Are you Driving a Death Trap?!

Corey Jenson February 15, 2013

A recent study by AGRSS ( Auto Glass Safety Council) showed that as many as 85% of Windshield Replacements are done incorrectly! This happens because there are no Federal Laws controlling the quality of work performed by the Auto Glass Technicians. The fact is anyone I mean ANYONE can put a magnetic sign and slap it on their truck and become an Auto Glass Professional. All you would need is a business license from your city and state. Is this scary..? With out a doubt it is! Having a proper Windshield installation is just as import as having your Breaks installed correctly. What most people dont know is the Windshield is design to withstand the impact of Air Bags, thus keeping the Airbags inside the vehicle if an accident happens and keeping your face off the dash! The Windshield is also a part of the structural support of the vehicle if it was to be in a roll over accident. Yes, it is very scary to know as many as 85% of Windshield are replaced incorrectly. So if the Windshield is installed incorrectly, you might just find yourself thrown from the vehicle. Statistically, the best place to be during an accident is in your car. If you're thrown out of the car, you're 25 times more likely to die.

The question know is how do i know who to use. There are several things you can look for. You can start by asking questions. Questions like- Do your Tech's go threw any kind of training to be doing this? What certifications do you hold? How long have you been installing Auto Glass? What types of adhesives do you use?

You are looking for a company that has standards and certification programs. For example at Knight Auto Glass our technicians must be Dow Certified. A Dow Certification means that the Technician has taken a test provided by Dow Adhesive to prove that the Technician endeed knows what he is doing. He must know what Urethane to use for the correct Drive time. How fast the Urethane will cure in different temperatures and humidity levels. What primers are to be used in different situations and so forth. You might also look for a company that is part of ARGSS the Auto Glass Safety Council. Knight Auto Glass is in the process of becoming a member. This means we will hold ourselves to an even higher standard of safety then other shops.

Ok so you get the idea that you should do some research before you higher an Auto Glass company to come replace your Windshield. Good because your safety is the most important thing.

scary.....

Corey Jenson February 7, 2013

I wanted to share this clip I made while out replacing a Windshield. Most people dont understand just how important it is to have their Windshield replaced by the right company. Not every company is the same. This little clip will show you why.

When I pushed on the Windshield there was literally nothing holding it in. This was due to the last tech not using the proper Primer. When we install a Windshield we do it right. dont trust just anyone. Call Knight Auto Glass.

A better Chip Repair

Corey Jenson October 31, 2012

Yesterday I did a Chip Repair for a very nice lady. We went out to her car to take a look at the Rock Chip in her Windshield. She pointed out the Chip that she needed fixed. As I always do I did a once over of her Windshield and noticed right away two other Rock Chips. Taking a closer look I could tell that someone had already tried to Repair them. They looked bad. Probably worse then they did before the Repair and she said as much. She was very unhappy with them, so when I told her that the one I repaired would disappear she was shocked. Below is a picture of one of the Rock Chips that was “Repaired” by the other shop. You will notice they drilled into the Windshield in order to fill the Rock Chip. This is necessary on occasion and isn’t bad. But what the Tech failed to do was seal the Chip Repair with a Pit Filler. Pit Filler is a reason applied to the surface of the Windshield to seal off the Chip Repair. It also helps to make the Repair nearly invisible.

Above is a picture of the Chip Repair performed by Knight Auto Glass. As you can see it has all but vanished. So much so that you would have to really look for it to find it. There are so many people out there trying to make a quick buck by doing Rock Chip Repair. Most of them just want you to make a claim and get you out. Remember when getting any Auto Glass done on your Vehicle, take it to an “Auto Glass” company. Better yet let Knight Auto Glass do it! It just doesn’t make since to have a Tire guy, oil guy or body shop performing Rock Chip Repairs or Auto Glass work. It’s not their field of work. Stick to the professionals and you will get better work done faster and right the first time! Think of it this way, would you have your pizza guy do a Chip Repair on your car when he delivered your dinner? NO Then why would you let a Tire guy or such work on your Windshield?

As a last point we want to make it clear that we get our Oil Changed and our Tires serviced too. We are thankful for the service these great companies provide! We just think it’s important to keep to what you do best! For us that’s Auto Glass Repair and Replacement! Thanks for reading and please call us if you would like to learn more about the Chip Repair process. 435-414-1776. You can get a free quote here!

