Hey everybody! This is my very 1st post. I've been reading a lot of other's
messages and was surprised by the number of windshield issues..
All I can say is I've been driving cars for over 25 years w/o any rocks hitting my
windshield. I've had my Mini for 4 mos and I've had 2 chips. I quickly had them
repaired, (filled) and all seems well....for now.
I read a post that suggested the angle of the windshield contributed to it's
vulnerability.. (too upright).
Anyone heard that? Am I destined to a life of rock chips? Let's hope not.
I REALLY love my car!!!! Despite it's varied idiosyncrasies.



"03 MCS red/white :smile:

 

I feel your pain.

 

I got one of those nice little bullet hole lloking ones due to a rock...then my winshield cracked due to stress...

 

>> Anyone heard that? Am I destined to a life of rock chips? Let's hope not.
>> I REALLY love my car!!!! Despite it's varied idiosyncrasies.
>>

i dont know.. its definitely a trend among minis.... ive had my windshield replaced once already and i currently have two chips on my second windshield...
because i do mostly highway driving i have no reason to believe i will ever stop getting rock chips...

 

After my first trip on the freeway I got hit with a rock in the windshield (left a tiny pit)...after that I've learned to back off behind other cars. Although it does take some effort because if you leave to much space some "person" will cut you off and then you're backing off from them...I tend to opt for the pace car position and no worries!

 

I believe the windshield angle and aerodynamics are the cause of our rock chip problems. I also believe it's the reason I go through so much windshield squirter juice.

When I drive my wife's Rav4 in the snow, I don't even need to turn on the wipers, the snow just swooshes up over the roof without touching the windshield. As you all know, it's not that way with our Minis.

Nonetheless I much prefer to drive my MINI !!!

 

Thanks for the reply. I've read several posts dealing with stress-fractured windshields as opposed to rock-related ones. Have you had to deal with that issue?
I'm positive mine were from small rocks.

 

>>All I can say is I've been driving cars for over 25 years w/o any rocks hitting my
>>windshield. I've had my Mini for 4 mos and I've had 2 chips.

You are not alone.

>> Am I destined to a life of rock chips?

Unless BMW upgrades the MINI windshield and retrofits early cars, the evidence would suggest that the answer to this question is a definite "yes."

 

Are you really getting chips or is it more of a impact mark? I've get 16,000+ miles and a wicked stress crack (top center by R/V Mirror) and I have plenty of stone strike marks, but no of what I would call chip marks.

My marks look like a piece of glass that has been etched looks. you can feel the change of the surface, but only a little.

 

I was driving in to work this morning and BAM...something a truck threw up hit
my windshield. (It was so loud, I ducked!) I checked it out after I got off
the highway and all I could see was a tiny chip (that "etched glass" look someone
mentioned) about the size of the head of a pin.

Should I get it fixed? I'm wondering what the chances are of it turning into a crack.

_________________
2003 MC, Chili Red, Kaleido Tartan Int., Bonnet Stripes.

 

Add one more to the windshield woes! I got a "bullet" hole from a rock this evening driving home on Route 128 in Newton, Mass. I am sure it will need to be replaced. Luckily, we are due in to the shop mid-September to check out a weird "rubbing" noise that seems to be coming from the front end somewhere when pulling out under 5 mph from a cold start?

 

I've been driving the same 50-mile one-way trip to and from work every day for the last 10 years. Every now and then a rock impact, but no cracked windshields. I've had my MINI 11 months (20k miles) and 3 rock impacts that caused visible damage... the last 2 requiring windshield replacement. Fortunately (?!?!) I procrastinated after impact number 2 and number 3 happened today with both layers of windshield cracking.

Could be a variety of reasons: thin Sekurit glass, thin vinyl, rake angle, size, distance from the ground, etc.

However, I also notice the same daily damage to my hood (sorry, bonnet). Perhaps the overall cute design of the MINI is a rock magnet. Or maybe I should just quit my job and stop driving so much...

 

27K and I have a couple of "etch marks". :???: If my windsceen is gonna crack, I hope it's before 30K.

 

I have a total of 3 chips with craters. The first one I had repaired within 24 hours. 6,000 miles later it is spidering.

The second chip was from a small piece of debris, less than a couple on mm. I saw its arched path, it was not a hard hit. But it left a hole.

The last one, last week was a small stone. It is a spider type hole.

Without a doubt the windsheild glass is too weak.

I suggest everyone file complaints with the NHTSB. It can be done online.

If small stones do that much damage, what will happen when something larger hits.

 

I've had two "spider" or "star" type chips and one crack in a year. Went to Hank Aaron MINI today and was told it was due to the angle of the windscreen and that I would continue to have this problem for as long as I own the car.

 

'02 Cooper CVT (8/02 build) wih 13.4K miles still has the original factory windshield intact.

 

I've had my S 1 week. I drive 60 miles a day on I75 so it looks as though a windscreen problem is a given. Is this covered by the warrenty?

 

COULD IT BE TRUE? A new MINI windshield for under $400!!

Did a google search for windshield repair places, and found a company called "89glass"

http://www.89glass.com

Anyway, you select your car make, model and year and it gives an instant online quote.

My "quote" was around $400.00! Even less, they say, if my insurance has a $100 windshield deductible...

It just seems too good to be true...and they use PPG glass, too.

The number is 1-800-89-GLASS

I'm gonna speak to a live person and see if this price is correct...if so, we may have found a better source for new MINI windshields. And they go to your car and install it on the spot...nice.

