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Windshield Replacement And Repair Coverage By Auto Insurance

Does Insurance Cover Windshield Replacement?

Auto insurances that cover windshield replacements do exist, but not every policy covers this type of repair. Hence, you need to be clear about windshield coverage before you get enrolled into one.

If the windshield of your car is damaged, the auto insurance company sends its agents to get the damaged checked through their technicians.

The type of damage is thoroughly analyzed to decide if it really needs a replacement or if it can be alright with just a repair. Small damages near the eye sight of the driver are generally not ignored and in most of such situations, the windshield is replaced.

Will The Insurance Policy Consider Replace Over Repair?

Most of the times, the insurance policies are quite tricky. Sometimes, the repair of a small chip can avoid the damage to spread further. In such cases, the repair is done instead of replacing it.

This is because, filling a chip is much cheaper than replacing complete windshield. They always try to be on the safer side and find ways to avoid services as much as they can. If the find that the replacement is unavoidable, then they agree for replacement.

Will The Insurance Policy Allow You To Go For OEM Glass?

Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can be obtained depending on the type and guidelines of a policy. If you find that your policy has covered windshield replacement, it doesn’t mean that you will be offered with the original manufactured equipment.

Sometimes, you might need to go for the imitated models. If your policy covers OEM, then you can demand for it. In most cases, the auto insurance companies offer coverage for aftermarket parts as they are much cheaper and look alike OEM ones.

The policy that covers OEM products will be too expensive to be affordable for a common middle class person. Hence, very few people will be able to afford such policies. If you feel that you need OEM product, you can make use of certain options mentioned below:

Pay the difference amount from your own pocket. You can request the insurance company to replace your windshield with an OEM glass and that you are ready to pay the difference amount after deducting the price of aftermarket glass. The difference could however be in hundreds of dollars.
At the time of getting enrolled into the auto insurance policy, you can request the insurance agent for a special rider to receive OEM parts. In such cases, the company will not question you when you receive the OEM parts. However, check with the insurance agent if they offer an OEM rider, as all policies do not cover it

Will The Insurance Consider If Replaced Windshield Leaks At The Seams?

In most of the cases, the car repairs are not smooth. The customer gets back to the technician for a perfect solution to the damage. Sometimes, the replaced windshield leaks at its seams. In such cases, the seam areas need to be repaired.

Sometimes, the repair might not show any solution and the glass would be demanding a replacement. It is again the responsibility of the insurance company to cover the charges for the service and repair. This is quite tricky sometimes.

If the glass has a warranty, then the repair or replacement can be done without any queries. However, if the glass doesn’t have any warranty, you might need to pay for the product.

Most of the companies offer guarantee to the products and services so that things won’t turn out to be a hassle for the customers.

Will My Insurance Allow To Replace The Windshield At Home?

Keeping in mind the safety of the driver, insurance companies allow for the replacement of the glass to be done right at your home. Hence, it is one of the easy claims that a customer can manage.

Some unavoidable situations like bad weather due to heavy precipitation or extreme cool climate will deter a glass repair technician to visit your place. In such conditions, you might need to compromise for the delay in service.

Read About What Makes Windshield Replacement Important

What Is The Cost To Replace Windshield Without Insurance?

Windshield replacement without insurance is a highly expensive process. Replacement service includes several factors like product price, labor charges, service charges, time consumed etc.

Windshields of the modern times are manufactured as laminated safety glasses. The design involves two curved glass sheets that are bonded with a plastic layer lamination between them. The design ensures better safety for the driver and other occupants of the vehicle.

This type of construction offers superfluous strength to the glass to withstand the collision from the opposite force and resist the strength offered by the roof cover during a rollover. Hence, the prices are quite high if you expect a good quality material.

Typically, windshield replacement costs you around $100 – $450, depending on various factors like year of manufacture, model type, vehicle model etc. If you are expecting an OEM product, then the price might go up to several hundreds of dollars.
If the model you are looking for is quite rare, then aftermarket products might not be available. In such cases, you might need to go for only an OEM product and the price might rise quite high.

