Is it possible to temporarily seal and brace up a front windshield that has a crack in it from side to side, due to cold weather, I’m told? And would replacing it with a used one, on a 2003 Dodge Intrepid be something a Saturday Mechanic with a woodstove in his garage be able to tackle?
Is it possible to temporarily seal and brace up a front windshield that has a crack in it from side to side, due to cold weather, I'm told?
The glass is a structural element in the event of a rollover. Especially if it’s cracked all the way across, don’t drive with cracked glass. Replace it.
would replacing it with a used one, on a 2003 Dodge Intrepid be something a Saturday Mechanic with a woodstove in his garage be able to tackle?
Possibly, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could damage things worse. Getting the old glass out cleanly, getting the old glass bond out cleanly, and bonding the new glass properly is skilled work. I, personally, lack that skill and let the professionals do it, but if you know what you’re doing, go for it.
Are you insured. I get free glass replacement with no deductable. It is a safety item. Have it done by a bonded professional or you could be looking at leaks. Leaks in the winter is not fun ! If you have to ask, then this will be your first one. Would you buy a new windshield then let anyone else change your windshield as his first job without guidance and with no assurance the job was done right and no recourse if it wasn’t ? You are that “anyone”.
Thanks to those who have commented here. The job will be done by a pro installer.
There’s no reason to seal or brace the cracked windshield. The windshield is laminated with two pieces of glass with a layer of polyvinyl butyral between them. So the windshield is still sealed and reinforced.
I don’t know of an auto recycler that sells used windshields. It’s too time consuming to remove a windshield without damaging it. But some auto recyclers sell new windshields. I can get a new windshield for my truck which has a crack running across it from a local auto recycler for $100.00.
If you want to replace the windshield, you’ll need some specialized tools to remove the old windshield.
http://www.harborfreight.com/windshield-removing-tool-99892.html
And you’ll need a tube of urethane windshield sealer.
Tester
As you can see, it’s not a difficult job, but it does have specialized equipment and I wouldn’t want to learn on my car. Good choice to have a pro do it !
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=ipad&p=how+to+install+a+windshield&pcarrier=&pmcc=&pmnc=