Any windscreen preservation technique tips ?
Any windscreen preservation technique tips ?
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Discussion

Newc

Original Poster:

2,162 posts

205 months

One of the Newcettes is having her third windscreen replacement in 12 months. These are all cracks from stones being thrown up from in front. She commutes on mostly 50-60 mph A-road / dual carriageways with some short B road stretches, but the damage has occurred at random places, not a specific road.

Are there any good defensive techniques she could adopt to reduce this ? She's not hooning along 2mm off the back bumper of the car in front, but the traffic is moving along smartly and leaving a 4-chevron gap will just mean someone pulls into it and closes the distance anyway.

Jaybee1981

62 posts

142 months

I think the most most obvious reason youve already addressed.
Only other things i can think of is staying our of lanes that are obviously covered in crap or if the state of the roads she use are very poor.

I'd still be looking at point one tho. 3 times is crazy.

Red9zero

10,436 posts

80 months

I have seen companies putting PPF on windscreens. Might be worth trying.

Every day a journey

2,707 posts

61 months

If she WAS following at 2mm behind the car in front there would not be the space for stones to fly up so I would encourage her to adopt this approach.

Will also help if she's driving a BMW or Audi as that would be expected of them.

Snow and Rocks

3,082 posts

50 months

One of my friends is always complaining about this and has had several new windscreens fitted over the past decade or so.

I do twice his annual mileage and have never needed a new windscreen.

The only difference is that he constantly drives much closer to the car in front. Not close enough that it would annoy anyone or be dangerous but it seems to be enough to make a difference.

I hang well back and if the odd car slots in, who cares, two or three car lengths is irrelevant over the course of a journey. Much more chilled out way to drive.

Haltamer

2,632 posts

103 months

Red9zero said:
I have seen companies putting PPF on windscreens. Might be worth trying.
That was my first thought - I’m sure there is / I may have seen a similar offering to that which they use on Le Mans Cars / F1 Helmets, with multiple layers that can be peeled off when the outermost layer is buggered?

Newc

Original Poster:

2,162 posts

205 months

Every day a journey said:
If she WAS following at 2mm behind the car in front there would not be the space for stones to fly up so I would encourage her to adopt this approach
clap

Jaybee1981 said:
Only other things i can think of is staying our of lanes that are obviously covered in crap or if the state of the roads she use are very poor.
Yeah good point, I might drive it with her and see if there are particular debris collection spots to be avoided.

Snow and Rocks said:
I do twice his annual mileage and have never needed a new windscreen.

The only difference is that he constantly drives much closer to the car in front.
Yes same for me, one screen in last 15 years. I don't think she's that close but maybe she could be consistently one or two metres further back. I'll put on my best back seat driver hat and go out with her.


Robertb

3,417 posts

261 months

Luck of the draw I think. My daughter lost a screen to a conker last autumn which was annoying!

For what its worth, my Merc CLS with ACC seems less chippy than the last one I had without it, because it leaves a big old gap.

But yes, the windscreen PPF would seem like a good solution if it works. Its not cheap though, albeit probably a lot less than a new OE screen fitted by someone who knows what they're doing.

gotoPzero

19,948 posts

212 months


I would suggest a dash camera.

HTH.