The windscreen is the protective barrier for one’s car. The role played by the windscreen to help in the car’s structural integrity is matchless. It serves as a supporting structure to the roof of the car, protecting occupants of the car from an injury in the event a collision or accident.
It is not rare for cars to develop cracks and chips, thanks to sudden impact. In case the windscreen manifests cracks or chips, one must get it either replaced or repaired quickly to avoid long-term damage to the car and prevent compromising one’ safety. If repair is not possible, windscreen replacement Brisbane is the best option.
Tips For Car Care After Windscreen Replacement
One may have got the car windscreen replaced and be excited to drive the vehicle back to one’s home. But wait for a minute and consider a few tips for the newly replaced windscreen to ensure that one does not cause any more damage because of neglect.
- Don’t be in a hurry to drive the car
One must not be in a great hurry to drive the car soon after a windscreen replacement. During replacement, technicians use urethane as an adhesive for repairing chipped windscreens or to affix new windscreens to the car. Urethane needs a bit of time to cure. The duration for curing depends on many factors such as temperature, quality, and humidity, which can amount to as much as 24 hours in certain cases. But, as a general maxim, one must avoid driving the car for at least one hour after replacement. This will ensure suitable curing of adhesive such that there are no gaps between the frame of the windscreen and the glass to be fitted into it.
- Leave on the tape
Certain technicians use clear tape while fixing the glass into the windscreen. Being a proud car owner, one might be tempted to remove the tape for restoring the beauty of the vehicle. But all experts strongly recommend that one must wait for at least 24 hours to ensure that debris, dirt, or other foreign particles do not get stuck to the adhesive. These particles cause the weakening of the connection of windscreen glass to the frame, thereby mitigating the efforts to replace the windscreen.
- Avoid car washes
Water jets of high pressure are used mostly by car wash services and motor pumps for cleaning the debris and dirt off the vehicle. In case the adhesive or sealant used for replacing the windscreen has not dried properly, such jets will destroy their strength, and one will be left with a windscreen that has not been installed properly. In case a car wash company uses some detergent or cleaning liquid, this might prove to be abrasive to silicone-based sealants and adhesives like urethane.
Always avoid washing the car for at least 24 hours following windscreen glass replacement. In case one is much tempted to wash the car, do this using mild detergents & soaps along with soft sprays of water. Take note that it is not necessary to keep the windscreen in a car away from contact with water. The crucial factor is to protect it from the impact of strong pressure from jets of water.
- Take care while driving
Avoid driving rashly, especially after the windscreen replacement. Do not drive on bumpy roads and uneven terrain to prevent the newly replaced windscreen from shaking and jarring. One should also desist from banging the roof of the car or slamming car doors when in a rush. Doing this creates sudden and high pressure inside the vehicle that may cause popping out of the windscreen glass. Also, before departing from the car, keep a gap in the car window to release the pressure that has built up in the car.
- Leave open the windows
In case one is located in a region with soaring high temperatures, there might be a build-up of pressure within the car because of the heat. In the event of one leaving the car exposed to such immense sunlight, the freshly installed windscreen might pop out or detach because of high pressure. So, one must always try to park the car in a shady spot, especially a garage. Also, leave a gap in the windows prior to parking the car when one has got the windscreen replaced recently.
In sum, these are the top tips to care for your car after windscreen replacement Brisbane.
