Welcome to the Car Window Repair Savings Guide. You'll be happy to learn that car window repair is not necessarily complicated.

The main issues to consider are, first, safety. Then you may consider whether you wish to do it your self. Last how to make a sensible choice for having car window repair done by a specialist.

Safety Considerations

It is sometimes overlooked that car windows and windshield or structural components of your automobile. For that reason alone their integrity is important to the integrity of your car.

Next, your safety while driving is entirely dependent upon your being able to see what is around you. If you are car windows are compromised with holes, chips, or fracture marks, you can't see what's around you. Not so good. If there's danger, you can't see it. If there is an animal or a child you can't see it. If collision is threatened, that's not something you want to miss.

Finally, car windows may be made of safety glass -- a type of compound structure made from two thin sheets of glass bonded together by a tough clear epoxy-like plastic resin -- but remember, it's still glass. Glass can be sharp. Sharp things can cut us humans, our children, and our pets.

Ouch!

Doing It Yourself

If you are the do-it-yourself type of person, perhaps you have worked on your car in the past. If so, you've noticed that some jobs are easy, and some are way too tricky.

Of these jobs, replacing a broken car window is actually one of the simpler tasks, and quite suitable for many do-it-yourself individuals.

What you will need: various sizes of screwdrivers, both Phillips and flat head, a big tarp or plastic sheet (disposable painters dropcloth will work), masking tape, new window glass for your car, and a shop manual for the model of car that you have.

Here is a quick overview to describe the process. See your shop manual for a greater level of detail --

First, get rid of all the loose broken glass pieces.

Second, take off the "door card" which is a panel on the doors interior. There will be a plastic moisture barrier beneath; do not damage it.

Third, place the door card on your dropcloth. Make some notes, or tape the screws and pieces to remember where they go.

Next, remove the weather stripping from the door carefully, and vacuum out any grants shards from inside the door and from the weather stripping.

Know where clips and brackets inside the door will hold the replacement glass. Now replace weatherstripping.

Gently ease the new window glass down into the doors window channel, until the glass can reach the lift mechanism.

At this point, see if the window operates properly. If it does replace the door card, and pat yourself on the back. If it doesn't, see the next section.

Auto Glass Specialists

Quality installation is important to your safety, and specialists in auto glass replacement and repair are often especially trained to do it right. Although window glass replacement can be simple, windshield replacement can be much more tricky and if done improperly can produce stresses which will crack the expensive replacement windshield. Bummer.

Going to a body shop may work because body shop technicians are often extremely highly skilled jacks of many trades. Alternately, both nationwide and local companies that specialize in auto glass replacement are easy to find. Some of these advertise internal certification programs.

This may be a good thing. Because there is a new American national standard Institute (ANSI) auto glass replacement safety standard.

Some of the specialty companies have developed extremely fast working adhesives and materials. And of course, it's pretty common that a guy who specializes in one particular type of task can get pretty darn good at it.

Do they cost more?

In many cases they may cost less than a repair at your local dealer. Is it less than your local shade tree mechanic? Is it less than your local body shop?

Investigation will reveal the answer.

Summary Overview

The three primary considerations when thinking about car window repair are: (1) the safety of you and your passengers and those around you; (2) whether you wish to do it yourself; and (3) how to best employ an auto glass specialist for the repair.

Where to Find Car Window Repair at a Great Price?

Shop Ahead of Time ... Automobile Insurance!

We've heard these auto insurance companies frequently have great deals --

Your Local Body Shop

If you take your car to a local body shop, it's always good if you can get a recommendation, but whether you do or you don't, you'll find plenty of them listed in the yellow pages.

Online Auto-Glass Specialists

Some are nation-wide, some are local. Here some recommendations --

-- TBA --

EBay

Frequently the price-value winner, if you're the do-it-yourself kind of guy. It’s hard to beat EBay. Just look at this huge selection of auto glass tools available right now –