Windshields play a vital role in the car’s safety systems, from supporting the roof in the case of a rollover accident, to deflecting passenger side airbags upon deployment. Although glass manufacturers are continually improving the strength of windshield glass with tempering and lamination, science and technology have yet to fully overcome the natural brittleness of glass.
Glass contracts with cold and expands with heat. On any given day, sudden temperature changes cannot be avoided. A rock chip, even the tiniest imperfection, can grow into a full crack across the windshield with as little as turning on the A/C in summer or cold raindrops hitting a hot windshield.
Vehicles are repaired and refinished at ambient temperature and then the refinished vehicle must go through a bake cycle at high temperature in the paint booth for the paint to properly cure. The temperature is slowly raised during the bake cycle to as high as 104° and slowly returned to room temperature. During the bake cycle, if there is an existing rock chip or small crack in the glass, the windshield may crack and need to be replaced.
Many insurance companies provide glass coverage as a separate policy with a much lower deductible. After the glass claim is filed, Mahnke can facilitate the windshield replacement while the vehicle is still at the shop.