4 Signs You Need to Replace Your Windshield

18 Apr 4 Signs You Need to Replace Your Windshield

If you’ve been following our blog for long, you probably already know that your windshield is one of the most important parts of your car. If there is an issue with it, it could make your car dangerous to drive and put you at serious risk for an injury. However, it’s not always easy to know when you should get your windshield replaced. Do you need an entirely new windshield because of one small crack, or can it wait?

Below are a few signs you should look for that will tell you it’s time to replace your windshield.

1. Pitting
The first thing you’ll want to look for is signs of pitting within your windshield. Pitting is small dents within the windshield which are commonly caused by debris hitting the window. If you spend a lot of time driving on the highway, there’s a decent chance your windshield as some pitting in it.

Pitting is most obvious when the sun is low in the sky, so look for it in the early hours or later on in the day. When there is pitting within your windshield, it can reflect too much light and raindrops stick to the glass. Both of these things make it harder to see, so if you have a lot of pitting with your window, you’ll want to get it replaced.

2. Blocked View
Driving around San Antonio is hard enough as it is. Doing it with lowered visibility is just downright dangerous. A crack in your glass has the ability to significantly impact your safety. Even a small crack can block your view of another car or person. This is especially true of spiderweb-like cracks, which have a tendency to grow over time. If you are unable to see completely out of your entire windshield, you should look to get it replaced as soon as you can.

While getting your windshield replaced for a tiny crack may sound inconvenient, it’s much better than getting into an accident because it blocked your view.

3. White Haze
All windshields are designed so that if they break, they do so into smaller pieces rather than large, dangerous ones. This is done by applying a special piece of plastic to the glass, known as polyvinyl butyral. If this plastic starts to separate from the glass, it will create a white haze around the edges of your windshield.

You’ll likely still be able to see out of the window when this happens, but you are putting yourself at increased risk if you get into an accident. If that polyvinyl butyral isn’t attached completely to the glass, the glass could shatter into large, dangerous chunks of glass.

4. Inspection Time
Finally, if you have a vehicle inspection coming up, you won’t pass if there are significant cracks or chips in your windshield. Rather than risking a failure on the inspection test, it’s better to get your windshield replaced before you go. This will not only keeper you safer, but you won’t have to worry about any fines or fees that may result from having an expired inspection sticker.

Replacing Your Windshield
Once you notice any of the signs above, you should make an appointment to have your windshield replaced as soon as possible. Windshield problems have a tendency to get worse over time and sometimes unexpectedly. The last thing you want is to be cruising down the highway when suddenly your windshield goes from bad to worse.

To have your windshield replaced in no time, contact RNR Auto Glass. Our team will inspect your windshield and determine if a replacement is the best course of action. Your windshield is too important to leave a replacement job to just anyone — let the experts at RNR Auto Glass handle it for you, and you’ll be back on the road with a safe windshield before you know it.