How Can You Estimate The Price For Your Damage?

Before you get the replacement done, it is difficult for the glass company to give you the exact price as the factors might change its values. Hence, the companies give you the estimated price for you to get an idea.

Once the service begins, the options for the repairs might vary, which in turn changes the estimated price altogether.

For instance, you might want the technician to take your car to the workshop for which you will be charged, or you might want to go for a different glass model or prefer a different technician who is more skilled.

Sometimes, you might want to technician to look into other damages other than the windshield replacement. Once all the services are done, the price will be calculated in the invoice.

Sometimes, free windshield replacement laws are included into the stat insurance laws. These laws are defined by individual states.

If you happen to live in a place that follows these rules, then the auto insurance company needs to bare the complete replacement or repair charges. However, these laws cover comprehensive portion of the policy and not the liability part.

Does My Insurance Cover Cracked Windshield Repair?

Crack of a windshield can happen any time though we guard our vehicle all the time. For instance, kids might hit a ball or stone when you park the vehicle in a public park. In such cases, you need to get the repair done immediately or else, the crack can spread and turn out to be a big problem.

Most of the insurance policies that cover windshield related services will cover the crack repairs. If your insurance does not cover replacement then, you should be very careful to get the crack repaired at the earliest as the delayed cracks can turn out to be unmanageable by just a repair.

In most of the cases, if the issue of crack is beyond the repair, the technician will inform you about the severity.

In such cases, repair is just a temporary solution, and you might need to go for a complete windshield replacement with money out of your pocket if the insurance company does not cover the replacement. You cannot ignore big cracks and compromise your life by just getting the repair done.

Will My Insurance Cover Windshield Chip Repair?

Windshield chip repair is the minimum coverage that any auto insurance company can offer if it includes windshield services in its policy. This is very easy to claim and the issue gets resolved much faster when compared to the crack repair or a windshield replacement.

It is compulsory to give an immediate attention for a chip repair because it might turn into a crack any time if left ignored. The best reasons to go for a windshield chip repair are discussed below:

Chip repair saves time
Less expensive when compared to a crack repair
Mostly the repair is done at free of cost
Reduces the chance to crack.
Repair is simple and easy
Does not affect your no claims bonus at the time of insurance renewal

Act Wisely At Right Time

If you happen to encounter a trouble with your windshield, never ignore it as it might increase a small problem to a big size.

If your insurance policy covers windshield services, get clarity on the type of services that the policy will cover for you. If the policy covers replacement, never compromise it with a repair if you anticipate any danger out of the damage.

If your auto insurance policy does not cover any replacement and only offers repair services, then act wisely when you encounter a crack or chip on your windshield.

How Important Is It To Repair Windshield Chip?

What Is A Windshield Chip?

A windshield is a framed curve glass, generally positioned at the front of the vehicle to protect the front occupants from wind. The glass is generally constructed out of two glass layers, with a strong lamination placed between them.

All the three layers are constructed to form a single layer, such that the two glass layers are glued on either side of the lamination with an adhesive. The glue is an adhesive, known as urethane and the lamination is a strong plastic, known as vinyl plastic.

The frame, commonly referred to as frit, holds all the three layers tightly, to form the end product, called as windshield. Urethane generally melts when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Therefore, frit is made to be 2 to 4 inches wide to protect the moldings against melting and damage.

Why Do You Need A Windshield Chip?

Windshield plays a very important role in offering two efficient requirements that anyone who is driving in a vehicle would need:

In Terms Of Drivability, The Role Is:

To block wind from entering inside the four wheeler.
To block dust and air-borne particles from entering the eyes of the driver.

In Terms Of Safety, The Role Is:

During heavy impact at the time of accidents, it allows the airbag to deploy towards the direction of the driver.
If the car rolls over during the accident, it protects the car roof from crushing. This saves the passengers inside the vehicle from falling out of the car such that their body parts might crush between the car and the accident area. In fact, side windows also play equal role in such scenarios.

What Happens If The Windshield Is Not Installed Properly?

