Plain definitions of 35 terms we use on the job in Redmond.
Term Index
Open any term below for a dedicated definition page.
A-Pillar is the vertical structural support beside a vehicle’s windshield. It connects the roof area to the body near the front doors and helps frame the windshield opening. The A-pillar may also contain trim, wiring, sensors, or airbag parts, depending on the vehicle. It is part of the vehicle body, not the glass.
Also called: A Post
Adhesive Cure Time is the period a windshield bonding adhesive needs to develop a secure hold after installation. The time depends on the adhesive, air temperature, moisture, glass position, and vehicle conditions. A windshield may look firmly attached before the bond reaches its required strength for normal vehicle use.
Also called: Safe Drive-Away Time
Airbag Retention is the windshield’s ability to stay bonded to the vehicle during airbag deployment. The windshield bond helps maintain the glass position while the passenger airbag deploys. This term concerns the adhesive bond, glass fit, and surrounding structure. It is a windshield replacement requirement that depends on proper preparation and installation.
Also called: Passenger Airbag Support
A blind spot monitor is a driver-assistance system that watches areas beside and just behind your vehicle. Sensors detect nearby vehicles that may not appear in your mirrors. The system usually warns you with a light in the side mirror, an alert, or both when a vehicle enters that monitored area.
Also called: Blind Spot Detection
A bumper cover is the outer panel that covers a vehicle’s bumper system. It shapes the bumper’s visible surface and helps protect parts beneath it from minor contact and weather exposure. Bumper covers are commonly made from flexible plastic and may include openings for lights, sensors, grilles, or tow hooks.
Also called: Bumper Fascia
A calibration target is a marked board, panel, or pattern that helps an ADAS camera set its view correctly. The target gives the vehicle’s camera a known visual reference during static calibration. Technicians place it in a specific position in front of the vehicle, then check how the camera reads its markings.
Also called: ADAS Target
A chip repair is a glass repair that fills a small area of windshield damage with resin. The resin bonds with the glass and helps stabilize the damaged spot. The process can improve the chip’s appearance, reduce its spread, and preserve the windshield when the damage is suitable for repair.
Also called: Rock Chip Repair
Clear Coat is a transparent finish applied over automotive paint. The layer adds gloss and helps shield the color coat from light scratches, weather exposure, and surface contaminants. Damage may affect only the clear coat or reach deeper paint layers, so repair methods depend on scratch depth and the condition of the surrounding finish.
Also called: Clearcoat
A cowl panel is the body panel at the base of a vehicle’s windshield. The panel sits between the hood and windshield, covers the windshield wiper area, and helps guide rainwater toward drainage paths. Its edges and seals also meet nearby glass and body parts, so damage or poor fit can contribute to leaks.
Also called: Windshield Cowl
Door Glass is the movable or fixed window panel fitted inside a vehicle door. The panel lets you see outside, allows airflow when lowered, and helps seal the cabin when closed. Door glass may sit in a frame or travel through a glass run channel as the window regulator raises and lowers it.
Also called: Side Glass
Dynamic Calibration is an ADAS setup process that checks and adjusts vehicle sensors while the vehicle is driven. The vehicle uses road conditions, lane markings, traffic signs, and other signals to help its systems confirm accurate readings. Technicians follow the vehicle maker’s process and check warning messages after the drive.
Also called: Road Calibration
A Forward-Facing Camera is an ADAS sensor mounted near the top of a vehicle’s windshield. The camera views the road ahead and sends image data to driver-assistance systems. These systems may use that data to track lane markings, read traffic signs, detect vehicles, and support features such as lane warnings or automatic braking.
Also called: Front Camera
A frame rail is a strong structural member that runs along the lower side of a vehicle body or chassis. Frame rails help support the passenger compartment, suspension mounts, and other major components. Collision damage can bend, twist, or shift a rail, which may affect body alignment and the fit of nearby parts.
Also called: Chassis Rail
A Glass Run Channel is a flexible guide fitted inside a vehicle door frame. The channel supports the edge of the movable window and helps the glass travel smoothly as the window opens or closes. It also helps seal the gap around the glass, which limits wind noise, water entry, and rattling.
Also called: Window Run Channel
A Hail Dent is a shallow depression in a vehicle panel caused by falling hail. The impact may leave the paint intact or create chips, cracks, or exposed metal. Hail dents often appear across the hood, roof, trunk, doors, or fenders, and their repair depends on panel access, dent depth, and paint condition.
Also called: Hail Ding
Laminated Glass is a safety glazing material made from glass layers bonded around a flexible plastic interlayer. The layers help hold the panel together after impact. Windshields use laminated glass because the material can reduce shattering and help preserve a clear opening for the driver.
Also called: Safety Glass
Lane Departure Warning is a driver-assistance feature that watches road lane markings and alerts you when your vehicle drifts from its lane without a detected turn signal. The system uses a forward-facing camera and visual, audible, or steering-wheel alerts. It warns about lane position but does not steer the vehicle.
