Ok, you were driving your car, on the road and there was this truck in front of you…everything was fine until that little rock hit your windshield…you could see that it was a tiny chip, but was enough to ruin your day, or worst, your week!You try to calm down and you think: the insurance can cover the damage, right?…Well may be that’s not a very good idea, because to fix a chip in a windshield would cost you between 10 and 20 dollars (approx.) if you buy a Do-it-yourself kit. And if you send your car to be fixed you can spend a little more (about $40 to 60, again prices are approx.). After the work is done, they will bill your insurance company and they will count this as a claim which means that the company might raise your rate if you continuously keep making claims (It doesn’t matter to them the amount of the claims, what they care is the numbers of claims you make). So the alternative is to pay the $40-60 for a professional to fix your windshield or just try something new and fix it yourself!. If you choose the second option, first of all check the size of the chip, if it is about the size of a penny or up to 2,5 cms of diameter(1 inch) you probably will be fine. But if the crack is bigger just forget it. Even if you take your car to a professional he/she would tell you that it doesn’t worth the try, and start thinking how to buy a new windshield. This is something that actually happened to me. Another thing to consider is to check if there isn’t any “hairs” coming from the crack. If there is, again, think about getting a new windshield. The next advice I can give to you is: don’t wait. Once the crack is there, fix it immediately. Rain, dust, glass cleaning products make the fixing more difficult and of course if it’s cold outside and you have your heater on inside of the car, it’s more than possible that the chip will grow in no time making the fixing impossible. The best is to keep the glass protected until you get the repair kit; and because it cures using the sunlight it would be advisable to wait for a sunny day to start working on it, but work in the shade and only expose the car to the sun AFTER the work is finished. Each product comes with its own set of instructions so what I can tell you here is follow them exactly as they indicate, and don’t do it if you are in a hurry. Remember that investing 30 minutes to 1 hour of your time could save you hundreds and give you the unique satisfaction of learning something new and doing-it-yourself. Good luck! Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil