Like to find out from fellow Bay Area motorists, is it me, or is our freeways just full of rocks and other crap? My mini is only 4 weeks old and already sustained 4 paint chips and 1 on the windshield!

Every time when a vehicle changes lane in front of me I start praying that nothing gets picked up and hit my car. It got to a point where I have to strategize which lane to use, which vehicle not to follow behind, etc. This is beginning to rob me of the fun of motoring!

This could be just me, I am one of those cursed ones who like to keep our cars in perfect condition. You know who I am talking about, the ones who park their cars FAR FAR away just to avoid getting a door ding. My wife on the other hand, could tailgate a truck for miles, with rocks hitting the car constantly without even noticing, the front of her car looks like someone shot at it with a shot gun.

So, please put my mind at ease, is it me, or is our freeways full of crap?

Maybe we need a therapy section in the forums for poor souls like me.

 

no worse than any other city

 

The roads are full of crap. 101 is a mess.

Get a clear bra, and get ready to replace your windshield more than once

 

i had my mini there for 3 years and didn't have too many problems, save a rock that cracked my windshield just before I moved. (if you think the roads in SF are bad, try driving in New Orleans...there are potholes that can swallow a Mini whole!)

Now parking your car on the street, thats a different story...the flimsy Mini back bumper does not fare well in combination with the front license plate bolts of whoever parks behind you. Factor in having to parallel park everywhere (bonus points for parallel parking on a hill), and you're going to go through a lot of bumpers. I had mine repaired 3 times before I just slapped some skate stickers on it. Its good to keep in mind that just because your Mini can fit into some small parking spaces, it doesn't mean that the guy in the Expedition behind you can get out without reaming your bumper. And don't kid yourself in thinking they'll leave a note either...they never do...

Another thing...SF has a lot of industrial fallout, so keep your car clean and covered when you can, cause that stuff can really accumulate on your paint quickly...

and have fun out there....there are plenty of nice twisty roads to get your kicks on (check daly city and up by fort miley in SF)...

 

Lived in SF for 3 years and got zero rocks in my windshield.

Moved to Sacramento and went through 3 windshields in 3 years...might just be back luck, hard to say.

 

wong9,
The Bay Area freeways ARE full of rocks and other crap! They are also in diplorable condition! The holes are huge. One day this year my wife hit one and cracked the right front wheel rim almost 50% of its circumference. (The run flat tire kept the auto from crashing to the ground.) Makes me pine for the road surfaces on my Deutsch homeland. The roads there are not billard ball smooth like some people say, but they sure are a lot better than what we have here. And, in Germany they can only repair road surfaces about half of the year due low temperatures and precipitation (kinda like MN, WI, NY, and other states - CA not included.)

 

Yeah, SF may be bad, but Sacramento is horrible. All the crappy road surfaces of the Bay Area, PLUS ten zillion trucks hauling dirt and gravel around. Sometimes I think they just move it around from one part of town to the next, just to keep the truck drivers busy.

 

Yup, the Bay area roads are bad. Don't go to Sac much, but can imagine they're the same. Within SF city you don't usually get speeds that will cause damage, Sac I'm guess you do within the city.

My commute in 90 miles round trip on 80 and not a day goes by that I don't hear at least two large "thuds" on the mini from rocks and several small "tings". At 2 1/2 months old and 6,000 miles, my windshield looks like it got in a fight with a sand blaster and has more chips in it then I can count. Thanks to the clear bra, not a single chip yet in the paint *fingers crossed*.

Get a clear bra, mine was done at East Bay auto Spa, very happy and a life time warranty! And look into seeing if your insurance company offers a window replacement plan. I pay 3 or 4 dollars extra and if there is damage to my window, it will be replaced with no deductible. Some companies just have that as a standard with no extra fee.

 

I'm not looking forward to playing on 101 next week when the Bay Bridge closes,

 

I bought my MCS used from the Bay Area. It appears to have had a windshield installed in its lifetime, as well as a couple of rock chips on the hood and front bumper.