Also called: Lane Keep Alert
A mirror actuator is the small electric or mechanical unit that moves a vehicle’s outside mirror glass or mirror assembly. It responds to the mirror switch and changes the viewing angle. A failed actuator may leave the mirror stuck, move unevenly, or stop responding while the mirror housing remains intact.
Also called: Mirror Motor
A Mirror Housing is the outer shell that surrounds and supports a vehicle’s side-view mirror assembly. It protects parts such as the mirror glass, actuator, wiring, and mounting points from weather and road debris. The housing also gives the mirror its shape and attaches the assembly to the vehicle door or side panel.
Also called: Mirror Shell
OEM Glass is replacement vehicle glass made to the automaker’s original specifications for fit, shape, thickness, and built-in features. The glass may come from the vehicle’s original glass supplier, but it does not always carry the automaker’s logo. OEM glass is commonly selected for windshield replacement when exact design details matter.
Also called: Original Equipment Glass
Paintless Dent Repair is a body repair method that removes shallow dents by reshaping the metal from behind. A technician uses special tools to reach the damaged panel and restore its original contour. The process keeps the existing paint intact when the finish and metal remain suitable for repair.
Also called: PDR
A Polyurethane Adhesive is a flexible bonding material that holds automotive glass against the vehicle body. The adhesive forms a strong seal as it cures. In windshield replacement, the bond supports the glass, helps block water, and contributes to the windshield’s role in the vehicle structure.
Also called: Urethane Adhesive
A Power Window Motor is an electric component that moves a vehicle’s side window up and down. It receives power through the window switch and turns gears inside the door. Those gears move the window regulator, which raises or lowers the glass along its track when the system works correctly.
Also called: Window Motor
A rain sensor is an optical device mounted near the windshield’s inside surface that detects moisture on the glass. The sensor sends signals to the vehicle’s body control system, which can adjust windshield wiper speed. The sensor usually works with a clear viewing area and depends on correct glass fitment and alignment.
Also called: Automatic Wiper Sensor
Resin Injection is a windshield repair method that fills a chip or crack with clear resin. A technician places resin into the damaged area and removes trapped air. The resin bonds with the glass and improves the damage’s appearance. The method works best on damage that has not spread or collected heavy debris.
Also called: Repair Resin Injection
Scratch depth is the measure of how far a mark cuts into automotive glass or a painted surface. A shallow scratch may affect only the outer surface, while a deeper scratch can reach lower layers or change the surface shape. Depth helps determine whether polishing, refinishing, or replacement fits the damage.
Also called: Scratch Severity
A Side-Impact Airbag is a vehicle restraint cushion designed to protect occupants during a side collision. The airbag may be built into a seat, door, or side roof area. A side-impact airbag deploys from its housing when crash sensors detect a qualifying impact, so nearby glass and trim need careful handling during repairs.
Also called: SRS Side Airbag
Static Calibration is an ADAS setup method that aligns a vehicle’s camera or sensor with fixed targets in a controlled workspace. The vehicle stays still while the system reads target patterns and adjusts its aim. This process helps driver-assistance features understand road lanes, vehicles, and other objects correctly.
Also called: Stationary Calibration
A sunroof drain is a channel and tube system that moves rainwater away from a vehicle’s sunroof opening. Small drain openings sit near the sunroof corners, while tubes carry water through the vehicle body. The water exits below the vehicle, helping keep the headliner, pillars, carpets, and interior trim dry.
Also called: Moonroof Drain
A Sunroof Seal is a flexible weatherstrip around a vehicle sunroof opening. It helps limit water, wind, dust, and outside noise from entering the cabin. The seal sits against the moving glass or roof panel when closed. It is separate from the sunroof drain system, which carries water away from the opening.
Also called: Moonroof Seal
Tempered Glass is safety glass treated with controlled heat and cooling to increase its strength. If it breaks, the glass usually crumbles into small, blunt-edged pieces. Vehicle makers commonly use it for side windows and rear windows because it handles everyday impacts and supports clear visibility.
Also called: Toughened Glass
A unibody is a vehicle design that combines the body and frame into one structural shell. The roof, floor, pillars, and rails help support the vehicle as a connected unit. Damage to one area can affect nearby parts, so frame straightening requires careful inspection of the full body structure.
Also called: Unitized Body
A window switch is a cabin control that sends an electrical signal to raise or lower a vehicle window. The switch usually sits on a door panel or center console. Pressing one side closes the window circuit, while pressing the other side reverses the motor direction and opens the glass.
Also called: Power Window Switch
Windshield pitting is surface damage caused by small impacts from road debris, sand, and grit. The damage leaves tiny marks or shallow depressions across the glass. Pitting can scatter light, create glare, and make the windshield look hazy. Heavy pitting may affect clear vision and can influence a replacement decision.
Also called: Glass Pitting
A windshield seal is the bonded edge or sealing material that joins the windshield to the vehicle body. It blocks water, air, dust, and road noise from entering around the glass. The seal also helps hold the windshield in its opening, so damage can cause leaks or movement around the glass.
Also called: Glass Seal
