I have two very very tiny pits .. probably 1mm in diameter.. and not visible unless you see the glass against light..

I noticed them today .. not sure how long I might have had them.. The question is

1) can anything be done about it ?
I noticed someone mentioned fix-a-shield which seems to work well. But most people have long cracks which I don't seem to have. Will it work on pit?

2) Will it grow into a crack if nothing is done?

Thanks

 

I've heard the pits are due to the fact the Mini has a near vertical windshield. Rocks and debri tend to push into the glass instead of bounce off. There are some clear bra type products that are available to cover the windshield. I've never seen one in person though. Just read about them here. A crack won't always grow. Depends on the environment the car is in. I've had cracks in another car's windshield for 10+ years that never grew, but it also never sees snow either.

 

Thanks minidrvr

But I just have a small pit not a crack .. is that an issue like will it grow in a crack or something?

I read in other forums for corvette and 350z.. some of the people there have pitting issues too.. especially corvettes

 

I have, literally, THOUSANDS of tiny pits. I have probably a dozen of the "feelable" pits like you describe. And three legitimate bullseyes / star cracks. Not much you can do for the pits once you have them. I'm going to replace the windshield at some point to get rid of the pits, and may go with a clear laminate film when the new one is still "new"...

 

I have the tiny ones, too. Mine is a PPG windshield. I don't remember the oem getting those. What "clear laminate film" are you talking about?

 

Clearplex.

How many miles did you have on your OEM windshield vs. your PPG one? I have 31,000 miles on my OEM, probably 70-80% of that at highway speeds, lots of interstate driving with big rigs kicking up grit... so my windshield has been pretty well sandblasted by now...

 

It had 11K when it was destroyed. The PPG has 26K - maybe that's why

 

Well I would just like to know if its a serious issue as in will it grow into a crack?

As i see it, its not a big issue as in it doesn't act like a crack which keeps on growing. Let me know if I m wrong.

Just a note but almost all box cars have it (scion XB for one).

 

Will pits eventually crack? Depends on a lot of factors - size/depth/location of pit, driving conditions, how much the windshield gets "flexed" in the area of the pit, etc. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't...

Some early MINIs had a problem with stress cracks in the windshield... the "official" test to see if the crack was the result of a defect or the result of an impact was to run a ballpoint pen along the crack, if it ever "dropped" into a pit, they would claim that the crack was the result of the pit, and not replace under warranty... at least that's how some dealers did it.

But I have three bullseye breaks, and they haven't grown in many thousand miles... I have a buddy, everytime he gets a bullseye or star, he literally punches the windshield in that spot with his fist to start a crack, so he can get his comprehensive to pay for a new windshield... so....

 

So there is no way to tell if it will crack or not. Thats fine.

Is there no way to fix on a temp basis? How about those "fix-a-windshield" thingies? They receive good reviews.

However, most of the reviewers had a spider,star or a bulls eye. And the best result they have achieved so far is that it ends up looking like a pit , visible and can be felt with finger. So I m not sure how it will work on the pit.

On the other side, my insurance said I can take it to any glass repairer and they would cover such small things without deductible. But considering the frequency with which they occur, I doubt if this is a good idea

 

There's really no fixing a pit, because the glass isn't really broken - yet. There's just a little bit missing, and you can't replace it. With bullseyes or stars or small cracks, they inject an optically clear adhesive into the crack to fill it... but again, with a pit there's nothing to fill... just live with it.

 

Clearplex is not a permanent film solution and needs to be replaced every few years.... No thanks!

 

Thats what I wanted to "hear" . I suffer from OCD and I don't give up until someone tells me that. lol

Thanks.

BTW. Great blog
" leave them on, illuminating the interior of the POS Cavalier like a magnesium flare" <- thats funny

 

You can help get rid of the optical speckling from very tiny pits by using glass polish (I suggest w/ a machine polisher like the Porter Cable Dual Action polisher and an agressive foam pad - I like Zaino's glass polish... kinda hard to find the others regularly). Every time I polish the car, I spend 10-20 minutes and polish the glass. It won't do anything for any structural weakness caused by a deeper pit, but it can round off the edges of a tiny pit and make it more transparent.

If I get a deeper pit that might form a star later or crack, I'd probably try one of those fix it yourself glass fillers... for the $5, why not? If I get a deeper pit/star, I call a glass repair place... there are several in Dallas that will come to your house/office to do the repair and bill it directly to your insurance company (mine covers it 100% because it's cheaper than replacing the glass if the crack grows).

 

Well I am (or rather was) more concerned about the structural weakness it might lead to. The pit is not visible unless you strain your eyes and look. Even after knowing where to look it takes me couple of seconds to find it so I m not sure if the polish will make it look any better.

I know its a good idea to polish the windshield to remove the dirt and get better wiper performance. However, I stay in an apartment and I don't have a garage where I can use the polisher (is it cordless?). I was planning on buyign it in future when I get a garage but in current market I m staying away from buying a house.

In any case, as I see it the do-it-yourself kits helps only if a crack is formed and polishing is merely a visual thing. So as of now - I have decided to live with it. And you are right. My insurance covers the repairs too as long as the damage is less than size of a quarter. But so far it hardly seems worth it.

If it develops a crack in future (I hardly doubt it) then I might go with your suggestion and try something on my own before going to the insurance.

