Possible to guide a windshield crack?

[srivett]

I noticed a crack in my Golfs windshield today and want to try and control where it goes.  Right now it's coming up from the bottom and about 3 inches long (right in front of the driver of course)  Are there any tricks to make it turn off to one side before it gets to become a problem?  This is one of those phantom cracks that just turn up, there's no impact damage to the windshield.  I suppose it could be rust under the window but I won't know for sure without ripping out the window.

Thanks, Steve

[Dr. Diesel]

Now that would be some skill! Let us know if you find someone. I once had a rabbit with a perfectly circular crack, astoundingly similar to the diameter of the bottom of a beer bottle. It never spread, but was exactly in line with my view from the driver seat. It would have made a good gun sight.

[asau]

take it to a glass place and they will seal it and fill the crack so it won't continue, very cheap around here to get it done

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

If you were to heat an old fashoned soldering iron and touch the crack and then draw out a curly tail; the crack should follow the path. If you curl it back on itself then it should act like drilling a hole in front of a metal crack. I give no guarrantees but the Victorians and Edwardians used the cracking technique to cut glass to shape. :twisted:

[cheng]

around here, the insurance company will cover the crack repairs for free.

the glass shops will generally come to you, but the crack has to be short and not right in the drivers line of sight

they use an epoxy compound and a vacuum box

pretty cheap even if you have to pay yourself

K

[srivett]

I'll have to see about getting it repaired.  If you do a search on the internet on Glass Repair you'll be amazed to see it's a huge Franchise market.  Who would have known...looks to be a bit of a scam.  Maybe I should go through the car wash and see what happens.  My dad did that and the crack shot right across his window.

Steve