-Joe

 

>>
>>COULD IT BE TRUE? A new MINI windshield for under $400!!
>>

Check this thread...

Cheap Windshield

Somebody found a place for less than 300 bones.

 

>>I've had my S 1 week. I drive 60 miles a day on I75 so it looks as though a windscreen problem is a given. Is this covered by the warrenty?


If damage is due to a rock or debris hitting the windscreen it is not under warranty.

 

A truck threw up a rock and hit my windscreen last night. It was so loud, i thought someone was shooting. Anyway there is a nickel size 'lesion' on my windscreen. The actual chip is extremely tiny, but thre is a larger mark that appears to be within the glass. Is this repairable? or do I have to get a new windscreen? I have the rain sensor
help, anybody.

 

The repairability of windshield glass depends on several factors, including the size of the damaged area, the type of damage, and the location of the damaged area. If the damage is not in in the driver's direct forward line of sight, then some glass shops can repair damage areas as large as dollar-bill size. (My spouse works for an auto insurance carrier, and gets a chance to see the before and after on these.)

There are several advantages to repairing the glass vs. replacing it. The first is that the factory (or at least the existing) seal on the glass is not disturbed. If it's not leaking now, I'd rather not chance getting a water leak if I don't have to. But there's another thing that worries me even more. I have seen the air-powered vibratory "knife" that is used to cut through the urethane sealant to remove the old glass, and it's not a pretty bit of surgery. I can't imagine that there is any way the glass tech doesn't gouge the paint under the sealer; this opens the door for rust to set in around the glass frame.

The second advantage is one of cost. Most major US insurance carriers will waive your deductible if you opt to have glass repaired rather than replaced. Also, most glass shops do not charge for a repair attempt if it is not successful, and will warrant a glass repair for as long as you own the car. So, you have nothing to lose for the attempt.

As to the durability of the glass repairs, I had a nickel-sized stone chip repaired on a car I previously owned. Several years after the repair, the windshield took a second stone hit directly on the repair site. The second impact made a new small (sand-grain sized) pit in the repair material, but the repair held fast. I didn't bother to take it back for a retouch, and it stayed that way for another 5 years, until we sold the car.

So far, I have one repaired stone chip on my MINI's windshield, on the right-hand side. The repair is almost invisible, unless the sunlight hits it just right. Even then, it's not bothersome to see.

One thing that has amazed me is the seeming lack of rhyme or reason to what will damage the MINI's front glass. I had a really large (1"+) rock hit the glass right in front of me. The impact was so loud it made me duck. It left only a tiny pit the size of the period at the end of this sentence. A few days later, a tiny pebble hit the right hand side, about 6-8 inches in from the right edge, and about center height. I actually saw the bullseye appear- there was a tiny "tick" noise as it happened. However, the object that caused it was so small I didn't see it in flight or see it make contact. I was looking through the glass, and suddenly the mark was there. Go figure!

 

My 02 MCS got my FIRST windshield crack at 18K...I thought it was a stress crack, but the dealer says there is an impact mark there, and I think they're right...I think I kinda remember a rcok bouncing off, but the crack didn't show up until after a freeze....

its in the very low right hand (passenger side) almost coming out from the gasket area...and its branching down towards the bottom edge of the windshield :???:

I plan to leave it for at least a while, but when I replace it I'm planning aftermarket glass to hopefullly improve the strength...
B]null[/B]Can a nick thats already a crack be "repaired" so it won't keep cracking?
this is totally out of my line of sight, and not leaking or anything...

 

>>My 02 MCS got my FIRST windshield crack at 18K...I thought it was a stress crack, but the dealer says there is an impact mark there, and I think they're right...I think I kinda remember a rcok bouncing off, but the crack didn't show up until after a freeze....
>>
>>its in the very low right hand (passenger side) almost coming out from the gasket area...and its branching down towards the bottom edge of the windshield :???:
>>
>>I plan to leave it for at least a while, but when I replace it I'm planning aftermarket glass to hopefullly improve the strength...
>> B]null[/B]Can a nick thats already a crack be "repaired" so it won't keep cracking?
>>this is totally out of my line of sight, and not leaking or anything...

I have the exact same problem as you do a couple of months ago at 6K and I suggested that you have it repaired as soon as possible. The crack will get worse quickly. If the crack becomes too long, it can no longer be repaired and the whole windshield would need to be replaced.

As you probably know already from the dealership that MINI will not pay of any windshield crack damage originated from a chip no matter now long it takes for it to develop a crack. In my case, I got the crack while my car was left in the garage overnight and I did not even notice that it was a hairpin size chip directly beneath the windshield wiper that caused the crack.

I suggest everyone to inspect your windshield for any damage near the edge and have it repaired before it is too late.

I finally got my aftermarket glass installed by 89glass as mentioned in earlier post and I am quite satisfied with their service.

 

It's hard to believe that with today's technology, that a facotry or aftermarked fix for this has not been invented. We have protective light shields to prevent damage from flying pebbles to our headlights but nothing for the windshield. Why not? Is it beacuase of the windshield wipers? Degraded visibility? We can can add 4mil shatter resistant window film to office building windows to prevent glass from flying and injuring so I don't understand why we have to put up with this? (Mad, 'cuz I was gifted a crack to my Passat windshield not too long ago). The batch up stuff is cheap and it works but it still leaves your windshiled with an ugly pimple.