Naturally, it would upset you to return to your vehicle only to discover a broken window. Whether the window break occurred in your presence or while away, it’s important to repair your broken window immediately. Replacing your broken window with a new pane of glass helps to keep your vehicle safe and secure.
What To Do When Your Car Window Is Broken
If you’ve discovered a broken window on your car, here’s what you need to do to protect yourself and your vehicle:
- Take pictures: When filing an insurance claim, you should have pictures of the damage to your vehicle to share with your insurer. Taking pictures also serves as your own documentation of the damage to your window.
- Contact insurance and the police: Contacting your insurer properly about the broken window begins the process of inquiring about and satisfying any requirements to get your claim accepted. Getting in touch may involve submitting photographs and filing a police report. Doing so, and contacting the police, prior to cleanup lets you accurately represent the damage to the vehicle.
- Clear and vacuum: After making contact and documenting the damage, you can begin cleaning up. Although modern windows use safety glass, you should wear gloves and eye protection when working on the broken window. Clear off any remaining debris in the window and vacuum the broken window pieces.
- Cover your window: Yes, it’s beneficial to take your vehicle in for a replacement as promptly as possible. But if you’re unable to protect it from the elements in the interval between the window breaking and installing a replacement, it’s important to cover up the broken window. This step protects the interior from weather damage and from unscrupulous persons keen on accessing the inside of your vehicle through the broken window.
- Get a replacement: While you can drive your vehicle with a plastic-patched window, we don’t recommend you do so for long. Besides making your car’s climate control inefficient, and potentially obstructing your view, a gaping window is an open invitation for passersby. To prevent either scenario, you should replace your window promptly after it’s broken.
Tools You May Need for Replacing a Car Window
When replacing a car window, the tools you need may vary based on your make and model, so check your owner’s manual for more information. Common tools for window removal and replacement include screwdrivers, socket wrenches, and a flat, thin object to assist with pressure clips. Make sure that you have the tools you need according to your manual before starting the replacement process.
How To Replace a Car Window
If you’re replacing your broken window yourself, follow these steps:
- Find a replacement: To replace your broken window, you first need to find a new pane of glass. The parts specialists at Rydell Auto Group can help you locate the glass you need to replace your window.
- Remove your door Panel: Before you can begin working on your broken window, you need to remove the inside paneling underneath the window to access its mount. Follow your vehicle’s instruction manual for panel-removal procedures.
- Peel back the vapor barrier: To access the interior of your vehicle underneath the window, you need to peel back the vapor barrier. This action allows you to reach the fasteners keeping the broken window in place.
- Set the window to its service position: When working on your window, you may need to set it to its service position to access all relevant components. Follow your vehicle’s instruction manual, if necessary, to adjust your window height.
- Remove your broken window: Carefully remove your previous broken window by taking out any screws, bolts, or clips securing it in place. After removing the window, you may need to clean out your vehicle again if additional debris falls off.
- Invert steps four through two to install your new window: To install your new window, reverse steps four through two. Secure the new window, replace the vapor barrier, and reinstall the interior door panel — in that order.
The Benefits of Professional Car Window Replacement
Although it’s possible to perform an automotive window replacement on your own, we recommend trusting service professionals when your window breaks. Some of the key benefits of professional window installation include:
Premium Parts
If you’re not an automotive glass expert, it can be challenging to identify the difference between premium and low-quality glass. When you go with professional window treatment at Rydell Auto Group for your broken window, you can rest assured that our automotive professionals will find high-quality parts for your replacement pane.
Professional Care
It’s important you execute the job thoroughly when installing a new window. That’s usually difficult to achieve with DIY. By trusting automotive service professionals, you get reliable and meticulous installation. Their many years of experience working with damaged vehicles provide this guaranteed dependability. Enlisting their services removes any potential damage during the installation or after use as a result of installation errors.
Warranty Protection
If your vehicle currently has a warranty, taking it to a service center might benefit you in multiple ways. One, if your vehicle’s warranty covers glass replacement, you may have work done on your car for free or at a discounted rate. Two, your vehicle’s warranty may also mandate that you seek professional care in order to receive warranty protection. This stipulation means you could pay less for professional installation than it would cost you to purchase the replacement window and install it yourself.
Let Rydell Auto Group Help With Your Car Window Replacement
If you have a car window that needs replacing, let the experts at Rydell Auto Group help. Give us a call or contact us through our convenient online form. Our team will get you scheduled for a service appointment to replace your broken window and get you back on the road before you know it.
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