Auto glass isn’t usually on your daily shopping list. But when your windshield gets cracked, doing your homework, and finding the most suitable auto glass replacement company for your vehicle can save you both time and money. Your windshield is much more important than you might think, it adds a great deal structural integrity to your vehicle. If not installed safely and professionally, with proper materials your newly installed glass can have a multitude of unforeseen issues that can affect your vehicle and potentially your family’s safety.

In light of this issue, our experts at Transparency Auto Glass will take you through the top 3 reasons why you should not shop for auto glass based on price alone.

1. You get what you pay for.

The most common reason why providers are able to offer you an auto glass replacement at a lower price is usually due to the fact that the company is using cheaper products. On your basic windshield install there are 4 main materials, the glass, a glass prepping agent, primer, and the adhesive. If the quality of these materials are compromised then it can lead to an unsafe and improper install. Here is a break down of what these main materials do, and how important they are that way next time you are in need of auto glass replacement you will be able to make a more informed decision.

The Glass

When it comes to choosing the right glass for you and your vehicle OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) glass is always going to be the highest quality of glass. Unfortunately, sometimes, OEM glass can be very expensive. Original Equipment Equivalent or OEE windshields are a more economical option when it comes to a windshield replacement. A lot of customers go the OEE route and as long as it is properly installed with good quality materials, they never have any issues. The correct glass for you will ultimately be determined by your budget and the type of vehicle you have.

Glass prepping agents

The first step in having a safe and proper windshield installation is making sure that the glass is prepared correctly. Because auto glass is shipped, stored in warehouses, and handled frequently it is exposed to a number of contaminants that can affect the install process. Using a quality glass-prepping agent will ensure that those contaminants are removed before the installation leading to a proper install.

Primer

Even after the glass is cleaned and prepped, it still needs to be primed. Primer helps to make sure that the adhesive the technician is using sticks to the glass properly. If the glass is not primed or primed with a low quality product, the adhesive over time can let go of the glass causing the glass to leak or worse come completely out of the vehicle.

Adhesive

When is comes to auto glass adhesive there are two questions that you should ask your auto glass company before allowing them to do the work. “Will your adhesive affect the electronic accessories that my vehicle has?” and more importantly “What is my minimum safe drive away time?” Because some lower quality auto glass adhesives can have conductive properties it can actually interfere with the function of your cars electronics. If your vehicle has certain electronic accessories using a good quality non-conductive adhesive ensures that your vehicle is put back to OEM specs and that everything on your vehicle functions properly.

Minimum safe drive away time (or the amount of time your vehicle has to sit after an install before you can safely drive away) is a very commonly used term when it comes to auto glass adhesives, because it is directly related to the quality of that adhesive the shorter the time the better the adhesive. For instance if the adhesive has a minimum safe drive away time of 4 hours or more it is a low quality adhesive, but if the adhesive has a minimum safe drive away time of 30 minutes then it is a higher quality adhesive. The adhesive that we use is DOW / DuPont Express 30. It is a high-modulus non-conductive adhesive that has a minimum safe drive away time of 30 minutes and is the best on the market.

2. Cheaper quality materials can cause your electronic accessories to malfunction

Rearview mirrors are not the only things attached to your windshield nowadays. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, rain sensors, and condensation sensors just to name a few also come mounted on your windshield. These systems are becoming more and more important in keeping you safe on the road, such as lane departure warning systems, automatic emergency braking systems, and adaptive cruise control.

If your car is fairly new, it’s likely to have some of these assistance systems installed from the factory. ADAS involves various sensors that are often attached to the windshield. This means that whenever you get your windshield replaced, your ADAS will need to be removed and re-installed correctly as well as recalibrated after the install. This is where the difficulties start. When shopping for auto glass If you choose a company that uses low quality or cheaper materials and does not do recalibrations, this will cause your ADAS to malfunction further down the line.

The reason for this goes back to the fact that cheaper materials including the glass will not allow the technician to put your vehicle back to OEM specifications which can directly affect your ADAS systems as well as other electronic systems your vehicle may have. This can be extremely dangerous, as inaccurate warning systems will often fail to notify when a road accident is imminent.

3. The service provider may not offer a warranty

Service providers all know that cheaper materials lead to a cheaper install. They are aware that some products or materials are not rigorously tested for their quality and durability, meaning that installing a piece of auto glass using these materials can be a big gamble. For this reason, they may not extend any warranty policy for your new windshield.

On the other hand, if a provider uses products that allow them to put your vehicle back to OEM specifications and are confident in the quality of their product, they should definitely offer a warranty for their clients. For example, Transparency Auto Glass offers a lifetime warranty on all of their auto glass work.

Furthermore, in the unfortunate case where your ADAS system needs to be entirely replaced, the automotive company of your vehicle may not cover the cost of such replacement if your car was not put back to OEM specifications.

As we can see, shopping for auto glass based on price alone is not the best thing to do. It can lead to an unsafe install, damage your vehicle or ADAS system, and could negatively affect your warranty issues. Instead, we would recommend you find a service provider that can offer you a high-quality auto glass replacement that is installed safely and professionally.

Get in touch with us

If you’d like to know more about auto glass issues, feel free to contact our team of certified technicians today. We are a locally-owned company based in Garner, NC. Since our establishment in 2012, we have become a top-rated windshield replacement service provider in the area, offering services from windshield replacements to rock chip repairs. If you’re interested in any of the services we provide, you can get a no-obligation, free quote today!