If the windshield is cracked, or is not installed properly, there might be greater chances for the glass to lose integrity. Therefore, the glass might explode and fall into the eyes of the driver and the other occupants of the vehicle.

During accidents, if the windshield shatters, the fragments might fly and fall on the airbag, thus reducing the effect of airbag from deploying. These glass fragments fly at very high speed and are very sharp. Thus, when hit, they can be very dangerous.

How To Install Windshield?

Installing windshield is a highly computerized process, and is a part of automobile manufacturing. Both the molding and windshield are accurately fixed along with the car frame, to the body of the vehicle. Once fixed, the manufacturing process continues with other processes before offering the end product to the market.

Thus, the molding of the windshield gets enough time to settle and fix properly.If the windshield is damaged after the customer uses the car then, repairing would be to install the damaged one with a brand new one.

For this, the old molding, urethane are cleared using various processes and new adhesives are used to fix the new windshield. Once done, the user needs to wait for at least 24 hours before using the car.

What Kind Of Stresses Does A Windshield Undergo?

When a glass is exposed to extreme high temperatures or extreme low temperatures such that it is beyond the capacity of the glass to withstand, there are chances for it to explode. This is because, the glass expands and shrinks accordingly.

Also, the frame that holds the windshield is made of metal. Metals also expand and shrink with the change in temperatures. This might create a stress on the windshield if it is not installed with proper measured gaps that should actually exist between the glass and the metal frame.

Can You Ignore A Windshield Repair?

Now, it is that you understood the importance of windshield, it would be unwise to neglect the repair of a windshield.

As a part of car maintenance, one should also consider regular check of windshield as it not only shields you from dust, wind and other impacts, but also shields you to protect your valuable life.

There is no surprise to say that a properly installed windshield can successfully play its role in saving your endangered life.

Best Method To Change The Windshield Of Your Vehicle

Gain The Knowledge Of Installation Procedure

Windshield plays a very important role in offering safety and drivability. A vehicle with a missing windshield or improperly installed windshield would jeopardize the drive. This article guides you with the installation process of a windshield.

However, remember that it is just to impart you the knowledge about the installation. It is strongly recommended to get the product installed by an expertized person so that, it is perfectly installed.

Procedural Steps

Below Are The Procedural Steps For Installing A Windshield:

Get a perfect model of the windshield that matches with that of your vehicle. You can directly get a brand new one or obtain one from a wrecker’s yard. If it is a second handed product then, you need to carry it with lots of cushioning so that the glass does not crack. A second hand windshield contains already used urethane bead, which needs to be trimmed to about 1mm in depth by using a razor blade.

As a second step, remove the plastic that surrounds the shield and the top moldings properly. Keep the existing clips as they are, as they are just the moldings. All you need to do is to glue the molding as you are not using any replacement clips. This way, you not only save time in fixing new clips, but also save money for the clips.

As a third step, remove the urethane (adhesive) that exists between the glass and the pinch weld, using a cold knife. Depending on the strength and the amount of urethane, and the experience levels of the person, it might take a minimum of 15 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour.

As a fourth step, now that the glass is clear from urethane, prepare the pinch weld. Ensure that all the dirt is cleaned. Dust it with a soft brush, and then clean with plain water. Trim the old adhesive to be 3mm thick and repair the loose and rusty areas of urethane.

As a fifth step, get the primer that matches the urethane adhesive so that the glass will accept the urethane molecules. Once the glass is activated, the molding is first glued to the glass and then the urethane.

The sixth step is to apply the urethane. You can apply it by using an electric proof gun. Adhere the old urethane while applying the new one and ensure that it is clean from dirt or any other fragments.

The last step is to position the windshield carefully by considering the surrounding sides with complete concentration. Once fixed, ensure that you do not touch the frame band or else you may end up with contaminating it with dirt and oils that are already present in your hand. This can reduce the performance of the activator. To avoid this, best practice is to use gloves.