Whoops....there goes my Window

Corey Jenson October 29, 2012

Semi SideGlass Repair

I received a call today from a Big T Trucking out of Salt Lake. He had just bought a New Truck and was out on his first run. After Trucking for hours it was time for a rest. So he jumped up in his bunk and proceded to open the windows to let in a little air. The passenger side window was a vent that opened a little but the driver side window was not. So when he pushed on it, it fell off!!

Whats amazing is it didn't break! It fell over 10 feet onto rocks and gravel. He couldn't believe his luck. Long story short he found Knight Auto Glass on Google and gave us a call. When we arrived it was easy to tell that whoever installed the glass before had failed to Prime the glass and the frame. So when he pushed on the window the Urethane wasn't properly bonded and came loss. In my Last post I talked about how important it is to always use the Proper Primer when installing Auto Glass. If this had been a Windshield in a Car Imagine how easy the Windshield would have came out. Well we got him all fixed up and on the road again. Remember you can always call Knight Auto Glass for all your Auto Glass needs. From a small car to the Big Semi-Trucks we can handle it all! Call us today (435) 414-1776

Step by Step Windshield Replacement

Corey Jenson October 28, 2012

Things to do before we get there.

There are a few things you should do before we arrive to replace your Windshield.

Call your Insurance Company and Request Knight Auto Glass for your Auto glass Replacement.
Remove all objects from your Dash (including Dash Matt).
Remove all objects from the floor and seats of the driver & passenger sides.
Park in a safe area that allows complete access to the vehicle.
Remember you can’t wash your vehicle for 24 hours after Windshield replacement. So you might want to do that before we arrive.

Pre-Inspection

When we arrive we will perform a Pre-Inspection of your vehicle. We will check the car for prier damage in the areas we will be working on. This is to insure that we are both on the same page as to the condition of the car before we started working. We stand by our work and will always take care of the customer and their vehicle. We also expect the same level of honesty from you our customers, so please follow us when we do the Pre-Inspection so you can see everything for yourself! You will also be required to sign this form before we start working on your vehicle.

Pre-Windshield Removal

Removing a Windshield involves more then just cutting the old one out. In most cases we will have to remove moldings, screws, clips, wipers, bolts, mirrors, sensors & more. Some Auto Glass Technicians cut corners and leave some of these things in place. We at Knight Auto Glass feel that it is more important to take a few extra minutes and perform a Quality Installation rather then skip steps to get the job done faster. Even after we have removed and reinstalled all parts we still complete most jobs in under 1 hour.

The picture to the right is a Knight Auto Glass technician removing the Windshield Cowling. The Cowling is a large plastic piece found at the bottom of most Windshields. It serves to cover the Windshield Wiper motors and other components of your vehicle. If this is not removed the Technician will be forced to slide the New Windshield Under the Cowling during Installation. Sliding will lead to a poor install that could cause leaks and air noise.

Removing the old Windshield

Once all the moldings, clips, screws & Cowling are removed we can cut out the Windshield. Today we are lucky to have advance tools that make removing a Windshield much safer and easer. For the top and Sides of the Windshield it is common to use a Cold Knife. Here is a picture of a Cold Knife. It is designed to hook under the Windshield and cut the glue holding it in. It is Ideal for this application because it allows the Tech to cut out the Windshield without damaging the vehicle.

Below is a picture of a Knight Auto Glass Tech using a Cold Knife to safely cut out the sides & top of the old Windshield.

Tech using a Cold Knife to cut out old Windshield

Once the top and sides of the Windshield are cut its time to cut out the Bottom section of the Windshield. This is done by using a modern tool called the Extrator. This tool was developed by a company in Alberta Canada. It is basically a Sawz-All with a flat blad attachment. It makes removing a Windshield faster and safer. Before the Extrator hit the shelves Auto Glass Technicians would sit inside the vehicle and push out on the Windshield with their head. While pushing it out they would use a Knife with a long handle to cut the glue. Over time this can cause serious back, neck and shoulder problems for the technician. The Extractor does the hard work for the tech!

Below is a picture of a Knight Auto Glass Tech using the Extractor to Remove a Windshield.

Windshield is now ready to be removed from the body.

Knight Auto Glass Tech removing old Windshield.

New Windshield Prep.

Once we have the old Windshield out we need to prep the Pinch weld. The Pinch Weld is the area where the Glue is bonded to the Body of the vehicle and to the Windshield. Here are the steps every Auto Glass Tech should follow when preparing a Vehicle for a new Windshield.

