We got hit by a weird snow ice storm for a couple hours yesterday. Unfortunately I didn't park in the sun at work. Clear off my car from the ice, and used the windshield wipers maybe 3 times for some pieces that slid down the windshield. Bright and sunny today, and now I see nice subtle scratches all over the windshield. With the heavy wind yesterday, it looks like all the sand/crud on the road kicked up and mixed with the ice and stuff. I just found grit/sand under the blades. Man, sometimes it's tough to take care of stuff. Purposely don't use metal scrapers, try my best not to use wipers, blah blah blah. I guess this means just wait a couple years, and when it gets bad just get a PPG glass and forget about it. I've not had these issues with other windshields, but bad luck or stupidity does happen.

 

MINI OEM glass is terrible stuff! Absolute garbage! When the time comes, you'll replace it with the top quality PPG glass and be very happy!

 

Welcome to MINI windsheilds! Sometimes I think they are made from hard candy rather than glass.

 

bad glass. my windscreen looks like it belongs on a ten year old car not a 2003...

 

sorry .... The windshield glass is inferior.

I am happy that most other things work very well though....

 

6 windscreens since Aug 2002, # 6 cracked after 3 months.Yesterday I watched the 10 inch crack become a 20 inch crack while I was driving.Listen to the yucca man, PPG next after the snow is good and gone.OEM is crrrraaaaappppp!(even the :"new and improved" one). Jock

 

there is NOTHING even remotely sweet about these things, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

I spoke with the Service Manager at MINI of Towson about the "sensitive" nature of the MINI windshield, specifically the tendency to pit A LOT.

He says that the issue actually isn't isolated to MINIs, it's common throughout the BMW line and that he regularly sees $70,000 7 Series with windshields that look almost like they were sandblasted when they catch the sun.

There is actually a reason for the pitting, and it's something that BMW probably won't change. As you may know, the windshield (and every other car window) isn't standard plate glass, but shatter resistant safety glass. Safety glass is actually a sandwich of materials and layers which make it resistant to shattering. There's two trains of thought when it comes to the outer layer of that safety glass sandwich...

1. Make it as rigid and strong as possible, so strong that it can withstand the shock from an object hitting it while transfering as little of that force to the layers beneath it. Getting the windshield rigid enough to do this can be difficult and while less susceptible to pitting has other shortcomings.
2. Make the outer layer softer so it can absorb and distribute that shock better without passing it along to the lower layers of the safety glass. However this makes the outer layer more prone to pitting.

As we all know BMW went with the second option. As we all know these windshields are notorious for extensive pitting, but with the exception of the stress crack victoms they're also surprisingly resilient. There are numerous stories and photos of MINIs that have been through some horrific accidents and the windshields survived intact. Take for example the recently rolled cabrio on the Hudson Bay or Bust trip, rolled several times landed on the roll bars and windshield frame (because the top was down) and only the side windows broke...

 

I dunno, my 2000 E46 windshield looks pretty darn good and it is a daily driver that has also seen a fair share of backroads driving. No wiper streaks either. The 02 M Coupe is more of a garage queen but still, even with 18k miles, looks like the glass will last better then the Mini's. Its not only the glass but it seems that the angle of the windhshield is to blame.

 

Everyone keeps suggesting the PPG windshields as replacements. I was wondering, since I have the rain sensing wipers, will I always have to go with OEM replacement windshields? Just don't know how that factors into replacing the glass.

 

Not sure about PPG, but I'd imagine so. Whne my glass cracked a month or so ago, I got it replaced at an autoglass shop. They used Pilkington glass, which from what I understand is better than OEM, but not as good as PPG. (I have the rain sensing wipers)

-Paul!

 

Ive seen some pretty depressing looking mini windshields myself, luckily after 17000+ miles ares is good as new.

liljack and matchbox