A chip in your car's rear window may not be as bothersome as a chip in the front windshield, but you'll still want to have the problem fixed. Chips can sometimes crack and spread suddenly due to temperature changes or hitting a bump in the road.
Damage to the glass in the rear window might be filled in and sealed if possible, or the glass might need to be replaced. Call an auto glass repair company for help. You may find one that provides mobile service for your convenience. Here's how they might deal with your damaged rear window.
Examine The Damage
A small chip or crack might be filled in to stabilize the damage and keep it from spreading. However, the chip can't be too deep or too big. Also, the location matters since a chip too close to the edge might be risky to repair.
Use Chip Filler If Possible
Auto glass repair is usually done with a clear acrylic or epoxy material that fills the chip or crack and dries clear. Although glass repair materials are clear, they can often be seen once they've cured. This can be distracting on a front windshield, but the repaired area might not be too noticeable on a rear window.
First, the auto glass repair technician cleans the area so the filler adheres well. Then, the damaged area is filled with the material and the top is smoothed over. The area might even be polished so the repairs blend in seamlessly.
Replace The Entire Glass
If the damage is too large to repair safely, the glass repair shop will need to replace the glass. This entails removing the old glass and vacuuming up all the debris. Rear windows are usually made of tempered glass that shatters into tiny bits of glass when broken. The rear of your car might be a mess if the glass was smashed, but the repair shop will vacuum all the glass out for you.
An important consideration when removing and installing a new rear window is the heating wires. These have to be disconnected so the old glass can be removed. Then, they're reconnected and tested once the new glass is in place. This may require working from inside your car and taking apart the side panels in the back to reach the wiring connections.
A new rear window is usually held in place with urethane glue. This glue needs to cure before it's safe to drive your car, and that could take an hour or more. That's why you might want mobile service so you can stay at home or at your office while the auto glass repair technician works on your car.
