The windshield is one of the most sensitive areas of the vehicle and must be especially careful to not suffer any break however small because, if so, could lose visibility, which in turn could lead to an accident.
The wipers, according to a study done in 2008, are the moon that most crashes, encompassing 67% of total damage of them all. The most common cause is the impact of gravel, followed by drop impact of another object, spontaneous decay and finally vandalism that only accounts for 4% of the direct causes of rupture of the wipers. When buying a used car you have to check the condition of this and always try to buy a dealer you trust who can provide the history of the car.
One aspect to consider is that not all damage to the windshield look the same and does not imply the same danger for the driver. These faults are classified into 4 categories:
- Surface wear: no problem and require repair.
- Porthole: is a hole in the windshield that affects driver visibility and should fix but would not need to replace the part and the cost will be less than a third of what it would change completely.
- Steak with micro-fissures affects the visibility and the risk of widening the cracks go and thus worsening the problem runs. As in the case above would not require the complete replacement of the part.
- Break with cracks: are undoubtedly pose the most danger but if the crack is less than 4 inches is possible to fix without changing the entire windshield.
Therefore, there are some basic tips to follow to keep the moon in perfect condition:
- If in our journey we find before us a large truck carrying construction materials or other similar charge, you should keep a safe distance as the risk that throw small stones or other objects that may damage the windshield runs. In this regard, we note that although the trucks are most at risk, you should always keep a safe distance, whatever the vehicle in front.
- Do not use hot water to thaw a windshield as this increases the chances of cracking the windshield, especially if you already have a micro break. What to do in these cases is to turn the heat to demist the glass and if not enough, use a specific scraper.
- Avoid there is much difference in temperature between the outside and inside the vehicle, it is best that the temperature is similar to no breakages. Therefore, the ideal is to have an indoor parking. But of course that means an extra expense often a simpler practice is to avoid direct hot or cold air directly onto the windshield.
- Replace the wiper every 6 or 12 months. Thus, the glass will not scratch and the risk of accident is reduced by poor visibility. In this sense, it is also important to regularly review the windscreen rubbers to verify that no porosity or are stiff, if so, should be changed.
- It is important not operate the wipers when the windshield is dry, because the risk that stones or sand particles that can scratch it runs.
Finally it is important that if a break is detected, immediately take the workshop to repair or replace the windshield because, otherwise, it is possible that what is initially a small crack from spreading and complete rupture occurs, if This is the case of used car you’re buying can always request that the after repair is made by the former owner.