measures Immediately After Service
If you recently had damage to your windscreen and just had a replacement from americaswindshield.com, you need to understand that your windshield is vulnerable in the first 48 hours after service. If you don’t want to make a second trip to the service station, there are a few steps you can take to protect your newly fitted glass.
- Give Your Windshield Time to Cure – Immediately after repair, you should let your vehicle sit for a few hours for the urethane adhesive used for the replacement to cure. So, you should drive your car for at least one day after returning home from the repair shop.
- Don’t Remove the Tapes – The tapes used around the sealed area prevent debris and dust from compromising the seal. So, you have to leave the tapes intact for at least 48 hours before you can safely remove them.
- Wash Your Car after 48 Hours – High-pressure washing can negatively impact your windshield seal. That’s why you should wait at least two days for the moldings and adhesive to dry before taking your car to the car wash.
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Employ The Right Cleaning Products
When cleaning your windscreen, it’s highly advisable not to settle for wrong cleaning products such as abrasive household sponges or ammonia-based glass cleaners. Such products leave a streak on the window, damage the glass tint and leave scratches on the screen. You need to invest in cleaners designed specifically for cleaning windshields together with a soft microfiber cloth/towel.
When cleaning your car, you shouldn’t let the glass cleaner dry on your automotive glass because it streaks and can become gummy. Also, avoid leaving your wipers in the up position because they can easily snap back, leading to cracks on your vehicle’s glass.
You need to understand that maintaining your windshield is essential as it guarantees better visibility and provides safety to drivers. So, if you’ve got a minor problem with it, there are high chances that it can get worse and ultimately impact your visibility. To ensure that you don’t keep making trips to the auto repair shop, the care maintenance tips highlighted in this guide should guarantee you a long-lasting windshield.