What Should You Do If Your Car’s Windshield Leaks?

Leaking windshields can be a real pain for drivers. Fogged up windows and odor of moisture are some of the most common signs that indicate your auto windshield glass is leaking. While you may find that the carpet inside the car is wet or there is a nauseating odor, you will feel annoyed not knowing what the problem actually is – unless you are familiar with the signs of a windshield leak. Water or moisture can enter the vehicle from different areas. If you spot a moisture build-up inside your car or SUV, it is most likely due to a windshield leak. But it is for an experienced technician to review the problem and find out the exact reason. What is important is to fix a leaking windshield as quickly as you come to know of it.

If you address a windshield leak in an incorrect manner or delay its fixing, you will only worsen the problem even more. At SIR Auto Glass, we specialize in all kinds of car auto glass repair and auto windshield replacement. In this article, we will discuss what you should do if you spot a windshield leak.

Signs to Identify a Windshield Leak

It is not easy for everyone to identify a leaking auto windshield. Many times, these signs are so subtle that it becomes difficult for car owners to diagnose the problem. If you are a car owner or SUV owner, you should definitely have some idea about the common signs of a windshield leak.

Signs you can use to identify a leaking windshield include:

  • Fogged up window glasses

  • Musty or nauseating smell

  • Mold

  • Condensation

  • Staining

  • Rust inside the vehicle

Leaking windshields have these common symptoms. If you get inside the car and find that the carpet is wet, a windshield leak could be the culprit. Sometimes, the signs are quite obvious. At other times, the signs of a windshield leak are subtle. Water and moisture inside the car can also come from the front floor area or rear floor area. It is the job of only an experienced auto glass technician to conduct a thorough inspection and find out if there is a windscreen leak.

If you have spotted any of the above-mentioned signs but aren’t sure whether you have a leaky windshield, the best advice is to seek the assistance of an expert technician such as those from SIR Auto Glass, which regularly serves vehicle owners in the Portland Metro Area, Oregon.

Testing: How to Find Out If You Have a Leaky Windshield

If you have found moisture or water inside your car or SUV, the very first thing to do is find the source of the problem.

There are multiple techniques that technicians use to detect if the windshield of a vehicle is leaking. Here are two of the most common methods that can be used for this purpose. Before using any of these methods, it is crucial to ensure the interiors of the vehicle are dry.

Lather the Windshield

Make a mild soapy solution and apply it along the edges of the windshield glass. Make sure you rub the solution around the outer trim area of the car glass in a proper manner. Now, turn on the blower of your vehicle. In place of the car’s blower, you can also ask someone to blow air directly onto the edges of the automotive glass using an air nozzle from inside the vehicle. As the air is blown, the foam will move from the area. As a result, you will be able to spot soapy air bubbles. The formation of bubbles along the outer edges indicates a windshield leak.

auto window replacement Hillsboro

Spray the Windshield

To detect a leak using this technique, you should get someone to sit inside the vehicle. The person will help you as the spotter. Once the person is inside, you should close all the windows of the car. Next, take a garden hose and use it to shower the vehicle. The trick is to start at the lowest point of the vehicle and then gradually direct the hose upwards. If you have a leaky auto glass, the person sitting inside will be able to spot exactly from where water is coming in.

When using the spray technique, you should also adjust the pressure of the garden hose and make it slow and light. At high pressure, the water will simply bounce back after hitting the windshield glass.

Both the methods are quite effective when it comes to detecting a leak in the windshield glass of a vehicle. However, you will need someone’s help to easily carry out the tests. If you think it is too much to do on your own, you should turn to a professional. For vehicle owners residing in the Portland Metro Area, SIR Auto Glass is the ideal place to get these tests done in a proper manner.

What Causes an Auto Windshield Glass to Leak?

A windshield glass can leak due to multiple possible reasons. Since a leaky auto glass is a common issue, you should also become aware of the reasons that cause an auto window glass to leak.

Poor Windshield Installation

Many windshield damages are so severe that they simply cannot be repaired. In case of multiple chips or large cracks, an auto window repair will not fix the problem. So, the technician will go for a car windshield replacement. Here, it is important to understand that installing a new windshield is the job of a highly skilled technician. If you get the job done by an amateur or an inexperienced person, the result will be low-quality and improper windshield installation.

An experienced technician uses the latest methods and specialized tools as well as focus on each step of the auto glass installation procedure. That is why you should always get your broken car window glass replaced by a highly trained professional from a reliable auto glass repair company.

