A new way to crack a windshield (for me, anyway)

Fast Eddie B

Fast Eddie B

Well-Known Member
That was weird.

Lots of pollen here in E TN. Our 2018 Clarity really needed a bath, but short of that I decided to just hose it off. While doing so I heard something crack. It was the windshield!

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It was only about 82°, but I guess it didn’t like the cold water on a warm windshield. As an aside, I lived in FL for 30 years, in which time I washed a lot of cars in the heat and never had anything like this happen. It actually spread another couple of inches while just sitting.

Progressive set us up with Safelite in a couple weeks. Zero deductible. They said they’re equipped with the equipment to recalibrate everything. Let’s hope so!

I’m also going to call the local Honda dealer to see if they can do it quicker.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Progressive set us up with Safelite in a couple weeks. Zero deductible. They said they’re equipped with the equipment to recalibrate everything. Let’s hope so!
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Perhaps you already had an invisible chip/crack. I had a tiny chip years ago that expanded greatly just like that.

What is the recalibration you speak of?
 
There certainly may have been an existing imperfection or unnoticed damage. But the actual crack was instantaneous and audible. Wife has the car now but I’ll take a closeup of the suspect area when she gets back.

As to recalibration, there are sensors embedded in the windshield that must be recalibrated with a new windshield. I forget exactly which sensors, but I’m sure someone more knowledgeable here will speak up on the topic!
 
Fast Eddie B said:
There certainly may have been an existing imperfection or unnoticed damage. But the actual crack was instantaneous and audible. Wife has the car now but I’ll take a closeup of the suspect area when she gets back.
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I had a notebook or something fly up and hit the windshield just above the rearview on a car years ago. Nothing noticeable at the time, but an hour or two later there was the same instantaneous and audible crack development as I was driving at about 25 mph. When I got a chance to look, there was indeed a chip where the crack originated (and the glass replacement company said that it is common for a crack to be delayed after the original chip)
 
I had to have my windshield replaced because of a crack. It started as a tiny nick in a corner then spread to about 18 inches. Satellite glass pointed this out to me. I never noticed the nick. I had to have it recalibrated at the Honda dealership because Satellite couldn't recalibrate. A recalibration is necessary for the LKAS feature. Honda charged me $300. My insurance deductible was $500. After that I called my insurance co and had them add windshield replacement $0 because I drive freeway a lot.
 
I took a better close-up:

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So…

1) Maybe there was a tiny chip there and the cold water just caused it to propagate, or,

2) Maybe something fell from the sky that just happened to occur as I was hosing the windshield down.

3) The fracturing was due to the cold water and just manifested itself that way.

#1 seems unlikely because I think we would have noticed it. #2 seems unlikely well, because. #3 seems feasible.

When I take the car in for the repair I’ll ask them what they think.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
There certainly may have been an existing imperfection or unnoticed damage. But the actual crack was instantaneous and audible. Wife has the car now but I’ll take a closeup of the suspect area when she gets back.

As to recalibration, there are sensors embedded in the windshield that must be recalibrated with a new windshield. I forget exactly which sensors, but I’m sure someone more knowledgeable here will speak up on the topic!
Click to expand...
Probably has something to do with the nature of tempered glass. When it is made/formed it is intentionally cooled in a way that causes compression/tension stress. I suppose a rock chip causes a weakness at that point which perhaps causes some sort of imbalance and then the built-in stress eventually if not immediately cracks the glass.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
I took a better close-up:

51209757633_d33990db7b_z.jpg


So…

1) Maybe there was a tiny chip there and the cold water just caused it to propagate, or,

2) Maybe something fell from the sky that just happened to occur as I was hosing the windshield down.

3) The fracturing was due to the cold water and just manifested itself that way.

#1 seems unlikely because I think we would have noticed it. #2 seems unlikely well, because. #3 seems feasible.

When I take the car in for the repair I’ll ask them what they think.
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I would lean toward #1.
 
#1. You can see the chip.

This is why I get these filled as soon as I notice them. If your windshield was dirty (covered in pollen, etc) a chip could be hard to notice, even more so since it is near the edge and not in the line of sight. Chips near the edge are more prone to cracking.
 
PHEVDave said:
Probably has something to do with the nature of tempered glass. When it is made/formed it is intentionally cooled in a way that causes compression/tension stress. I suppose a rock chip causes a weakness at that point which perhaps causes some sort of imbalance and then the built-in stress eventually if not immediately cracks the glass.
Click to expand...

Aren’t windshields typically laminated glass?
 
Landshark said:
Aren’t windshields typically laminated glass?
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Yes, they are always laminated. If they were tempered, they'd break into small pieces when chipped or broken, and you wouldn't be able to see through them at all. A long, single crack as shown in the OP's photo is not possible in tempered glass.
On the other hand, the side windows of cars are usually tempered, and sometimes both tempered and laminated. Visibility after an impact is not so critical on the side glass.
 
@Fast Eddie B

I know there have been discussions in the forum regarding windshield replacement. In the past, people have found that aftermarket windshields did not exist for the Clarity, and thus, windshield companies like Safelite had to obtain a genuine Honda windshield to do the repair (more $$$). I know your insurance will cover this, but I am curious as to whether 3rd party windshields have now become available. If this becomes apparent with your repair, please let us know.

Another thing to look out for - Others mentioned that one of the windshield companies (it may have been Safelite) had an error in their database. They claimed to have a Clarity windshield, but it turned out that their P/N mapped over to a Civic part which obviously was incorrect. After discovering this, they had to get the windshield from Honda.
 
Same thing happened to my Pilot. I had a chip on my windshield when the wiper arm hit the windshield while I was replacing the wiper. It chipped it. Washing car with cold water on a sunny day cracked it. Only the outside pane was cracked. Inside was fine. These tempered glass is always under lots of stress and will crack :( Safelite will calibrate the camera. I didn't have any issue.
 
I have two minute impact marks around 2 mm size on my windshield, just like tiny superficial little craters with no visible cracks or fissures. Should I call Safelite or the like to fill them? I had to change my previous' car windshield twice, but in both cases the impacting stones caused the classical "starred" chip with fissures growing fast in a couple of days, but now I've had these little craters on the Clarity's windshield for several months now. Any ideas? Thanks!
 
coutinpe said:
I have two minute impact marks around 2 mm size on my windshield, just like tiny superficial little craters with no visible cracks or fissures.
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There are nickel to quarter sized clear adhesive patches available that can help keep those chips in check.
 
I think most insurance companies will pay for this kind of repair (with no deductible) because it may prevent a much bigger bill if it turns into a crack.
 
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