how long does windshield replacement take?

[crackers8199]

we're currently on a cross country road trip and have developed a crack in the windshield that'll have to be fixed once we get to our relatives house... unfortunately though we are staying in the middle of nowhere. the closest SC is an hour away.

I'm trying to make an appt there to have the windshield replaced, but haven't been able to get service to tell me how long it'll take. all they keep telling me is to schedule early in the day, so the sealant can cure by the end of the day - but leaving the car there a whole day isn't an option. I don't have a way to drop the car off and come back for it later, it's just too far away from where we're staying.

so, my question for those who have done it...how long will I be sitting at the SC waiting for them to finish the windshield replacement?

 

[E90alex]

Why can’t you wait until you get home?

Typically the replacement is about and hour and most recommend at minimum one hour of cure time before the car is driven. Not sure if Tesla requires longer.

 

[crackers8199]

Why can’t you wait until you get home?

worried about the crack expanding. right now we're lucky enough that it's not in the driver's field of vision...but if it expands much further it will be.

 

[LoudMusic]

The closest service center to my house is two and a half hours.

You don't have to go to Tesla for a windshield replacement. Safelite uses OEM glass and is the same price (~$1500 a year ago). Mine was maybe a couple hours.

I too would wait until you get home. I've driven previous cars with a cracked windshield for months

 

[crackers8199]

The closest service center to my house is two and a half hours.

You don't have to go to Tesla for a windshield replacement. Safelite uses OEM glass and is the same price (~$1500 a year ago). Mine was maybe a couple hours.

I too would wait until you get home. I've driven previous cars with a cracked windshield for months

Safelite is asking $1800 vs $1100 from Tesla. Insurance is covering all but $250, but it still seems crazy to me to pay that extortion...

 

[LoudMusic]

Well that's good that Tesla is less price gouging. There's nothing special about that glass. It's a little bigger than what I've put in cars in the past but until this car the most I'd paid for a new windshield was $380.

 

[jjrandorin]

Well that's good that Tesla is less price gouging. There's nothing special about that glass. It's a little bigger than what I've put in cars in the past but until this car the most I'd paid for a new windshield was $380.

My model 3 windshield was less expensive than windshields I put on our previous BMWs. Before the BMWs we drove old hondas, toyotas, kias etc, and those windshields were like $300-400 lol.

Anyway, on thread topic, i am not sure how long it takes, I have had one windshield done by tesla for my model 3 and they had me drop off the car in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon.

 

[crackers8199]

My model 3 windshield was less expensive than windshields I put on our previous BMWs. Before the BMWs we drove old hondas, toyotas, kias etc, and those windshields were like $300-400 lol.

Anyway, on thread topic, i am not sure how long it takes, I have had one windshield done by tesla for my model 3 and they had me drop off the car in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon.

they offered a loaner if one is available, so while not optimal that'll at least work. for now I'm going to monitor the crack, but I don't think waiting til we get home is going to be an option. it's expanding across the windshield a little each day and once it gets to the driver's side, it's going to be right in the middle of the field of vision. I can't imagine driving back across the country having to look thru this, it's bad enough when my wife is driving and I'm having to look thru it from the passenger side.

i put clear gorilla tape on it on the outside to hopefully stabilize it at least long enough that I can make it to get it fixed one way or another, whether that's on the east coast or when we get back next month.

 

[karkrazy]

clear gorilla tape on it on the outside

That won’t work. Go to the nearest automotive store and get a windshield repair kit. Or something like this:

Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit - Quick And Easy Durable Resin Based Windshield Repair Kit for Chips and Cracks, Good For Round Damage Below 1" In Diameter And Cracks Smaller Than 12" In Length https://a.co/d/7CBWN4X

Works wonders and actually fills the gaps with a clear resin. Dries and cures quickly too. That way, you can take your time replacing your windshield or at wherever your final destination is (and helps if you get another chip/crack on the way back).

 

[crackers8199]

That won’t work. Go to the nearest automotive store and get a windshield repair kit. Or something like this:

Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit - Quick And Easy Durable Resin Based Windshield Repair Kit for Chips and Cracks, Good For Round Damage Below 1" In Diameter And Cracks Smaller Than 12" In Length https://a.co/d/7CBWN4X

Works wonders and actually fills the gaps with a clear resin. Dries and cures quickly too. That way, you can take your time replacing your windshield or at wherever your final destination is (and helps if you get another chip/crack on the way back).

it's longer than 12". probably about 18"-24" i would guess or so across from the passenger side towards the middle.

the little piece of duck tape on the inside is for us to keep track of whether or not it's expanding.

