Understanding Windshield Cracks in India

Driving a car in India is a herculean task in itself. Saving from the cattle, bikers who pounce on the roar from nowhere, or driving on the highways, getting minor dings, scratches, and cracks on your windshield is common. Well, glass is glass, and glass breaks. So today, let’s focus on windshield cracks as they are a topic of serious concern.

Types of Windshield Cracks

Before getting any further, let’s see what are the types of cracks.

Bull’s Eye Crack

This is one of the most common types of crack that occurs when a small blunt rock hits the windscreen. The impact acquires a circular shape and at times a small piece of glass falls off.

Star Crack or Ding Crack

The other common crack is the Star Crack. As the name suggests, this crack is caused by a sharp rock or object striking the windscreen. The impact develops a star-shaped cavity and a piece of glass chips off. If not taken care of, a star crack can escalate very quickly.

Combination Break

A sharp pebble or an object strikes and sometimes the impact develops a combination break. This is the combination of the star crack and the bull’s eye crack.

Edge Crack

The crack that escalates from within 2″ of the windscreen lining is the edge crack. If not taken care of, it can go from a small crack to a long one. Well, this is something very common on vehicles in India. The length may range anywhere from 10″ to 12″ and sometimes even more.

Floater Crack

This crack is identical to the edge crack, but unlike the edge, this starts 2″ away from the windscreen’s lining.

Half Moon Crack

Similar to the Bull’s eye crack, a half-moon crack chips off a piece of glass but has a semi-circular shape instead of circular.

Stress Crack

A stress crack is a type of internal crack that cannot be felt by moving our fingers over it. To diagnose the crack, this requires moving a ballpoint pen over it. Fun Fact: This is not developed by any impact; instead, a sudden change of temperature causes a stress crack. For instance, a vehicle buried under the snow should be cleaned using cold water. When poured hot water, Voila!, the temperature increase causes a stress crack.

Repair or Replace?

With the types of cracks clear, let us take a look at whether the cracks can be repaired or if a windscreen replacement is required.

Yes! As the windscreen is made up of laminated glass, it is possible to repair a windscreen. Well, the same is not possible for the other windows of the car. With technology getting more advanced with time, it is easier to repair cracks. Keep that in mind, to repair a windscreen some conditions apply. The size, depth, and location are the main factors a skilled technician considers before repairing the front glass. Whether or not it can be repaired, you should take the vehicle to the nearest workshop.

Larger cracks are difficult to repair, whereas small chips and dings can be easily repaired. Cracks that are near the edges are fairly hard to fix. The same goes for the depth of the crack.

When Can You Repair or Replace the Windshield?