I recently noticed (when facing direct/head on sun light) that my windshield has thousands of little "pit marks" that are not noticeable at any other time. I have 2,500 miles and have not been behind any sand trucks. I have driven cars with over 100,000 miles and not noted the amount of "pitting" that I currently have. Any others experiencing this? Any cures?. A friend mentioned I have so much chrome on BUD that it is causing the sunlight to diffuse . Thanks.

 

I used to have a SAAB 900 SE with the same problem.
OEM quality problems I think. Can there be poor quality glass that pits too easily?

 

My new 05 MCSC has a pitted windshield also. Having a relatively flat windshield and highway driving will do that but usually not to this degree.

Mick

 

Interesting, Mick. I took a look at mine since our Cabrios are birthmates & sure enough mine is pitted too. They are hardly noticable but are definitely there. Anyone else noticed?

Lois

 

Sigh... Still that much of a problem on the '05s?
There's a lot of history behind this. Do a search, you'll find that the MINI windshelds have had problems with pitting and breakage back to day 1.
Supposedly, MINI started using a slightly better/tougher quality of glass about a year ago, but I guess it hasn't helped much. If you ever need to replace, I understand that PPG makes a more pit-resistant windshield for the MINI.

Good luck

 

I'm wondering if in trying to make a more compliant glass to prevent the breakage issue they have created a soft glass pitting problem?
It's just the pits having a problem like this!
Mick

 

I have had similar issues. My car is very young, and I have had to take two trips to the glass doctor for cracks in my windshield already. Any small rock that smacks the glass cracks it, it's the weakest windshield I have ever had. Anyone replaced the glass with a non OEM windsheild? Are there similar problems? I figured it might be due to how low and upright the windshield is, however I have had many cars that take a smack with a small rock and don't have any problems.

 

i know the second glass i have in my 03' is pitted from a cross country trip last year. and just yesterday i got a stone chip so i was happy i can replace it come spring. i was going to get the new glass that they came out with, but if 05's are still having problems, then maybe i'll go aftermarket.

 

windshield problems since day one .Do the search and read it and weep.(I've had 6 windshields in 28 months.I got the first "new" windshield and it's still crap)go with PPG or pilkington.

 

I've noticed small pitting in my 05 MCS as well (I've also taken a rock that I fixed myself.) So I guess much like when the run-flats wear out, I'll replace the w'shield with non-OEM glass. Glad I got zero deductable on my glass. JB

 

Welcome to the world of MINI windshield replacement, Nick!

I've been told that Florida residents (like us) get a $0 deductible on windshields. I'm probably going to replace my cracked windshield with PPG, unless Tom Bush in Jax agrees to replace it under warrantee.

For whatever reason, MINI windshileds continue to have abysmal quality.

 

They must be using German glass...I've owned a number of German cars and every one of them had the same problem. I haven't had one crack yet, just lots of pits. You get used to it

 

I've got two "pits" on my windshield. I'm not sure exactly how big they should be before they are considered pits.

Both of mine are unfortunately on the driver's side, and one is pretty much in the line of vision.

My guess is that they are about the size of half a sesame seed, but they look like a white spec of gunk on the window.

Will this turn into something worse? Can these even be made less "white" looking? It's more annoying than anything. :(

I've read the glass repair website and they show pictures of holes that look like the size of a peanut. (Don't know why nuts seem like a good reference for size, but that's the best I could come up with!)

 

Doesn't sound like those will develop into a bigger problem, but try to see if it looks like they're deep enought to get to the adhesive layer in the middle of the safety glass. If that's the case, you may eventually start to get air in between the glass layers which can develop into a larger blemish.

Yes, these windshields are the 'pits.' The very first time I gave my '05 a bath, I found that it already had numerous small pits; the kind of thing that I might normally expect between 10,000 20,000 miles, and yet I'd only gone about 300.

 

Could someone call up some SUNNY weather for Chicago, so I can check mine?

Tatt

 

Done. Look for it to come as soon as the clouds clear.

 

hahahaha! touche' (I want to try out my side sun-visor mod ASAP).

Peace,
Tatt

 

PPG brand aftermarket glass is the strongest glass available for our MINI's.

Much more resistant to chips, pits, and the dreaded stress fractures.

On top of that, it costs about 1/3 the price of OEM MINI glass.

 

I've never heard for sure... does the PPG glass work with the rain sensor wipers??

 

I had my windshield replaced with aftermarket Pilkington glass about a month ago. I've already noticed that it's getting pitted up pretty good. I think that unfortunately, pits will happen by design of the MINI. It's windshield sits more vertically than most 'low slung' cars, so unfortunately, I think that the pitting is inevitable. (This does *not* excuse any stress cracks, however!)

I have BTW, I have the rain sensor. Jacked up the cost of the windshield about $200, making the replacement cost about $500 w/ labor!

-Paul!

 

Got news for you guys, this isn't a mini problem, or OEM or supplier - it just happens. I've had 5 windshields in my GTP over the last 8 years, all replaced for cracks from stones, etc. Every one of them, including the one on right now that is just over 1 year old, has tonss and tons of tiny pits after a few months. Incidentally I have no cracks or chips in this one, and have only put on 5k miles in the last year. And it's PPG glass. Every brand I tried did it - OEM, autolite, PPG, etc. It was very obvious they were there when they would get replaced - it was like the windshield wasn't even there. Now I can go out and clearly see the pits, like thousands of specs of dirt that won't come off.