I lived in San Jose for a year (2002-2003) and I noticed that some areas of 101 and 280 seemed to have a lot of sand and other crap on them. The pickup I was driving at the time got a few pits in the glass, as well as some chips in the bumper. Pretty crummy in my mind!

 

TWON,

If you want to avoid "playing on the 101 next week", go on the REME 2007 MINI Mountain Tour- Part 2 - Yosemite Run. This will be a fun run and a good excuse to aviod the traffic

 

Nicely played, Norm. I'm not going to make the Yosemite trip, but I'll see you and Jesse at the BBQ in a few weeks?

 

I agree. Bay Area roads have plenty of debris and many are not well maintained, but overall it's not bad compared to other places. It doesn't help that MINI has a particularly vertical, vulnerable windshield, and in the forum people complain that the paint is soft and develops chips more easily than many other cars.

 

..... hey wait,........

Alas, I can't take days off yet, I'm still on probation

 

Just a heads up, I saw more road works on 101 south bound south of Brisbane area. CalTran like to leave many rocks to remind motorists that their tax money is at work :D I recall about 2 weeks ago, they left a whole section of 101 (3 out of 4 lanes) towards the Bay Bridge all covered with rocks after grinding up old surface without repaving. Almost everyone slow down to 30-40 mph which is a rare scene. I was luck to be driving the company SUV instead.

 

I have to agree that roads in the Sacramento area are bad. 3 windshields replaced, 1 repaired and now in need of another replacement. All from rocks.

 

Our Element has had four windshields replaced, all from rocks on her commute. 580, 84, 680, and 880.

The worst part of Sacramento, is Watt Avenue south, out around the gravel pit.

 

and with the barrier replacements all along 280 there's lots on the roads as well. But guess what, this ISN'T bad news! If you get a rock in the windshield where there is work going on, get it fixed, then file a claim with the Cal DOT. They will not honor it, but will forward it to the contractor in the area who is responsible for the work and cleaning the freeways from debris, and in about 6 months you get a check. Ask me how I know!

But this is just another sign of the ever more neglected infrastructure in the US. Sure, it's our money is a line used to get voters to vote for people. I just wish they'd say "It's your debut, and your failing roads, water service, bridges and electrical infrastructure too! Pay up!" But that's just me... At least our bridges aren't falling down. Oh wait. That already happened!

Matt

 

I'm with ya Matt.

 

I driving up the 101 to the city a couple of weeks ago and they are doing construction up around Cesar Chavez. I almost got airborn on an edge where it turns from pavement to a gravel road and rocks were flying everywhere. I went to the far right lane and drove 35 mph after a couple hit the front and windshield. Now i drive up the 280 into the city.

 

Here in Tracy it is the Altamont, have two of the vehciles that need windsheilds replaced now.
Along with the clear bra on Skeeter, decided to try the "windsheild film" to see if it will extend the life of it.
Not that I expect it to be the cure all, but hopefully it will end the million little pits that occur and makes cleaning a windsheild a pain.

 

The Altamont is where most of the Element's windshield replacements have originated.

 

I have a lovely new 1" long crack in my windshield thanks to a flying rock on 880 N through Oakland.

Since I have to get a new windshield soon, should I spring for the clear windshield protector while I'm at it? I drive these dirty freeways pretty often - I'd hate to get a new windshield and have it get cracked again the next week...

Do the clear protectors really help?

 

Just fyi so you know, strictly speaking film on the windshield is a code violation: "26708.5 Application of transparent material to windows." (full list http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/lov/lovd12.htm). You'd need a really picky PO or DPT type to write you up for it, but there it is.

Fwiw, the PPG windshield has been very good, better then OEM for sure. We put a type of film kit on that frames around it to protect around the edges as it is prone to stress cracks and have been happy with the set up.

 

Make sure they install PPG glass. That's ultimately what we demanded they install in the Element last time. Four rock dings, and no cracks.