Windshield "Bubbles"

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10-28-2005, 04:15 AM
MY PAWS

Windshield "Bubbles"

Hi everyone. Has anyone ever had a problem with your windshield looking like it has "bubbles" everywhere? When I am driving into the sun (glass clean), I have a hard time seeing::Blink:: . The light is reflecting off of what appears to be bubbles in the windshield. I have been told that the problem is chips in my windshield. Maybe I would believe that if it were just a few, but this is throughout the entire windshield (thousands of chips?). If this were true, wouldn't my hood also have thousands of chips also :shock: (which I do not)? I do have two chips that have been repaired. Could that have caused this to happen or could it be a defect in the windshield from the factory? Any help will be greatly appreciated. By the way I drive a 2003 Shinsen Version. Feel free to post or send me an e-mail @ [email protected].

Thanks for your help.
Virginia

PS I love the smilies on this site!!:clap:
10-28-2005, 06:29 AM
onething

How big are these bubbles? My windshield has hundreds of tiny little spots that are only apparent when the sun hits it just right.
10-28-2005, 06:49 AM
riverracer

These "bubbles" that you see are really tiny pits in the glass. If you drive on the highway alot you will really have alot. It's like the windshield is sandblasted from the grit and grime on the roads.There is really nothing you can do short of get a new windshield. :D
Jerry
10-28-2005, 06:57 AM
sammm

Quote:

Originally Posted by riverracer

These "bubbles" that you see are really tiny pits in the glass.

That's what it sounds like to me too. My windshield has the same problem (74K miles on the car/glass). Living in Texas like we do they will get 'sand blasted' over time.
10-28-2005, 07:42 AM
Jiggerachi

Yea, I have the same thing on my windshield...its like its always dirty, & you cant clean it. Bugs the hell out of me because im super anal about having a clean windshield. This is the only car ive owned that had this problem, I was wondering about it as well.
10-28-2005, 07:46 AM
Titus

Quote:

Originally Posted by riverracer

There is really nothing you can do short of get a new windshield. :D
Jerry

Yep... A rock cracked my windshield about a year and a half ago and I got a new one from insurance. I was amazed at the improvement over what I assumed was a perfectly good windshield prior to the crack. If you have a low deductible, pray for a rock to hit it! :D
10-28-2005, 07:52 AM
POS Racing

There is glass polish available, my '67 Lac had years of something on the windshield, I was able to polish a lot of it out.

This was my motivation = http://www.myclassiccar.com/MCCTV/20...ip016109.shtml
10-28-2005, 08:06 AM
riverracer

Quote:

Originally Posted by POS Racing

I was able to polish a lot of it out.

This was my motivation = http://www.myclassiccar.com/MCCTV/20...ip016109.shtml

So if someone would get a jar of this wonder polish we could have a Tech Day and fix them all at the same time.:clap:
10-28-2005, 08:59 AM
Jiggerachi

Good idea, we could all chip in to order it. I doubt that anyone who buys it would use a half gallon of the stuff themselves anyway.
10-28-2005, 09:08 AM
black roadster

You can get a new windshield installed for under $200. I had a rock hit my windshield and crack it. Cracks can't be repaired so I had to replace it. It was cheaper than my deductible. I think I paid about $180 and no claims on my insurance.
10-28-2005, 09:11 AM
onething

Perhaps POS could tell us how much he used on the Lac. That will let us know how much we will need.

I'm guessing the Lac windshield = 4 Miata windshields?
10-28-2005, 09:17 AM
POS Racing

Quote:

Originally Posted by onething

Perhaps POS could tell us how much he used on the Lac. That will let us know how much we will need.

I'm guessing the Lac windshield = 4 Miata windshields?

I used the entire deal, and had to swipe the polisher from my neighbor.

First you need to figure out if the polish would even help it was a PITA slow and tedious job!

Here is another write up -> http://www.properautocare.com/polishglass.html
10-28-2005, 09:25 AM
onething

1 Attachment(s)

PITA? It looks so easy when Granny did it :cat:
10-28-2005, 09:32 AM
POS Racing

Quote:

Originally Posted by onething

PITA? It looks so easy when Granny did it :cat:

Well I enjoyed sooo much the 'Lac was the only car of my fleet that I did!

YMMV
10-28-2005, 11:33 AM
MY PAWS

Thanks for all the replys.

Onething, The "bubbles" are tiny and can only be seen when driving into the sun8) or seriously inspecting the windshield.

I have had several vehicles over the years and this is the only one this has happened to (same as Jiggerachi). However, I have never had a Mazda before. Could Mazda be using an inferior product for the windshield:( ? My Miata only has 45,000 miles on her, I am just having a hard time accepting that this is from road debris or "sand blasting" since my Miata does not have that many chips on the hood.
Unless, the paint Mazda is using is stronger (more debris resistant) than the windshield????::Bulb::
10-28-2005, 10:55 PM
TurboDuane

I too have hundreds, possibly thousands of these pits as well. The reason is these cars are so low to the ground. You don't have these issues on most cars because the windshields sit so much higher on the road and don't catch as much road rash.
11-05-2005, 02:22 PM
MY PAWS

update

I took her back to North Park Mazda in San Antonio and they are telling me that the problem with my windshield is chips::Censor:: . However, no one can explain why I do not have the same chips in the paint around the windshield::Argue:: . Since I bought her at North Park Lincoln, they have decided to replace my windshield:clap: . They are telling me that since the windshield was like that when I bought her (~3 months ago) they will replace it at no cost to me. The person from North Park Lincoln is the only one who said anything about it possibly being a defective windshield. As long as they are making it good, I am happy:cheers: .

Good luck to everyone else with this same problem. I hope yours can be corrected as well.

Thanks,
Virginia
11-05-2005, 07:15 PM
Treibenschnell

Congrats!!!
11-07-2005, 02:47 PM
altiain

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil' Red

Thanks for all the replys.

Onething, The "bubbles" are tiny and can only be seen when driving into the sun8) or seriously inspecting the windshield.

I have had several vehicles over the years and this is the only one this has happened to (same as Jiggerachi). However, I have never had a Mazda before. Could Mazda be using an inferior product for the windshield:( ? My Miata only has 45,000 miles on her, I am just having a hard time accepting that this is from road debris or "sand blasting" since my Miata does not have that many chips on the hood.
Unless, the paint Mazda is using is stronger (more debris resistant) than the windshield????::Bulb::

Two comments. First, automotive paint has a "flex" agent mixed into it, so that it can stretch as the metal it is bonded to expands and contracts from the huge temperature swings a car is subjected to. This flex agent provides a little bit of "give" to the paint, so that it is less likely to be sandblasted than a widnshield, at least noticeably. If you could look through your paint the same way you can look through your windshield, you'd notice that it has been mildly sandblasted over the years as well.

Second, if you are not the original owner of the car, you could very well have a replacement windshield on the car. Always be sure to specify OEM quality glass when replacing a windshield, because there are cheaper, "softer" alternatives out there that glass companies will use to save money, and these softer windshields will get sandblasted that much faster.

FWIW, don't assume that just because your car has low mileage that it has the oriingal windshield. My CRV needed a brand new windshield at 2500 miles, thanks to a rock on 635.