Quebec winters are hard on everything, but your glass takes a special beating: gravel and salt from October, ice scrapers by November, and defroster shock every single morning. An hour of preparation in the fall prevents most of the misery.
The fall checklist
Repair chips now
Cold turns chips into cracks. A resin repair done on dry fall glass holds better and looks better than one done in February.
Winter wipers
Winter blades wear a rubber boot that keeps ice out of the frame, so they follow the glass instead of skipping over it.
Cold-rated washer fluid
Summer fluid freezes in the lines and on the glass. Fill with winter fluid before the first freeze, and keep a spare jug in the trunk.
Gentle defrosting
Start the fan on low and warm the cabin gradually. Full heat on frozen glass is the classic recipe for a morning crack.
The Gouvernement du Québec’s guide to preparing your vehicle for winter driving puts washer fluid, wipers and the defrosting system on its official checklist, and CAA-Québec’s wiper guide is worth five minutes if your blades chatter or streak.
Scraping without wrecking anything
Use a plastic scraper and let the defroster do the heavy lifting. Metal blades and aggressive chiseling leave fine scratches that catch glare at night, and hitting an existing chip hard enough can finish the job winter started. Never pour hot or even warm water on frozen glass: the thermal shock can crack a healthy windshield, let alone a chipped one, as we explained in why chips spread faster in cold weather.
Before any storm, make sure the wipers are OFF when you park. If they freeze to the glass overnight and the car starts with them on, the motor strains against the ice. Free the blades by hand after defrosting a few minutes.
Do not carry damage into December
Everything on this list is cheap or free except one item: the chip you already have. That one only gets more expensive as the temperature falls. Our windshield repair service can fix it in under an hour while the weather is still on your side, and if it has already run, we will quote a replacement honestly.
Get your glass winter-ready
One visit before the freeze: chip repair, wiper check, and honest advice about anything that will not survive the season.
This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Coverage varies by policy and vehicle, so confirm with your insurer or ask us for an exact quote.