 

[karkrazy]

I’d still f

it's longer than 12". probably about 18"-24" i would guess or so across from the passenger side towards the middle.

the little piece of duck tape on the inside is for us to keep track of whether or not it's expanding.

View attachment 928767

I’d still use the repair kit as a temp fix, to stop the crack/expansion. Windshield will still need to be replaced.

The problem with these cracks is that moisture will still get in unless you fill it. And when you add hearing/cooling to moisture… crack keeps growing. I won’t be too concerned about the windshield shattering since it’s tempered glass.

Good luck!

 

[crackers8199]

I’d still f

I’d still use the repair kit as a temp fix, to stop the crack/expansion. Windshield will still need to be replaced.

The problem with these cracks is that moisture will still get in unless you fill it. And when you add hearing/cooling to moisture… crack keeps growing. I won’t be too concerned about the windshield shattering since it’s tempered glass.

Good luck!

no doubt, I'm prepared to replace it either way. I guess it won't hurt to give the repair kit a shot once we get to where we're staying on Tuesday...hopefully it'll hold up and not expand too much til then. that'd be ideal if I can shore it up to not have to replace the windshield til we get home in a few weeks.

 

[RonAz]

Windshields are not tempered glass. The side windows are tempered. You would not want a face full of glass pieces if it got hit driving 70mph down the highway. This is why the front is laminated and this is why it cracks. Two pieces of glass with a plastic film between them. It may break, but it will stay in place.
Even cracked the windshield is plenty strong. Don't fall for the Safelite commercial that your whole vacation is ruined because your windshield cracked. Just think of it as a long skinny bug.

 

[karkrazy]

Windshields are not tempered glass. The side windows are tempered. You would not want a face full of glass pieces if it got hit driving 70mph down the highway. This is why the front is laminated

Ah, thanks for that correction! Laminated is what I meant but tempered came out

 

[crackers8199]

stopped at a walmart in east texas this evening and picked up two packages of the rain x windshield repair kit. will pull the tape off in the AM and try to fill the crack and see how it goes...i don't really care if it looks like crap, as long as it stops the crack from expanding and gets me to the point where i can wait until we get home to replace the windshield.

 

[crackers8199]

I’d still use the repair kit as a temp fix, to stop the crack/expansion. Windshield will still need to be replaced.

The problem with these cracks is that moisture will still get in unless you fill it. And when you add hearing/cooling to moisture… crack keeps growing. I won’t be too concerned about the windshield shattering since it’s tempered glass.

Good luck!

just wanted to check back in here and say thank you for this...after stopping at Walmart the other day to pick up two of these kits, we stopped at supercharger the following day in MS and spent about an hour applying the resin. it took all of one kit and maybe 1/2 of the other kit because of how long the crack was by the time we tried to fix it, but it seems *knock on wood* to have stopped the crack from expanding, for now.

we'll continue to monitor it of course, but I'm hopeful this will hold until we get back to CA in a few weeks and can get the windshield replaced then.

 

[Jsch223]

Took my SC 2.5 hours a couple weeks ago. They were great. $1100 (although insurance paid 100%)

 

[jkdman123]

Don't you have comprehensive insurance? That's what covers glass in CA. Couple bucks a month and they'll replace my windshield or repair it free. I've replaced 3 windshields like that, one of them a $2000 minivan windshield. Done about 5 or 6 chip repairs.

 

[crackers8199]

Don't you have comprehensive insurance? That's what covers glass in CA. Couple bucks a month and they'll replace my windshield or repair it free. I've replaced 3 windshields like that, one of them a $2000 minivan windshield. Done about 5 or 6 chip repairs.

yes, i do.

yes, they'll cover it (less my comprehensive deductible of $250).

however, that has absolutely nothing to do with the question i asked.

 

[jkdman123]

yes, i do.

yes, they'll cover it (less my comprehensive deductible of $250).

however, that has absolutely nothing to do with the question i asked.

Ah. I misread your post.