RainX Windscreen Repair Kit

[MakaveliX]

Anybody used this ?
Driving along a recently " paved " stony road this morning at about 20mph. Idiot truckdriver was going well over the limit and ended up somehow flinging up a stone at my windscreen. I was on my way to a shopping centre so picked up some " RainX Windscreen Repair " resin type thing.

Watched all the YouTube tutorials etc before trying. Long story short, the tiny circular crack is now huge and now looks like half a spider. I now have to get the windscreen replaced. I don't feel comfy driving the car as if I even touch the cracks, or put the wipers on, it gets bigger.
Thankfully it is covered by my insurance. I do however now have a long one week wait without a car.

My opinion is if you get a crack/chip in the windscreen, dont use rainX.
I suppose the location didn't help, as it's bang on centre in the windscreen which is where I'd assume the weakest part is.



This is an " after " photo.

Edited by MakaveliX on Wednesday 13th April 14:00

[mickyh7]

It only works on 'Bullseyes'
And it only works if you follow the instructions to the letter.
No chance on a crack, no matter how small.

[MakaveliX]

mickyh7 said:

It only works on 'Bullseyes'
And it only works if you follow the instructions to the letter.
No chance on a crack, no matter how small.

I get you. Thing is it was a circular crack about the size of a 10p piece at the most.

[Byker28i]

Not sure why you wouldn't immediately call out one of the windscreen repair people and let the professionals do it. Cracks got bigger as you've continued to drive it.

[MakaveliX]

Byker28i said:

Not sure why you wouldn't immediately call out one of the windscreen repair people and let the professionals do it. Cracks got bigger as you've continued to drive it.

Even at the side of the road ? There was nowhere to pull over as it was a country lane. I literally drove straight back home.

Ah well. Lesson learnt, won't mess with one next time !

[MakaveliX]

Would it be wise to not drive the car at all now, until it's been replaced ?

[wpa1975]

MakaveliX said:

Would it be wise to not drive the car at all now, until it's been replaced ?

I would not risk it, safer to park it up

[SuperPav]

wpa1975 said:

MakaveliX said:

Would it be wise to not drive the car at all now, until it's been replaced ?

I would not risk it, safer to park it up

Just for an alternative view - Not recommended etc. etc. but... I'd be perfectly happy driving that for a week. It's a laminated windscreen, it won't catastrophically shatter into shards. Yes its strength is compromised and in a crash its contribution to the structure would be diminished, but personally I'd chance it if you don't have an alternative car.

[mickyh7]

MakaveliX said:

I get you. Thing is it was a circular crack about the size of a 10p piece at the most.

Wow!
Anything over a couple of mm, and I'd be calling someone out. And I'd half be expecting new glass!

[mickyh7]

Just to add, when I've used a repair kit it's taken about 15 minutes.
When I last had a 'Man' out to do it professionally, it took him 45 minutes!
I still can't see the repair 2 years on,45 minutes must say something?

[ScoobyChris]

MakaveliX said:

My opinion is if you get a crack/chip in the windscreen, dont use rainX.

No experience of the RainX product, but I've had 2 windscreen repairs done in the past on my insurance and both times they went like yours (which they had warned me could happen). I continued driving the car and new screen was installed the following week.

Glassman (who knows about this stuff ;-)) has posted that lots of professionals also make a hash of perfectly repairable chips so I wouldn't feel too bad. It's the main reason I haven't bothered getting my current windscreen chip repaired.

Chris

[Byker28i]

MakaveliX said:

Byker28i said:

Not sure why you wouldn't immediately call out one of the windscreen repair people and let the professionals do it. Cracks got bigger as you've continued to drive it.

Even at the side of the road ? There was nowhere to pull over as it was a country lane. I literally drove straight back home.

Ah well. Lesson learnt, won't mess with one next time !

"I was on my way to a shopping centre so picked up some " RainX Windscreen Repair " resin type thing."
so at that point it couldn't have been cracked. And you didn't literally drive straight home...

More holes in this story than the windscreen

[Classic_Blend]

Used this stuff on a deep chip in my fiesta - worked a treat to be honest.

[Far Cough]

Classic_Blend said:

Used this stuff on a deep chip in my fiesta - worked a treat to be honest.

Same.... Do trackday so get the odd dig here and there. I use it to great effect but I think you have highlighted that it can do only so much on the bigger digs you get.

[Alex_225]

From what I've seen of the RainX kit (I've got one unused) it's designed to fill a chip or a very small crack. I would imagine it's fairly limited in how much it can 'repair' a crack.

Not dig at you OP but I'm guessing the original crack in the screen was perhaps a bit too hefty for a DIY kit, maybe even for a pro to come out and repair.

[Slow]

SuperPav said:

wpa1975 said:

MakaveliX said:

Would it be wise to not drive the car at all now, until it's been replaced ?

I would not risk it, safer to park it up

Just for an alternative view - Not recommended etc. etc. but... I'd be perfectly happy driving that for a week. It's a laminated windscreen, it won't catastrophically shatter into shards. Yes its strength is compromised and in a crash its contribution to the structure would be diminished, but personally I'd chance it if you don't have an alternative car.

Ive been broke and driven 9 months on a cracked windscreen before when I was young. The biggest risk was hoping you dont get pulled over imo.

[RenPug]

Slow said:

SuperPav said:

wpa1975 said:

MakaveliX said:

Would it be wise to not drive the car at all now, until it's been replaced ?

I would not risk it, safer to park it up

Just for an alternative view - Not recommended etc. etc. but... I'd be perfectly happy driving that for a week. It's a laminated windscreen, it won't catastrophically shatter into shards. Yes its strength is compromised and in a crash its contribution to the structure would be diminished, but personally I'd chance it if you don't have an alternative car.

Ive been broke and driven 9 months on a cracked windscreen before when I was young. The biggest risk was hoping you dont get pulled over imo.

Yep, carry on driving, a laminated windscreen is designed so that if the outer layer of glass cracks the inner layer and the laminate hold it together. The worst that will happen is the crack keeps spreading until it reaches an edge and then it will just stop.

Obviously if the crack spreads across your vision then it might be wise to stop driving it both for the fact its effecting what you can see and also the police may take a dim view of it.

[Glassman]

MakaveliX said:

Anybody used this ?


My opinion is if you get a crack/chip in the windscreen, dont use rainX.
I suppose the location didn't help, as it's bang on centre in the windscreen which is where I'd assume the weakest part is.



This is an " after " photo.

The weakest part of the windscreen is the edge. Yours probably cracked because the glass was too warm (direct sunlight) and/or the repair jig was putting too much pressure on the break.

DIY repair kits might be 'okay' for simple repairs; but the instructions do not cover how to dry-out a break, or how to manipulate a complex one.

[Cambs_Stuart]

Glad i read this first, i was going to have a go at a chip on my clio's screen. I'll get a professional instead.

[Glassman]

Cambs_Stuart said:

Glad i read this first, i was going to have a go at a chip on my clio's screen. I'll get a professional instead.

Post an image of it here first if you can, please?