Conclusion

Windshield plays a very important role in saving your life during accidents. Also, normal drive can be safe and pleasant. If the windshield of your vehicle demands for a replacement, better know how to replace and what is the technology behind it.

This ensures that, you can be cautious when getting it replaced by an expertized person. If you know the method and never replaced before, better get it done by a skilled person, so that you may not end up with damages either while installing or after the installation, in the future.

Key Method To Check For Fluids In Your Car

Why Should You Check For Fluids?

Regular maintenance plays a very important role for smooth running and increased lifespan of a car. If not, you might need to experience various undesirable incidences like breakdown, mechanical damage or accidents.

If you standstill about small budget that you need to spend on maintenance, then it might lead you to spending huge budget if you end up with severe adverse effects caused due to improper maintenance.

Hence, you need to make a regular checks on fluids of your car to enjoy every moment of your drive without any obstacles.

How To Check The Fluids?

To check if all the fluids of your car are at appropriate levels, it might demand you to spend just a few minutes. Follow the following tips one after the other, and make it a regular habit as a process of quick checkup.

During the time of buying your car, you will be offered with a manufacturer’s manual that guides you as to how often you need to make the regular checkups. Ensure to mark the dates on your calendar so that, you will be reminded whenever required.

Ensure that your car is resting on a flat surface before you begin the process of checking the fluids in your car. This enables the fluids to rest at flat levels and hence, you can check the level readings accurately.
Ensure that your car is cooled down completely. If you just parked the car after a long drive, ensure that you wait for at least one hour before you begin the check.
Begin the check with engine oil. Place a clean dipstick inside the fluid, till it touches the surface on which the fluid rests. Note the reading accurately based on the mark on the dipstick.
Next step is to check the level of transmission fluid. You need to do this while the engine is running and is fully warmed up, but ensure that the vehicle is not moving. Again, dipstick will be the best tool to check the level.
You need not change transmission fluid frequently. Manufacturers recommend you to change it for every 100,000 miles you drive the vehicle.
Third step is to check for the level of brake fluid. To know the value of recommended level, you can go through the label that mentions the required value. To check the level, use a plastic reservoir.If you are unable to see, then open the cap and see inside.
Generally, brake fluids are not consumed in a short period. If you find that the level is low, then it symbolizes that the brake line or brake surfaces are worn out. Regular check of brake fluids is very important or else, it might lead to brake failure.
Fourth step is to check for power steering fluid. The container of the fluid can be easily found. Ensure that the levels are correct by following same method as you did for checking brake fluid.
Whenever you are planning to change the power steering fluid, confirm the type of your engine. This is because, different level values are defined for hot and cold engines.
As a fifth step, check for coolant. Ensure that you check for this fluid only after the engine has cooled down completely. Else, you might end up in spraying extremely heated water into the air.
Manufacturers recommend antifreeze as the best coolant for cars instead of water. Always follow the guidelines mentioned on the antifreeze label.
As a sixth step, check for windshield washer fluid. This fluid does not affect the performance of your car. However, it helps you clean the windshield using wipers, while you are driving the car.
Whenever you are driving the car in cold weathers, ensure that the wind washer fluid is not frozen. Or else, you might not be able to clean the windshield, though you have sufficient fluid.
Last step of checking process is to ensure if the tires have sufficient pressure. If the pressure is higher or lower than the recommended level, you might end up with misbalancing your car while you are driving. Therefore, this check plays a very important role to ensure safety.

What Are The Precautionary Steps While Changing Fluids?

Apart from checking for fluids, you also need to be aware of certain precautions so that the checking process is successful and does not lead to adverse effects.

Though simple, they are very significant precautionary steps that one needs to remember.

Ensure that the fluids do not fall off the ground and dispose them properly.

Ensure that you are replacing with correct fluid, or else you may end up with damaging your car.

Ensure that the fluid does not fall on the car’s paint, or else it might damage the smooth finish and luster. If it happens accidentally, ensure that you clean it immediately and thoroughly.

Ensure that the brake fluid is free from moisture or any dirt. Before you open the cover of the brake fluid container, ensure that you clean the surface perfectly to avoid contamination.