Remove old Urethane
Clean Pinch Weld of debris and dust
Check Pinch Weld for Rust
Clean Dash of debris and dust
Prime Pinch Weld Scratches to prevent Rust and help Urethane bonding

Priming the Pinch Weld

This is one of the most important pre-installation steps, and one of the most skipped by many Technicians. How do we at Knight Auto Glass know its being skipped by others? Its pretty easy to tell. The primer is black and when applied it leaves a big black mark! This is all covered by moldings and seals, so the customer would never know if it had or had not been primed unless they were watching the process. If skipped the small scratches made during Windshield Removal will start to rust. This is very bad. If the rust goes unchecked it can rust underneath the Urethane. Not only will this cause leaks and air noise but it makes your vehicle very unsafe. The Windshield is designed to to hold your Air bags in when they deploy. If the rust goes Underneath the Urethane, it will no longer be bonded to the body of your vehicle and the Windshield can come out if the vehicle is hit hard enough. Our Technicians estimate 3 out of 5 Vehicles they work on were not primed before installation! Please be careful who you take your vehicle to. Not all shops are created equal and put the same level of care into their work!

Below a Knight Auto Glass Tech is Priming the Pinch Weld before installing the New Windshield.

Knight Auto Glass Tech Priming the Pinch Weld

Prepping the Windshield

The New Windshield can be prepped before removing the old one or after. It just depends on the Tech. Getting the Windshield Ready for Installation is pretty simple. It involves a few steps.

Attach Moldings if required
Scrub are to be glued with cleaning pad
Wash Windshield
Prime the Windshield with Primer Designed for Glass
Glue moldings to Windshield ( to prevent them coming off in the future)

Running the Urethane

At Knight Auto Glass we use only the best products on the Market. Right now we are using BETASEAL EXPRESS by Dow.

BETASEAL glass bonding systems are used to originally install auto glass in the majority of vehicles worldwide, making the adhesives the perfect choice when restoring windshield structures to the original strength and specification. All aftermarket BETASEAL adhesives are FMVSS crash proven and meet long-term durability requirements for structurally bonded/direct glazed automotive glass, such as windshields, backlites, quarter glass and other stationary glass.

It is a fast drying Urethane that has a safe drive time of 1 hour. This means you will only have to wait 1 hour before you can drive your vehicle again.

Here is a Knight Auto Glass Tech running the new Urethane before installing the Windshield.

Installing the Windshield

Once the Urethane has been ran we are ready to install the Windshield. When we place the Windshield onto the new Urethane its called "setting" the Windshield. When you set the Windshield you have to be exact, if not there could be leaks and air noise. This is why we at Knight Auto Glass always remove the molding and cowling before setting the Windshield. This gives us plenty of room to set the Windshield in the right spot. It also means we don't have to worry about trying to slide the Windshield under anything to install it. Th

6" Suction Cup for Installing Windshields.

There are a few different ways to Set a Windshield. The most common method is to attach 1 or 2 suction cups to the Windshield and use them as handles. Most Installers use a 6" Concave Vacuum Cup with Vertical Handle. This suction cup can be placed anywhere on the Windshield to provide a strong grip.

Below is a slide show of a Knight Auto Glass Tech "setting" a Windshield.

Now that you have your new Windshield.

There are a few things you need to know before you drive your vehicle, now that you have a new Windshield.

No Car Wash for 24 hours- A High pressured car wash may break the Seal of the Windshield causing leaks and air noise.
Roll your Windows down at least 1 inch- This will reduce pressure on the Seal of the Windshield while the Urethane cures. If you have all the windows up and slam the doors it could force the Windshield to move and again cause leaks and air noise.
Wait 1 hour before driving- This is for your safety. If you get in an accident your Air-bags will most likely deploy, if the Urethane hasn't had the proper time to cure, the force of the Air-bags will push the Windshield out. This will result in your Air-bags not doing their job. So please listen to your Tech and follow the Drive time given.
Leave Tape in place for 24 hours- In some cases Tape is needed to hold the Windshield in place while the Urethane cures. Please leave the Tape on as directed. Removing it early might result in the Windshield sliding durring the curing process.
Get new Whipper Blades- this is not required but a good idea. Whippers blades should be changed every 6 months. Since most people get a new Windshield every few years its usually a good Idea to change them!

Knight Auto Glass Tech after completing Another quality Windshield Replacement!

Thanks for Choosing Knight Auto Glass

Thank you for making Knight Auto Glass your choice for Windshield Replacement. We hope this post was informative and fun to read. We strive everyday to help our customers see the difference between us and the other guys. If you have any questions regarding Auto Glass repair and replacement please call us at (435) 414-1776. Thanks For reading and we hope to see you soon!