Are some cars more prone to Windscreen Chips?
Discussion
Hi all,
We got our Kia in November and since then we have had 2 chips on the drivers side and over the past 2 months we have had 2 close calls which have turned out to be just scratches, not chips, on the passenger side (certainly sounded like a crack when they happened though!).
On both sides, both incidents have occurred in the same vertical zone and i'm wondering if its to do with the curvature of the bonnet perhaps?
All of these incidents have happend on the same road, but that is the main commute though.
We had a Mini for a year before doing exactly the same route and never had a single chip/scratch on the windscreen.
I just wondered have you ever had a car that was more prone to chips on the windscreen than another? 4 incidents in 6 months compared to none before...
Do Bonnet Bras actually work, and do they actually deflect chips away from the windscreen, or are they more just protecting the look of the bonnet?
I know there must be some element of sods law, but i'm getting pretty annoyed!
We got our Kia in November and since then we have had 2 chips on the drivers side and over the past 2 months we have had 2 close calls which have turned out to be just scratches, not chips, on the passenger side (certainly sounded like a crack when they happened though!).
On both sides, both incidents have occurred in the same vertical zone and i'm wondering if its to do with the curvature of the bonnet perhaps?
All of these incidents have happend on the same road, but that is the main commute though.
We had a Mini for a year before doing exactly the same route and never had a single chip/scratch on the windscreen.
I just wondered have you ever had a car that was more prone to chips on the windscreen than another? 4 incidents in 6 months compared to none before...
Do Bonnet Bras actually work, and do they actually deflect chips away from the windscreen, or are they more just protecting the look of the bonnet?
I know there must be some element of sods law, but i'm getting pretty annoyed!
In general the lower the car, the more abuse the windscreen takes. My old elise had quite a few minor chips.
It might also have something to do with driving style: if you're constantly the "right" distance behind people to pick up anything flying off their tyres, you're going to have more stonechips.
I suspect truckers have relatively few given how much higher up the stone would have to fly to reach the windscreen at all, as well as the lower speeds they tend to do.
C
It might also have something to do with driving style: if you're constantly the "right" distance behind people to pick up anything flying off their tyres, you're going to have more stonechips.
I suspect truckers have relatively few given how much higher up the stone would have to fly to reach the windscreen at all, as well as the lower speeds they tend to do.
C
When I got my Merc, out for a gentle afternoon bimble and a truck coming the other way threw up a load of stones/rocks. Three HUGE chips out of the screen (and one out of the bonnet) I feared for the future...
New windscreen fitted after a fortnights ownership and, touch wood, nothing since.
I think these things go in cycles.
New windscreen fitted after a fortnights ownership and, touch wood, nothing since.
I think these things go in cycles.
timtoo2 said:
I just wondered have you ever had a car that was more prone to chips on the windscreen than another? 4 incidents in 6 months compared to none before...
Dunno, but my three-month old 3-series has had two annoying scratches from the wipers in less than 1400 miles.My last car, an Ibiza, had no chips, scratches or blemishes on the screen in 9 years of ownership.
I don't think there's any radical difference in height that would account for that! It's either sod's law, or there's something about the windscreen or wipers that's causing it. Either way it's bloody annoying.
CraigyMc said:
I suspect truckers have relatively few given how much higher up the stone would have to fly to reach the windscreen at all, as well as the lower speeds they tend to do.
C
Possibly, but that is cancelled out by the occasional grouse or pheasant ending up on the passenger seat C
I think, aside from the shape / angle / height of the windscreen, it also has to do with the quality of it. I've had two replacements on mine (1998 Audi A4). The first one was because it had a chip when I got it which cracked in the cold weather before I could do anything about it. IIRC the replacement screen cost about 80 quid (which did seem cheap) and it may as well have been plastic. It was scratched to s
t within no time and ended up getting smashed when a truck I was following kicked up what I can only assume was a boulder about two months later. The next one I got cost me about 150 and has been on for over two years without a chip or scratch.
You get what you pay for I guess!
t within no time and ended up getting smashed when a truck I was following kicked up what I can only assume was a boulder about two months later. The next one I got cost me about 150 and has been on for over two years without a chip or scratch.You get what you pay for I guess!
Xtriple129 said:
When I got my Merc, out for a gentle afternoon bimble and a truck coming the other way threw up a load of stones/rocks. Three HUGE chips out of the screen (and one out of the bonnet) I feared for the future...
New windscreen fitted after a fortnights ownership and, touch wood, nothing since.
I think these things go in cycles.
I don't know - I do a 400 mile round trip from the North West down South a couple of times per month and pretty well every time at some point the screen takes a hit which leaves a chip.New windscreen fitted after a fortnights ownership and, touch wood, nothing since.
I think these things go in cycles.
I'm usually driving during the middle of the day so the motorways are relatively quiet and I can cruise in lane 1. People cutting in front back into lane 1 cause most incidents.
The other main one is people overtaking using unswept areas of single carriageway roads - it's got to the point where if I suspect someone is going to use a hatched off turn right area to pointlessly overtake, then I'll indicate right to try and stop them, although even that doesn't always work.
The roads are breaking up!
Generally speaking, glass is thinner/lighter. There are some quality differences between (glass) manufacturers and a few more between the non-OEM branded copies.
It's a bit of a grey area and the manufacturers of 'aftermarket' glass use clever/confusing words to validate the quality of their products. This is why you get so many companies stating that they 'fit OEM windscreens' or 'OEM equivalent'.
The words used by the manufacturers is confusing to the point of some even being misleading.
Generally speaking, glass is thinner/lighter. There are some quality differences between (glass) manufacturers and a few more between the non-OEM branded copies.
It's a bit of a grey area and the manufacturers of 'aftermarket' glass use clever/confusing words to validate the quality of their products. This is why you get so many companies stating that they 'fit OEM windscreens' or 'OEM equivalent'.
The words used by the manufacturers is confusing to the point of some even being misleading.
I imagine the rake angle of the screen is a factor too. Certain cars with more vertical screens will take more force from the stone rather than deflecting it. Different manufacturers will use (within legal standards) different grades of glass too, some stronger and some weaker. If you have a car with a more upright windscreen of slightly weaker glass the probability of stone chips would be considerably higher than a raked screen of slightly stronger glass. I surmise that it's very likely some cars are more prone to stone chips.
TTmonkey said:
I had 9 replacement screens on my R53 Mini.
Definite design flaw.
9!? over what length of time?Definite design flaw.
our Kia Rio has much more of an relaxed angle than the Mini did, so it goes against what most people would think that a more upright screen would chip easily....maybe there is some sort of 'perfect angle' that causes screens to chip easily? and that's exasperated by road type/driving style?
Member of my family had a Focus (mk1) for years and has never had a chip.... i'm thinking about changing cars just for the annoyance but as i'm no where near 9 maybe I shouldn't complain!
timtoo2 said:
TTmonkey said:
I had 9 replacement screens on my R53 Mini.
Definite design flaw.
9!? over what length of time?Definite design flaw.
our Kia Rio has much more of an relaxed angle than the Mini did, so it goes against what most people would think that a more upright screen would chip easily....maybe there is some sort of 'perfect angle' that causes screens to chip easily? and that's exasperated by road type/driving style?
Member of my family had a Focus (mk1) for years and has never had a chip.... i'm thinking about changing cars just for the annoyance but as i'm no where near 9 maybe I shouldn't complain!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff