There's the chip.
If you've been driving behind a truck carrying stones, looking for a way to drive through traffic and get out of harm's way, you're definitely irritated when one of the rocks slips out and comes down on your windshield, chipping it slightly. Even if you know a lot about cars, this inconvenience seems like a waste of time and money to get fixed, especially since it feels like it never should have happened. But thinking about the problem won't fix the chip. Here's how a chip in your windshield can be fixed.
First, remember that fixing chips in your windshield is usually best left to professionals. Unless you've fixed chips before, this article will only serve as a demonstration of how chips are fixed by technicians who know how to work with glass. Even though glass is all around us in our daily lives, it is still a highly fragile and brittle material that can easily form into sharp edges that can do a lot of damage to someone who's not being cautious.
Glass professionals will be able to drill into your glass windshield and apply some sort of vacuum pressure to prepare the area. The professional will then inject resin into the windshield, which will work to fill the affected area as if the glass was always there. Once this has been injected, it is cured by ultraviolet light and then scraped smooth.
This is ideally what happens, but not always how it goes down. A chip present in a windshield means that there's a strong possibility the glass can crack, causing further damage to the windshield and making a total replacement necessary. That's why your chip repair costs can be higher than you expected - not because anyone is ripping you off, but because of the fragile nature of glass. If you could work with glass, you would probably understand the complications that often arise in glass repair. It's often best to simply replace glass instead of repairing it.
Now that you know a little more about the chip in your windshield, you should try to strive for better prevention. Stay clear of debris-stirring or carrying trucks that might drop a stone on your windshield. If you're careful about how you drive, you should be able to avoid a chip in your windshield.
Once you do notice a chip in your windshield, be sure to have it taken care of as quickly as you can. Be sure to ask professionals for advice about what to do before you take the car in for treatment.
Photo Credits: Lee Bennett
Originally posted 2009-08-03 03:51:22.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 9, 2010 in
Car, How to Fix, Mechanic
How to Fix a Flat Tire
Whump. Hiss. Those familiar movie-like sound effects can only mean one thing: you've punctured a tire, and unless you know how to change your tire from flat to spare, you probably won't be getting to your destination on time. Even if you don't hear those familiar sounds, a wobbly car will let you know that something is wrong. These moments can come at the worst times possible, so unless you're ready for them, they can ruin your day. That's why you'll want to learn these essential steps for fixing a flat tire.
- First, pull over and find a safe place to change the tire.
Without a safe place to change the tire, you won't even be able to accomplish the change, let alone feel secure about it. Pull well over to the shoulder of the road or if it's busy, try to find some space to pull over into a side street. If this isn't possible, don't try to force it; simply get out of harm's way so that you can make the change.
- Set the car in park and apply the emergency break when applicable.
You don't want to let the car roll away from you or into traffic, so make sure that the car is safely in park when you leave it. If you're on an incline, set the emergency break so that you'll have added protection against the possibility of the car rolling. There's not much you can do with a rolling car once you're outside it, so make sure this is on your mental checklist while you're still inside.
- Get your equipment.
Every car should have a jack, a spare tire, and a wrench (a cross wrench works) for these kinds of emergencies. Make sure that you have this equipment out.
- Jack the car up.
Put the jack under the car so that it is moving straight up and down, and then put enough lift under the car to support it but not necessarily bring it up from the ground.
- Remove the hub cap and loosen the nuts.
The reason the wheel will still be on the ground is so that it doesn't move as you loosen the nuts and remove the hub cap. Once you have the hub cap free and the nuts loosened, you can then jack the car up higher for removing the flat tire.
- Remove the nuts and then remove the tire.
After jacking up the car, you're ready to remove the nuts, followed by the tire.
- Put on the new tire.
Now you can put the new tire over the hub, replacing the flat one. Make sure everything is aligned, and then tighten the nuts with your hand followed by the wrench. Lower the car to the ground a little, and continue tightening the nuts.
- Lower the car back to the ground.
Remove the jack and replace the hubcap; your new spare tire should be firmly and tightly attached now. Put everything in your trunk, including the flat tire, and you should be ready to drive off.
Photo Credits: Mr.Thomas
Originally posted 2009-07-21 08:00:23.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on June 24, 2010 in
Car, How to Fix
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