The Chip Marathon
*ring ring* Hello?
“Hi, is your chip running?”
*click*
You can’t see me, but I am taking a bow for that highly intellectual joke re-write. Thank you, I am here all year! Anyways……
The Chips. We’ve mentioned them a few times here before. I’m sure there are a couple of old ‘Chip’ blogs laying around here, *COUGH* There are probably thousands. *COUGH* Excuse me.
This one is different though. I am certain we haven’t discussed this before and I am a little excited to talk about it. What am I blabbering on about? Well, my friend, today I am talking about why chips run!
This is a question we are frequently asked by our customers and fans on the net. That along with, “How do I stop chips from spreading?” Both questions I am here to answer in as great of detail as possible but, of course, in plain speak so that you (and me) can understand it. No jargon today folks!
Why Do Chips Run
First question: Why do they spread?
Temperature
There are a couple reasons why they may spread, but the likely answer is temperature. This may be obvious to some of you since we all learn in school that heat causes expansion and cold causes contraction, but what temperatures exactly will affect a chip?
Well, we asked our lead tech this was his answer:
“A 15o temperature difference between the inside of your vehicle and the external or atmospheric temperature will cause those windshield chips to run.”
Any less of a temperature difference shouldn’t make a difference and any more will simply make them run even faster.
Pressure
This one should be obvious. If you apply force to an already broken thing (i.e. a chip) it will make it worse. So, do not sit on your windshield.
What can you do to stop the chips?
If I’m being honest, and I am, there isn’t much you can do to prevent a chip from spreading. However, there are some things you can do to help prevent situations that make them spread easier.
First and foremost, once you get a chip, you need to schedule an appointment to have it repaired. Up until that appointment date, you can place a piece of clear tape, scotch is fine, over the it to prevent water from entering the broken area. If water seeps in, the chip will run and spread much faster with changing temperatures.
Also, go easy on your defroster. That can even make it crack out.
That’s about it
I hate to say it, but there’s not much more to it than that. Chips can happen and when they do, they can spread. There is little you can do to stop this other than having them repaired. We wish you luck out there and happy adventures!
Other Great Blog Posts
Chip Repairs: Do they really disappear?
What You Need to Know about Chip Repairs
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Author: B. Delamater