A chip appeared on the way home — what should I do first?

Get a piece of clear tape over the break as soon as you can. It isn't a repair, but it keeps grit, road salt and water out of the pit, which is what makes a repairable chip turn cloudy and spread.

Then leave the car alone as much as possible. Slamming a door, shutting the trunk hard or pressing on the glass flexes the panel and gives a fresh crack a head start. Skip the car wash, and avoid blasting the defroster directly at the damage on a cold morning — a sudden temperature change on one small spot is the fastest way to watch a chip run.

Call us within a day or two and describe where the damage sits. A chip in the driver's primary sight line, or one that has already started a leg, is usually a replacement rather than a repair, and we'll tell you that on the phone instead of after you've paid for an injection.