When the mercury rises to extreme temperatures, almost everything suffers the effects. The heat isn’t too kind to the cars in the UAE. If you drive too often in the hot weather or park your car without a shade for days, even the most resilient part might suffer damage. That’s your car windshield, the glass designed to endure high-impact collisions. The extremely hot weather can break or crack the car’s windshield in such a way that it may become impossible to fix the glass by repair.
Let’s explore why the summer heat damages a car’s windshield and what we can do to prevent the damage.
How Temperature Affects the Windshield
While high temperatures alone do not cause the car glass to crack or break, a fluctuation in the levels inadvertently do. Sudden and rapid changes in temperatures may damage the windshield. If there’s a significant difference between the interior and exterior of the car, the pressure builds up consequently can cause cracks to appear.
A car windshield is made of two glass pieces with a thin layer of vinyl in between. This prevents the second layer of glass from breaking and only the first layer can get cracks and scratches.
In case you have a cracked windshield, fluctuating temperatures can aggravate the problem because glass molecules expand when hot and contract when cold. It is hazardous to drive with a cracked glass as it can obscure your vision, especially at night. Therefore, it is important to monitor temperature alterations and prevent such fluctuations from happening to save your windshield glass from further damage.
How to Prevent Windshield Damage Due to Heat
Find below some handy and useful tips that may help prevent windscreen crack in the summer heat:
Park in the Shade
A general rule of thumb is to park your car in the shade wherever possible. If your windshield is already chipped, you must always avoid parking your vehicle directly under the scorching sun or else you will have to bear further damage. During summers and daytime, make sure your car is parked in the garage or basement or under trees when you’re out. Besides, if you are living in a villa in Dubai, you can opt to install car parking shades in Dubai.
Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes
Sudden temperature change happens when you turn on the air conditioner to a maximum when the car has been burning hot outside under the sun. Switch on the fan to blow the hot air out and then gradually turn the air-conditioner on so that the windshield has adjusted. Alternately, you can also roll down the windows before switching the AC on to cool down the hot temperature of the car and save your windshield from any possible damage.
Wash the Windshields Carefully
Car windshield maintenance is important just like any other component. Another tip to prevent car windshield damage, particularly in summers, is to avoid washing the windshield directly under the sun or when the car is hot. Pouring cold water on a burning windshield conveniently creates the temperature difference. Thus, the glass reacts to the alteration and cracks, especially if it is already chipped or scratched. Try to wash your car in the evening.
Handle Doors with Care
You have to take extra care and avoid slamming the car door to prevent the cracks from spreading. Shutting the doors forcefully sends vibrations through the car to the windshield, giving birth to small chips and cracks that can quickly spread.
Use a Car Windshield Shade
You can also invest in a car windshield shade to protect the car from windshield damage due to heat. The shade prevents the windshield from heating up during summers and in the daytime. With portable car windshield sun shades, you can cover the glasses anywhere and anytime. Such essential auto accessories in the UAE are also available online.
Ensure Prompt Repairs
An important tip to remember is to regularly check the windshield for tiny cracks and chips and prevent the worsening of the damage. If you spot any crack or signs of breaking, no matter how small, get it fixed immediately. Any tiny dings in such cases spread quickly and further damage the windshield. Needless to say, getting cracks repaired in due time saves you massive costs of replacement.
Fixing a Cracked Windshield
While we are at it, we can briefly discuss how to fix a windshield. If the damage is less than 6 inches in size, you can get the windshield repaired instead of replaced. In case the crack is larger, above 6 inches in size, it’s best to have the glass replaced as soon as possible. Besides, if the car windshield is broken, get it replaced at the earliest.
Cost of Windshied Repair
Minor cracks on the car’s windshield can be repaired by yourself. You can easily find windshield repair kits online in the range of AED 15 to AED 54. However, the prices vary depending on the brand and additional tools included in the kit. Whereas, the replacement cost depends on the car’s make and model and hence, the rates vary significantly from one car to another.
Either you buy a used car in the UAE or a new one, make sure your car is protected from the heat as much as possible. Prevention is certainly better, more cost-effective way to go.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading cars blog to learn more about car parts, their maintenance, repairs and replacement.
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