Leaky windshields often occur due to poor quality of installation. If the right type of glass adhesive is not used and applied in a proper manner, the outer edges of the auto glass may have unnoticed pinholes. These pinholes are the places from where moisture and water will enter into the cabin. At SIR Auto Glass, we use only premium quality objects and materials for new installations. Our professionals use OEM-recommended top quality urethane adhesive. Along with the use of the right tools, we attach the windshield glass to the car window frame in a proper and correct manner. If you are in need of glass crack repair or auto windshield replacement, you can avail yourself of our services in the Portland Metro Area.

Deteriorated Rubber Gaskets

If your windshield glass is leaking, it may be because of your older car model. The rubber material around the window frame is the rubber gasket, which can wear out with time. If your car belongs to an older model, its windshield rubber gasket may have deteriorated over time.

If the rubber gasket around the windshield has deteriorated or it is loose, this could cause the auto glass to leak. In new car models, you will not find these rubber gaskets. Instead of gaskets, today’s cars use poly-urethance to create a water-tight bonding between the automotive glass and the vehicle’s body structure. If you have spotted a leaky windshield, you should first check out if your windshield uses a rubber gasket for attachment. Worn out rubber gaskets are one of the reasons behind a leaky auto windshield glass of a car or SUV.

If the leak is due to a damaged rubber gasket, the technician will replace it with a new rubber gasket to solve the problem.

Auto Glass Installation during Rainy Season

uring the windscreen replacement process, the technician focuses on using the right type of adhesive and giving it enough time for a perfect bonding. Usually, summer and winter are ideal seasons for getting an auto window replacement done. This is because the dry weather allows the adhesive to stick properly to the glass surface. If you get the job done during the rainy season, a high amount of moisture in the air will make it difficult for the adhesive to stick properly. As a result of this, the windshield of your car may develop leak problems.

Unless it is truly urgent, you should avoid getting a car windshield replacement done during the rainy season. For more tips in this regard, feel free to talk to one of our experts at SIR Auto Glass.

Dangerous Effects of a Leaky Windshield

Many car owners think of windshield leakage as a minor problem. However, you should never neglect this problem and address it as fast as possible. The faster you get the leak problem fixed, the better.

A car or SUV is designed to provide safety to its driver and passengers. If water or moisture enters into the cabin, it can result in the growth of mold and mildew. The water can also cause the interior to rust. A windshield leak problem does not just gradually take a toll on the interior of the vehicle, but it also creates health risks for the occupants of the vehicle. Mildew and mold are known to cause various kinds of allergic reactions in people. Due to water leakage, you can also face sensor failures and rusting of different components of the car or SUV.

A leaky windshield also affects the structural strength of the vehicular frame. Keep in mind that the windshield glass is a crucial safety component and any problem in it should be addressed immediately. Ignoring any kind of windshield-related problems can lead to dangerous consequences.

Therefore, always make sure your windshield is perfectly fine and correctly installed so that you can stay safe on the road.

The Best Way to Deal with a Leaky Auto Windshield Glass

After you have found your windshield is leaking, the first thing you would want to do is try and fix it yourself. You will also be told by your friends to use DIY solutions such as using seam sealers to fix pinholes and using a sealant to fix improper seals. Most DIY solutions available out there will provide only a temporary fix or prove to be ineffective. While it is easy to feel this temptation to fix an auto windshield leak on your own, it is not the best piece of advice.

The best idea is to seek the help of an expertly trained glass technician to get rid of the problem in an effective manner.

When fixing the leakage problem yourself, you may also worsen the problem or cause damage to the windshield itself. Based on the severity of the problem, a professional will use the right materials as well as right tools to fix it in a way that the same problem does not arise again later. After fixing the leakage, the technician will further conduct a test to check if the problem has gone.

In many cases, the leakage is so severe that the technician will need to remove the windshield glass first and then create a new seal. That is why it is always best to leave it to trained professionals.

Talk to an Auto Glass Specialist

Do you still have a question about windshield water leakage? If you do or want to schedule an inspection of your windshield, reach out to SIR Auto Glass. Our company serves vehicle owners throughout the Portland Metro Area including Portland, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, Gresham, Beaverton and Wilsonville. As a highly trusted and experienced auto glass service provider, we specialize in auto glass installation, auto windshield repair, car glass replacement, back windshield replacement, windshield scratch repair etc. Also, we provide mobile auto glass services for people who are pressed for time and can’t visit the shop. Our mobile window repair and mobile window replacement are available at no extra cost.

For your free consultation with an expert, you can call our office phone number or write to us using the email given on our website.