I concur with the other reviewers that one should read the instructions well before attempting the repair.
I used the repair kit to repair one 1.5 inch diameter star-burst and two small nick/chips - one of which was in driving view.
I ensured the car was in the shade and cleaned out the crushed glass out of the rock impact area with the included blade. I cleaned the repair area with soap water and a glass cleaner till it was squeaky clean.
I secured the repair assembly, with the 4 (good quality!) suction cups, to the windshield centering the housing over the rock impact area. I screwed in the resin delivery tube into the housing till it's rubber tip was flush with the windshield and centered to the damage area. I then added a few drops of resin (is same consistency as 3-in-1 oil) into the delivery tube and finally inserted the pressure tube which forces the resin into the crack by opening the rubber tip. I let it cure for about 10 minutes after which I placed a drop of resin on the center of the crack and placed the clear plastic sheet on it and put the windshield in direct sunlight - waited another 10 minutes and removed the plastic sheet. I scraped the excess resin with the blade.
I was very happy with the results - the damaged area, filled in with the resin, was see-through, not smoky like I have seen other windshield repairs. The cracks filled to the extent that the crack was accessible. The resin could not repair a "fracture" as there is no way for the resin to reach in between the fracture. The resin did obliterate the crack lines where it did reach.
The end result is that the star-burst is still there but less visible, both the nicks/chips are reduced significantly (90%+) and I can make them out only because I know where they are. The one in my driving view looks like a small pit instead of a chip. The only thing I am waiting for, this winter, is to see if the resin holds up to the heating/cooling.
It took me about 1 hour to repair all three areas.
The product is designed thoughtfully and is effective. The quality of materials is good. The really great thing about this product is the fact that the resin cleaned off with soap/water and did not harden on the skin. I could clean out the delivery and pressure tubes which means that they can be re-used......there is enough resin/plastic sheets left to repair a few more cracks.
DON'T use more that a few drops of resin...a little goes a long way!
I gave one-less star for false advertising. The company surely knows that fractures in glass cannot be repaired and should not advertise an "after" photo which shows a windshield with no hint of having been damaged. Fix-A-Flat - Fix-A-Windshield, Do-It-Yourself Windshield Repair Kit (161890)
My windshield got hit by a flying rock while driving on the freeway, causing a spider-web type crack structure. The crack did not extend through to the inside, but the web-like flaws extended over about a 1-inch circle. After using Fix-A-Windshield, the web-like structure no longer shows, and the fix-it material blends in nicely with the windshield. You need to look closely to notice any difference between the repair material and the original windshield. Be sure to read the instructions carefully, but you don't need to be a fix-it type person to effectively use this product.
Provided that you read (and follow) the directions, this product did a very good job at fixing a medium-sized star crack. You do need to be patient while waiting for the compound to flow into the cracks. The whole process took about an hour to complete.
Plus, there is enough in the kit for several repairs.
The xB is a perfect car except its box windshield that loves rocks. I don't want to buy comprehensive insurance to cover the windshield and I don't want to pay $50 for each and every hit. This "fix a windshield" comes to rescue.
I compared this kit with those professional kits that cost $$$$. The only difference I can see is plastic vs. metal. So, this kit is indeed professional, no kidding. As most of us here don't repair rock chips for a living, only once or twice a year, the plastic is all fine.
As others have pointed out, the key to success is the contact between the resin chamber and the windshield. How to manage it correctly? "Screw down the resin chamber so the rubber mouth is flat against the windshield, in complete, but gentle, contact with the glass"..."If the resin leaks out of the bottom of the resin chamber, gently turn the resin chamber clockwise". So the perfect tweak is: set it loose enough to leak a little bit and then tighten it a little bit.
In order to help the resin flow into the breaks, I use a small hot water bag to warm up the other side. A camera triangle is ideal to support the bag. I use a food thermo to check its temperature (don't be too hot).
How to ensure a good fill before we cure the resin? "Unrepaired areas will appear as dark (green or black) areas." This is another key part. After a good fill, the green or dark breaks are all gone, they now look thinner than hair.
The last key step is to use a good blacklight to cure the resin. Don't waste time to look for an UV tube. They are hard to find, expensive and difficult to use. Even if you find one, it might not be the right band. The easy-to-find blacklights emit exactly the UV-A rays (around 360nm) that this resin is designed for. A new energy-save compact fluorescent blacklight bulb is only $6 or so, can be found in many local stores and can be easily used in standard incandescent fixtures. For long crack repair, I might get a under-cabinate blacklight (12" or 18" tube) for about $20. Sunlight is as hard to see as gold in my area, especially in winter.
The repaired area is still recognizable, but not so easy to. It looks much better than I expected, even better than those on my wife's car, which were done by professional glass shops. I must admit that I'm a top-class DIYer, but still you've got the point. I got the rock chip on the way to pick up my son from his music class. As soon as he got into the car, he pointed his finger to that spot and shouted "look here!". My wife never saw it; I asked her to find it after I repaired it and it took her quite a while. She may never notice it if I had not told her about it. Yes, this kit is that good.
To make it as invisible as possible, I followed the instruction to add one more drop of resin right on the chip and scrape the resin "from" (?) the chip. After curing, this final touch removed all the rough white stuff, smoothed out the spot and blended it into the same color as the surrounding area. Now nobody can notice it unless I show him/her where to look at.
Please keep in mind, the key point about rock chips is: they expand and eventually crack the whole windshield if not repaired. This is the main reason for us to fix it ASAP. It is not all about a perfect mended look. When I look at my work, I'm very sure it won't go worse because all the breaks have been sealed very well. All I can see now is some white, no more those green or black I saw that meant moisture and air that would cause future crack under uneven heat. Problem solved, peace of mind.
Although the Permatex kit has not got good reviews here, there is a training video on its web site, well worth of watching. You can get a very good understanding about what you'll be doing with these kits. I sincerely wish "fix a windshield" publish such a video as well.
I have uploaded some photos about the before and after, and more:
picasaweb dot google dot com/fixup77/Faw
This $10 kit can be used for many more times, I wish this company will sell us the resin separately. Such repair is a good way for me to help my friends and neighbors.
From now on, I'm no longer afraid of those big rigs passing by. Peace of driving. Oh yeah, nothing beats the xB, especially now I can easily wipe out the kisses on its face.
Update[02/23/2008]: Today I hit lottery again, actually 2 hits one stone within 3 mm. I used the same kit left from the last time. I injected twice to the two spots, respectively, and then cured both at the same time with one film. After that, I applied two drops again (one on each) to mind the dents for the final touch.
This time I did a better job (more invisible), consumed much less resin (3 drops + 1 small + 1 small for each spot, 10 drops total) and spent less time. Man, I don't know why this xB loves rocks so much. I cannot imagine how could I drive this thing if without this great repair kit. - Automotive - Fix-a-windshiel - Glass Repair - Windshield'
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