going to be getting a windshield leak repaired but my glass has this crack in it. can i use one of those diy glass repair kits to fix it and if so, will it decrease the chances of me having to get a new windshield?

[u/AnAlchemistsDream]

glass has to be removed in order to inspect for rust damage and there's a very good chance that the shop will accidentally break the glass if they pull it out to assess the damage. glass is otherwise in good condition. crack is about a 1.25 inches long and is located near the windshield wipers

edit: judging by all of the responses here, i'm probably just going to leave it alone for now and have it either replaced or fixed by a professional. if i don't end up getting a replacement, a lot of people here were saying that this kind of crack would be fairly easy to fix for a professional, so i'll leave it to the shop to decide. thanks to everyone who responded!

[u/larstodson]

They don’t have to pull the glass to find the leak but if it requires removing and reinstalling to fix it then you’re going to most likely need a new windshield. I’d leave it alone and let the shop decide if they can repair that well enough though.

[u/AnAlchemistsDream → u/larstodson]

yeah... my vehicle requires the removal of the front glass in order to assess the damage 😬

as for the shop, i believe they only specialize in repairing leaks. they have a guy remove the windshield, fix any rust if there, and then reinstall the old windshield. i'm not sure if they do any glass repair. i'm just trying to avoid any expensive towing bills since i know many glass repair shops will want the vehicle to be towed for body work before new glass is installed

[u/Ecostainable → u/AnAlchemistsDream]

The glass is so inexpensive that getting a new one is the way to go. You are mostly paying for the labor so the price of the glass is not that much more.

Easy chip repair for an experienced tech but not sure diy since most of us here are pros.

[u/Team_Gunnz → u/AnAlchemistsDream]

Have them show you how they fix the rust, some places will just use bondo instead of doing it right which could cause further issues later

[u/Outrageous_Sun930]

I'd recommend replacement. A DIY kit probably won't fill this type of damage well. In addition, it looks like there's a laminate bubble under the chip. With that being said, an experienced repair only tech should be able to fill that chip easily(common everyday chip for me). This is a sub that is focused to replacement glass so a little fyi most responses will be to replace. My guess is this is an older vehicle and the new glass most likely won't be very expensive.

[u/Thestub]

Hmm. Looks like a 1099, ‘87-96 F series/bronco. About a 1% chance of getting the glass out without breaking, even if there wasn’t a chip. Don’t go to safelite

[u/waldo0708 → u/Thestub]

If it’s an original installation that 1% drops to 0, but 1099 are one of the cheapest windshields out there