4 Days - 600 Miles BUSTED WINDSHIELD @#$#@%*
 

Just got my 09 MCS on friday. Drove to DC and back putting on a very fun 500 miles. Today i go back to work and during my 20 mile commute BAM a rock from a truck cracks my widshield. 611 miles on the odometer. SOOO PISSED. Take a look at these photos. Repair? Replace? Looks bad. Star burst about 1.25 inch in diameter on the passenger side

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/...4b11c393_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/willsisti/3504327812
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3629/...21ecb4f9_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/willsisti/3504327748

Replace. Given the crack growth pattern coming from the impact point it is easy to see that these cracks will grow over time. You probably have some time to deal with it though as usually they grow the worst in the winter where temperature extremes are the worst.

I don't know about where you live, but many states have reduced deductibles for windshield problems. SC its even free, no deductible. Just call your insurance and be done with it.

There are a few companies that claim they can fix any crack or damage in the windshield as long as its smaller than a dollar bill. I'll look up the names: I think one is safelite

I had a repair done to my last mini about 6 months ago. Insurance waived the deductible but it was much smaller than this one. FYI I am in NJ

I've done repair on mine. I had a small ding, with no emanating cracks. I used a self repair kit which uses a polymeric material. It will never be as strong as the original glass.

This photo looks pretty bad. Looks quite deep as well as the emanating cracks. I'd replace. Windshield replacement is not big deal. Check with your insurance. There are places that will come out and do it at your house, place of work, etc.

Its also been discussed on this forum. The OEM glass is kind of thin. Some aftermarkets, may be a little thicker, PPG. I'd probably stick with OEM to make sure I got a better fit.

I emailed the dealer and waiting to see what they say.

[quote=Flyinace2000;2756244]Just got my 09 MCS on friday.
...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/...4b11c393_b.jpg

Man, that's one funny looking Mini! It looks almost like a Mercedes! :lol:

I thought about replacing mine when I got that small ding. Most all mini dealers buy the OEM glass and outsource the work. So don't limit yourself to the dealer.

I am gonna call Gieco also.

Thru the windshield
 

Hi CNH,
The picture is of the crack while flyinace2000 was sitting in his car taking the photograph from the inside.
Ronnie948

@Ronnie948 - I am pretty sure CNH understood that and was just making a joke ;-)

No big deal. I've gone through several on my '04 MCS. Call the insurance company -- somebody fixes the windshield in your company's parking lot or at your house -- cost is $0.

That crack will definitely grow.
Get used to it. I'm on my third windshield.
Best advice... get a "no deductible" for glass on your insurance.

Yeah my deductible is only $50. Came in handy about 2 months ago when my car got keyed and that was about $850 in damage. Only cost me $50.

I live in fear of my car being vandalized. Worst I have had happen so far is someone urinated on my hood (gross-- plus it was winter-- super gross) and within a week of owning it someone horked loogies all over the driver side window.

What the hell is wrong with ppl?!?!:impatient:

Where was your car when it got keyed?

(In California) it is illegal to repair a windshield "in the line of sight" of the driver. A reputable glass repair shop will tell you this. I can't tell where your crack is. If it is in the line of sight, and someone offers to repair it, sure it may save you a few bucks, but it makes me question the honesty and reliability of the repair shop.

My two cents...

Looks like a Mercedes to me :lol:

It's one of those new Mercmini SUVs.

I think i got keyed while at work. (i work at a highschool - IT not a teacher).

@edgein the crack is on the passenger side.

Sorry it happened, but I think you were actually lucky. If that rock had hit anything else on your car other than the windshield the repair cost would be much greater and the damage much more difficult to repair.

You are much better off taking it to a PPG or Plinkington shop NOT SAFELITE and having them put in the dealer glass(BMW) It is $272 no rain sensor and $299 with. Here is the pricing from my fathers shop. http://personal.ecu.edu/allenp/09cooper.jpg

Since it is only 4 days only i am going to have my Dealership handle it. They They said they have an dealer owned glass repair guy. Makes sense since my mini dealership is part of a family of car dealers (BMW, Toyota, mini and a bunch others).

while i feel bad for you... not that bad.

day after i took mine home, I was on the freeway when my mini was hit on the upper right corner of the windshield by a large rock. within minutes of the impact there was a crack going all the way across the windshield. I had the windshield replaced the following weekend.

Ouch. You win. Though with both of our stories, we loose.

yeah i agree, we both lost with broken windshields :(

There's no questioning who makes that thing with the soccer ball size emblem in the grill.:roll::roll:

At least it isn't a students car. My last district the kids would have nicer cars than the staff! There is a kid at the school that has a mini and we have said Hi a few times and talked about our cars.

Also, going to the dealer tomorrow during lunch so their glass guy can assess the damage and get the ball rolling. Time to shell out $50 for gieco to fix it.

I love my dealership. (Prestige Mini - Mahwah NJ). Went there during lunch. I called Geico which said they would waive the deductible and i just need to mail in the original reciept ot get reimbursed. Out of pocket is $100. I know i could done safelite and they would of billed directly, but i was already here and they could fix it while i waited. They said they would be able to get it 85% gone. It would stop further cracking. Since it is on the passenger side and out of my field of view i don't care about the other 15%. The best part was that they offered me a gift card to the dinner next door to go eat while I waited. I had already had lunch but its the thought that counts. From Sales to Service, a top notch establishment. I really do love my dealership.

A long time ago, I had a BMW 3 Series. The windshield cracked all the way across the bottom once, never knew why. BUT, the Dealer told me that BMW glass is semi-structural and needed to be installed on a special level surface.

The ins co. concurred after some research and we found two guys who had such facilities. Unlike other low-bid glass jobs in my past this one was perfect, no wind noise, no rattling. no glass fragments in the interior.

I think there are driveway hacks and then some real pro's. I hope your replacement goes well.

Another rock hit me this morning. Drivers side, very small though. Couldn't believe it. If you live in NJ you should follow this link and report any bad roads
http://www.nj.gov/transportation/com...tholeform.shtm

Argh, we have the same problem now! Serves me right for cracking that joke about your Mercedes Mini :wink:

So, one question. You mention PPG and Pilkington being able to put in the "dealer glass" - is this the same as what came with the car or just an approved replacement? Our windshield is marked "Mini, Saint-Gobain, Sekurit."

Finding a PPG shop should not be too challenging here in Pittsburgh, though (it stands for Pittsburgh Plate Glass)...

BTW dumb question, but how do I find out if we have a rain sensor? And does a claim for a cracked windshield affect our insurance rates?

From what others and what gieco has told me one comp claim doesn't hurt you. But a string of them would. So as long as you don't make one ever 2 months you should be ok.

I don't know what the f*** is going on but i got another chip today. Passenger side, saw it coming. Kicked up from an SUV about 10 car lengths ahead of me. What is the deal with this car!

The windshield is very vertical. So anything that hits it tends to leave a chip, instead of deflecting off like in cars with more slanted windshields. Its the nature of the beast. I got my MINI in August of 06', and have went through 3 windshields so far, and the one I have no has a nice sized crack and a nasty star in it (two different rock attacks.)

But the wierd thing is that on my 07 mini i only got one chip in 2 years. So far it has been a month with my 09 mini and i have gotten 2.5.