 

Every single car I've ever had has gotten a pitted windshield. Most of my pitting comes from highway driving.

From my experience, most insurance companies will replace a windshield if it has sufficient pitting because it's dangerous. One of the biggest problems with pitting is that it refracts the light hitting it and when you have thousands of little pits it can cause a GREAT amount of glare.

Also keep in mind that most insurance companies leave it up to the glass installers discretion regarding what should be done with the window and the really good installers will replace a windshield with a lot of pitting.

YMMV

 

My windshield has a lot of little pits, and one star crack in a corner that didn't grow. Insurance will only replace the glass if a crack is a certain size or affecting vision. Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

For State Farm the crack must be at least 6 inches long, and at one time they also required the crack to be in the driver's line of sight, but I do not believe this is still a requirement.

Just keep piling up the pits, and when it gets bad enough to bother you, punch one of the worst offending blemishes like Blimey's buddy. Actually, typically you can just push on the windshield to run a crack, typically push it from the inside.

I am on my 3rd windshield on my '06 and only have 16K miles on the car. I talked the dealership into a replacement of my uber pitted windshield at 5K, that replacement just lasted a couple of K miles before it developed a stress crack right at the top close to the center, and they spent some significant time inspecting that stress crack in seach for even the tiniest pit to void coverage.

Today, it is quite pitted again. My next windshield will be PPG, that has got to be better than the OEM windshields.

 

+1 Sounds about as good as it'll get!!!

 

I worked for a glass company for several years, so I'll try to answer most questions as best as I can. If you have a "bullseye" chip, with no cracks extending beyond the chip, (good rule of thumb is that the chip can be covered up by a quarter) they CAN be repaired. Most glass companies will do a mobile repair, and bill your insurance directly. Most insurance companies will pay for the repair in it's entirety if you have a comprehensive deductable of $250 and under. One thing that they will tell you is there is a possibility that a crack could develop and spread DURING the repair process with no fault on the repairman or their company, in that case you would need to get your windshield replaced. Tiny pits CAN be buffed out, HOWEVER, I have buffed many a windshield, you will still see a "slight wave" but no real "chip".
As far as small chips spreading, do not wash your car on a hot day while it's been sitting in the sun. You take a very huge chance of making it crack as soon as you put cold water from the hose of on it. Take the car out of the sun, open the windows and let the inside cool off first before attempting to wash it.
There is a chance also that it could crack on it's own if left in hot sun all day due to the expansion with heat. It's best to keep your windows slightly cracked on a hot day. Another option, which is the route that I've gone, is buying a "cab cover." It completely covers the cab of the car so no more burning the buns on a hot day, also keeps the sun from fading the interior. Takes less than 2 minutes to put over your car.
Hope all questions got answered and everyone finds this a bit helpful!

 

This is good advice Paul...but as Chandler says, it's just difficult for the OCD afflicted to accept it.

I went with the PC and glass polish route last spring, not so much to mitigate pitting but to remove scratching that occurred from ice collecting on the wipers (ice which, as it turned out, effectively held a lot of the road sand and salt that has been applied to winter roads). After about 4 dedicated hours of polishing I was able to remove all of the scratches but the pits were much more persistent. It likely took a bit longer because I wasn't using a real aggressive glass polish to ensure I didn't inadvertently dork up my glass. After polishing the smaller pits were a bit less noticeable, but I didn't see significant difference in the larger ones--certainly not enough in itself to warrant the expended polishing labor.

So my starfield simulator will remain for the time being. I figure at some point the odds will catch up with me and I'll take a rock that leaves enough damage to justify a comprehensive claim. The Clearplex looks intriguing--any ballpark on materials and labor for this?

 

I too have a zillion tiny pits all over the windshield. I have a 2008 clubman. Ziggy has 14000 miles. I tried some glass polish and it cleaned the glass and made "brighter" but the pits weren't affected. I think it actually made it worse because the light seems to shine thru more brilliantly now . There are so many that it actually is difficult to see clearly when you are driving with the sun in front of you. My wife even noticed it and she is far from picky in regards to car issues.

I have a concern and a question. I have never owned an automobile with such poor quality windshield glass. I have had other cars/suvs that have more vertical windshields and their windshields never did this (and especially not at 14000 miles!). The question...do you think the dealer would replace under warranty? I know they will give a hassle, no doubt. But IMO this is unacceptable with such a new vehicle. Call me a whiner or whatever...

Any ideas or previous experiences would be helpful.

 

I wouldn't count on a warranty replacement... I'd be shocked if you could talk them into it... but go for it.

Just curious... I know you say you've had other cars/SUVs with more vertical glass... but in those cases, was the windshield 3' off the pavement? Because the combination of being vertical and low is what kills these windshields. All the tiny rocks and large grains of sand that get kicked up and hit the grille on other vehicles hit the windshield on the MINI...

 

While i see your point with height... I grew up with volkswagen rabbits (not exactly aerodynamic!) and never had to replace a windshield or gripe about it. Also the original ford explorer "box" (like a small bronco) never had problems and spent plenty of time on gravel roads out in farm country of indiana. Still think it is unacceptable despite the low ride height (particularly after less than a year of driving).

 

You'll really love it in another 30,000 miles when it looks like mine.