While driving home the other day, a rock (presumably) chipped my passenger side window at highway speed. And scared the poop out of me. It's very small - just a couple of mm. It's in my line of site to the side view mirror, but otherwise doesn't bother me much.



Can side windows be repaired like windshields? Worth doing? I'm assuming side windows are different than windshields (thinner, not laminated?). On my last car, I got a chip in the windshield that seemed innocuous enough, but quickly spread on the next warm day.

This chip appears superficial and I'm inclined to live with it. But if spreading is likely, I'd rather repair it, if that's an option.

Any advice? Thanks.

 

Wow,that normally does not happen!It should be able to be repaired like a windshield.Cheaper to repair than to replace

Had an '85 Chevy Silverado with side vent windows.
While driving down the freeway with the windows closed,we heard a "POP",the vent window shattered!
Dont know what caused it.

 

Check with your insurance, some have free glass replacement on all policies or, for me as this happened to me as well, it was covered under "collision with a moving object" and was completely covered at no cost to me.

 

Yeah, it's a pretty bizarre place to get a rock ship while moving. But fortunately, presumably because of the very shallow angle, it just chipped the glass rather than breaking it.

My insurance doesn't cover without paying the deductible, which isn't worth it to me. I was going to try one of the FLAPS windshield repair kits. Anybody have experience with these? The package specifically states that it's for "windshields" and does not mention side glass.

Thanks.

 

Side glass wouldn't be repaired like a windshield. Side glass should be tempered glass and not laminated like the windshield. If the side glass gets very much damage it should break into small little pieces. You could check with an auto glass place, but the chip will reduce the structural integrity of the glass. They may suggest replacement.

 

Same thing happened to me in my 330i :(

 

^^ Correct^^ I had a side window chip like yours and I was told by a professional that the side glass can not be repaired like a windshield.

 

Thanks for the info, although it comes a little late... I already made a DIY repair attempt over the weekend.

I bought one of the $10 FLAPS windshield repair kits and gave it a go. Pretty cool little system, but unfortunately, as some suggested, it did not really work on the side window. It did fill in the pit somewhat, but the chip is still very visible (although marginally less so) and did not come out smooth.

Anyway, it was a cheap experiment and the window is no worse, so I'll probably just leave it as is for the time being. I'm not too worried about the structural integrity - if it breaks, it breaks. And cosmetically, the blemish is pretty minimal.

Thanks for the advice!