Slowing down a windshield crack...

So a couple weeks ago out of nowhere, a crack appeared in my windshield on the lower passenger side.

It originated under the cowl, vertically coming up a few inches then going horizontal toward the passenger side mirror. There's no impact of any kind.

It's been slowly expanding horizontal toward to passenger mirror and I'm wondering if there's a way to slow it down. I really want to avoid replacing it as long as possible. Just the hassle of making sure someone does it right, remounting the dash cam and putting new uv film on there exhausts me thinking about it.

I've never in my 20 years of driving had to replace a windshield and this truck would be a shitty one to start with.

Any advice would help.

 

seen videos where they use diamond bits and drill at the end of the crack and fill it in. Im about to do that soon. Had safelite repair 2 chips...one started spreading again and they wont repair the repair.

 

Yeah only way I have seen is drilling the tip of the crack and filling which isn’t 100% guaranteed to work.

 

Yep, drill & fill will usually stop them but you need to do it sooner than later, I think if it's over a certain length they won't do it. I wanna' say 12" or something.

Every time you drive it and hit bumps and potholes it's gonna' grow.

 

In my experiences, stop drilling the crack is pretty effective, and that’s on commercial truck windshields that take a beating. Lots of vibration and temp cycles on them and I don’t think I’ve seen one spread beyond the drilling before they get busted up somewhere else. We do have a pretty top notch company doing our glass work, so that probably helps.

20 years without replacing a windshield? Wow! That’s just wild to me.

 

Yup 20 years. I'd say probably 6 different cars total. I hadn't thought about drilling the end but I thought about filling it. Only thing is it seems to be internal only as I can't feel anything.

Are there any special kind of diamond bits that someone can recommend or a good how to video?

 

I can’t comment on how to, as I’m too chicken to have tried it myself for fear of making it worse. Cheap enough to have a pro do IMHO.

Hmm, with no sign of impact, then I suppose it could be the inside layer that has the crack, as opposed to the outside layer.

Does your truck have the wiper heater strip at the base of the windshield? (Comes on with mirror heat or rear defroster, depending if doublecab or crewmax)

 

I have a crewmax with rear, front and mirror defrost yes. I might call a place tomorrow that has good reviews and see what the price is. It says they do cracks up to 24 inches.

I'd honestly probably pay up to 300 without hesitation to avoid the headache.

 

I have replaced several windshields over the last 45 years. Some brands/models seem to be more prone than others. My last Tundra(2000) I replaced it three times in about five years. On the last time, I swore that if the next crack wasn't in my field of view I would live with it. I did just that. My 2021 that I bought in 2022 made it almost two years. Needless to say, the replacement cost is now much greater with the addition of the sensors and wiper de-icer, especially if I want OEM glass. Well, the crack from my perspective is barely above the hood, so I am going to live with it. Hardly notice it anymore.

 

So I got a quote from a local place to fill the crack at 150, which I'm willing to do to avoid replacement headaches. He said it would still be visible from the inside but I don't care as long as it doesn't spread. I think I will do that.

Interestingly he said a full replacement is 350 which surprised me.

 

350 for OEM glass?

 

My first thought as well. I would've guessed more.

 

I didn't ask because I really wanted to avoid that route. I will ask him though when I go.

 

My 2015 crewmax just for a crack windshield last week. Toyota told me $820 just for the windshield. They also stated that Toyota OEM glass is on a national back order and would take 3-4 weeks lead time.

 

Yet another reason for me to avoid the full replacement and get the crack filled.

 

I got the crack filled today. Looks good. He drilled 3 spots and filled. 150 bucks we'll spent.

He gave a lifetime warranty so if it ever cracks at the repair, he will credit the cost towards a new windshield.

He did confirm that the 350 was for glass from the same factory toyota gets it from. He also said no charge for calibration because according to toyota, as long as the system is off when removed, it's totally fine.

I'm happy.

 

You should ask for this statement in writing to share across the forum.
Lots of guys have had issues with the “calibration” if their vehicle has a lift or other modifications.

 

Well I got a lift of a couple inches about 2 years ago now and no issues. I can't imagine a 1 inch deviation in any direction of the camera would be any different.

 

This is most definitely not the same as OEM. Can't tell you how many times I have heard, "just the same as OEM". Of course that's what he's going to say. I have quotes from glass companies where the OEM is almost twice the cost of "just as good" and "from the same factory". It certainly might be, but it might not and is still not OEM which means something to some people.

And as for the calibration, again not buying it; that Toyota says it's not necessary. That's not what I have been told by multiple dealerships. And a 1+ inch deviation can mean quite a bit different point of aim at 10-20-30-40-50+ feet away because geometry.

But if you're satisfied and it works for you...

 

My factory windshield was not replaced so the rest of this is intellectual curiousity.

I'd genuinely like to hear your logic on how changing the glass requires recal. If you turn off your truck, change the glass the camera looks through, what has changed? Assuming it's in the same spot which is not hard to do.
What's the geometric difference between lifting your whole truck 2 inches and not recalibrate vs remounting the system 1 inch off its original location on a stock height truck? The only difference would be the cameras angle in relation to some point of origin on the truck itself, which wouldn't matter if the camera is remounted in the same spot it was on the factory glass.

A dealership saying it's necessary makes me think he is right. Most people here wouldn't trust a dealership to screw an oil filter on so why would they trust the dealer with a "necessary" calibration? Both trusting the work is done right and if it was indeed necessary. Related to this, why wouldn't the independent business owner want to make more money by simply parroting that it's necessary because that's what dealers say?

I would like anyone who has lifted their truck and had issues with calibration to chime in and by the same token, anyone who has specifically sought out a calibration after they got a lift. My guess would be very few if any on the first request and probably none unless they went monster truck lift or something ridiculous for the second request.

I will also add that if there was an actual collision, 100% I would recalibrate the system.