While the majority of drivers take good care of their vehicles, all too often we see consumers mistreating their car’s glass without even realizing it. While auto glass might seem impossible to break with your hands, if you do any of the following activities on a regular basis, you can weaken the integrity of the glass. Auto glass needs to be strong to protect you from flying debris and collisions, so it’s important to keep it in good repair. Read on to find out three “no-no’s” when it comes to maintain your car’s glass.
 
Using Household Glass Cleaner on Your Windshield
All glass cleaner is not created equal! Household glass cleaners are composed of harsh ingredients that damage your cars windows if you use them repeatedly. Many of these cleaners contain ammonia, which can deteriorate your window tint and the seal that connects your auto glass to your car. Instead, use a dedicated auto glass cleaning product that you can buy at any auto part shop. A simple of mixture of water and vinegar can also clean your cars windows without damaging them.
 
Turning Your Defrost on Too High
Think about when you drop an ice cube into a glass of room temperature water. The ice cube cracks and pops, this phenomenon is called differential expansion, and it occurs when a cold object suddenly comes into contact with a warmer object.
 
In this example, the ice cube’s outer layer warms up and expands, but the inside of the ice cube is still cold. Because of these different layers are expanding at different rates, the outer layer of the ice cube cracks.
 
This phenomenon is similar to what happens to your car’s glass when you use the defrost. If there is frost or snow on your windshield, the glass will be very cold, and when you quickly warm up your vehicle, the inner layer of your windshield will experience a rapid temperature change. This temperature change can exacerbate minor chips and cracks, causing them to spread or expand. Instead, turn your defrost up slowly, so your windshield can adjust to the difference in temperature.
 
Following Too Closely
The “three second rule,” or the idea that you should be three seconds behind the car in front of you on the highway, isn’t just for avoiding accidents. If you follow the vehicle in front of you too closely, you increase the risk of auto glass damage because you will be hit by more debris that the car in front of you kicks up. While most of this debris might be small as a pebble, it is travelling at high velocity, and can easily chip or crack the glass. If you leave enough space between your car and theirs, the debris will quickly lose speed and may even avoid hitting your car. If you don’t, you may be on the road to a windshield repair or replacement sooner than you’d like.
 
Got a Windshield Crack or Chip? Call the Corona Windshield Repair Pros Today

Corona California, the city where The Corona Windshield Repair Pros got our start, actually has a rich, interesting history. Corona is known as the “Circle City” because of Grand Boulevard’s 3-mile circular layout. As of the last census in 2010, the population was 152,374. Here are some more interesting facts about our hometown:

• Corona was originally named “South Riverside,” and was incorporated during the Southern California citrus boom is 1886.
• Corona gets its name from the unique layout of its streets: a standard grid which is enclosed by the circular Grand Boulevard.
• Celebrities have been drawn to Corona for its upscale areas and relative privacy. Actress Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz had a ranch in north Corona, and frequently played golf at the Cresta Verde Golf Course.
• In 2002, the city’s government considered leaving Riverside County to form its own county because they were unsatisfied with how services were being handled. It was unclear how the autonomous county would treat nearby cities such as Norco or Temescal Valley, but the motion never came to pass anyway.
• Corona is a hub of commerce and many well-known companies are headquartered in its borders. These businesses include:
  • Monster Beverage- known for their Monster Energy drinks, as well as Hansen’s Beverages.
  • Fender Musical Instruments Corporation – Better known as just “Fender,” Fender is world famous for its solid-body electric and bass guitars, including the famous Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Precision Bass models.
  • Saleen – Saleen manufactures high performance sports cars such as its flagship car, the Saleen S7.

Fun Things to Do In Corona:
Corona is home to nearly 400 acres of parks, numerous recreational facilities, hotels, restaurants, and interesting places to visit. Here is just a small sample:

• Tom’s Farms – If you are looking for fresh produce and a wholesome time outdoors, look no farther than Tom’s Farms. Besides offering fresh products, there is also live music, shops, restaurants, a small zoo, and horse rides.

 

• The Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa -  This is something that those spa’s in nearby Los Angeles can’t replicate: natural hot springs. Visit the Glen Ivy, located just under the Santa Ana Mountains, for its restorative waters and relaxing treatments.

 

• Skull Canyon Zipline – Skull Canyon gives visitors a unique opportunity to observe the local animals and plants while zooming through the air. Ziplines are a fun experience for the whole family, and you can bring food and lunch to the picnic area. They offer an original and an extreme trip, so you can pick your ideal level of thrill.

 
This is just a small sampling of all the things you can do in Corona, and in the Inland Empire. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

​This weekend I took out two hours to watch American Factory, a new Netflix movie that is making waves as one of the best documentaries of 2019. Spoiler alert: American Glass begins with the closing of a major General Motors plant in Dayton Ohio in 2008, leaving 10,000+ people out of work. Several years later, Chinese auto glass titan Fuyao Glass then buys up the factory and re-opens it as Fuyao Glass America. The movie follows various Fuyao employees, both Chinese and American, as they navigate the tricky integration of their different cultures in the workplace, and battle the possibility of unionizing. I thought the movie was utterly fascinating, but probably not for the reason that you think.
 
One of my biggest takeaways from the movie was the incredible work ethic of the workers in the Chinese Fuyao plant. They only took off one or two days a month, and worked twelve hour shifts. The Chinese had many fewer safety rules and complained much less about safety conditions. The American plant workers, on the other hand, worked eight hour shifts and had weekends off. On paper, it would seem that the Chinese are simply much harder workers: they are at work much longer, complain much less, and get more done. However this isn’t really a fair comparison. There are many cultural implications to consider, such as the cost of living in each country, workplace safety laws, values each culture upholds, and more. Regardless, I was personally struck by the work ethic and seemingly contentedness of the Chinese team. Their energy was perfectly exemplified by their Chairman and Founder, Cao Dewang, when he said “The purpose of life, is work.”
 
From a consumer perspective, the movie offered an excellent, if brief, insight into the creation of automobile windshields and windows. From the tempering to the testing, viewers see the inner working of an auto glass plant, and the personal attention that goes into the creation of each piece. However it was an interesting thread when one of the managers showed the installation of a robot arm that obviated the need for a handful of employees at the plant. The movie ends with a note that hundreds of millions of jobs will be eliminated by the year 2030, thus suggesting that the goings on at Fuyao Glass America are representative of factories across the US and the world.
 
The center of the drama in the film revolves around how the Chinese and American employees interact and learn from each other throughout the film. Hundreds of  Chinese Fuyao employees must live in America for two years to train the American team on how to make glass, and its fascinating watching how they adapt to American culture. From eating Twinkies for lunch to shooting guns at Thanksgiving, these small cultural moments show us how special our American culture is. Then, seeing the American employees visit the Chinese headquarters is an equally powerful movement. While there are so many surface differences between our cultures, during a company celebration one American employee began weeping tears of happiness. “We are all one.” He said through tears and a smile. We all want to feel productive and valued. We all want to provide for our families. And we all want to let loose sometimes. These similarities, rather than our differences, come through crystal clear, and I commend American Factory for their wonderful execution.