Ensure that you seal the brake fluid container perfectly or else, moisture might enter into the braking system, leading to the failure of brakes.

Conclusion

Checking for fluids is a very important part of your car maintenance. You can do it self, but be careful that you do it in proper way.

Ensure that you take precautionary steps or else, you might need to face adverse effects that lead to the damage of your car. Expend few minutes to check the fluid levels in your car and enjoy every moment of your smooth running car.

Troubleshooting an Inoperative Windshield Washer Pump

What Is A Windshield Washer Pump?

A washer pump is the complete windshield wiping system for a car. The system might be constructed to wipe only the front end or both the front and rear end of the windshield. The mechanism includes a motor-powered pump that exerts pressure on the washer fluid that hosts in a reservoir.

As a result, the fluid gushes onto the windshield through the outlets of tiny pipes onto the windshield.When the wiper system is activated, the wipers act to wipe the windshield with the sprouted washer fluid, and cleans the glass to be clear from dirt and other contamination. Thus, the driver will have a clear visibility to the road while driving the car.

Why A Washer Pump Becomes Inactive?

If the wiper system is activated and the washer fluid is not sprouted on the windshield, the following could be some of the possible causes:

The washer fluid is inadequate
The washer might be filled with dirt
The nozzles are blocked with dirt
The nozzles or hoses are cracked or broken
The nozzles are not directed properly

You can check with one or all of the above causes before you confirm to replace the washer pump system.

How To Troubleshoot The Washer Pump System?

Washer Fluid Level

Check the reservoir that holds the washer pump fluid to ensure if the liquid is at sufficient levels or not. If the reason is with inadequate levels of washer fluids, then obviously the fluid will not sprout when pressurized by the motorized pump.

Fill the reservoir with enough level of washer fluid solution by making use of a suitable sized funnel. Ensure that you use a formulated and non-freezing fluid during the cold seasons.

Existence Of Dirt In The Washer

Sometimes, the chances are that the nozzles are clear, but the washer itself contains dirt, that settles at the bottom layer of the container and does not allow the fluid to pass from the reservoir to the nozzles. In such situations, you need to clear the washer.

For that, first you need to uninstall the reservoir from the wiping system of the car, and clear the dirt.Once cleared, reconnect the washer to the appropriate hoses and wires.

Passage Through The Nozzles

A nozzle is a tiny pipe through which a fluid passes to sprout at the outlet, when pressurized. If the nozzle is blocked with even tiny dust particles, the fluid will not pass through the tiny path.

Thus, ensure that the nozzles are clean and clear from dirt and other thick fluids like oils. If you find that the dirt is blocking, unclog the tiny pores of the system by making use of thin wires, pins or needles. This way the path will be clear for the washer fluid when pressurized.

Broken Nozzles Or Hoses

Apart from checking for the clogged nozzles and hoses, you also need to find out if there are any broken or cracked nozzles or hoses. If you find them, it means that the fluid is getting leaked before it reaches the windshield. Therefore, replace the faulty ones with good ones to ensure that the wiping system works properly.

Direction Of The Nozzles

One more reason that might not activate the fluid onto the windshield is that the nozzles are not directed to a proper direction. If you find so, adjust the direction to the center of the windshield so that it surely sprouts on the windshield.

Use your fingers to adjust the direction if the nozzles are fixed through tabs. Else, use screw drivers to loosen the nuts for adjusting the direction. Also, certain assembles need pliers to adjust the direction. Therefore, use appropriate tools while trying to adjust the nozzle direction.

Conclusion

The windshield wiping system of a car contains many sections that collectively work with systematic actions to sprout the washer fluid onto the car’s windshield. The wipers, when activated, will make use of the liquid to clear the dirt from the glass. Therefore, a proper functioning wiper system is essential for a safe drive.

Hence, make use of the above troubleshooting steps to enable the smooth functioning of the wiping system. If none of the above steps work, and the reservoir itself is cracked, then it is time for replacing the washer system with a new one.

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