When does a windscreen chip need replacing?
A chip can only be filled while it is small enough and far enough from the edge. Yours is past one of those limits. Big chips are too large for resin to hold. Damage at the edge is the hardest to save, and a crack that starts at the edge is almost always a replacement. Some repairers will not touch a chip within 5cm of the edge.
What kind of repair does it need?
The windscreen is cut out and a new one bonded in. On newer cars, most manufacturers call for the windscreen cameras to be recalibrated afterwards. A windscreen replaced without that leaves driver assistance aiming at the wrong place.
Includes recalibrating any camera mounted behind the glass. This is glass work, not paint work.
What to do next
See a windscreen specialist. Ask if your car needs camera recalibration and whether they do it. Check your insurance first, because glass cover is often an optional extra, and some policies cover the first glass claim with no excess. Do not wait. A chip past the repair limit can become a crack on the next cold morning.
Sources
- AAMIinsurer
Available as an Optional Cover
- Safeliteglass repairer
A crack that originated at the edge is almost always a replacement job regardless of cause.
- O'Brien AutoGlassglass repairer
Is the chip located on the driver’s side (immediately in front of the driver), and all the damage less than the size of a 5c coin (roughly 2cm diameter)?
- O'Brien AutoGlassglass repairer
After a windscreen replacement, most vehicle manufacturers recommend a camera recalibration to maintain the integrity of your vehicle’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
- North West Windscreensglass repairer
Unlike full windscreen replacements, which often need time for the adhesive to cure…
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