'Sandblasted' windscreen

[Man in Black]

I know this has been mentioned in the past but how many MB owners have the issue of a windscreen that looks as though it's been following a road gritter?
Are we putting up with it because you only notice the 'pitting' in bright sunlight?
Shouldn't this be brought up to MB UK as an inherent fault?
Just how many of you guys (and gals) have this problem?

BTW, it has nothing to do with heated screen elements, as some imply. The minute pitting goes across the complete screen.
Someone mentioned paste and wire wool! The thought of it sends shivers down my spine!
I believe this is a MB UK problem and THEY ought to address it.

 

[Craiglxviii]

No. I don't recall it being mentioned in the past either. I've seen no warranty return data to suggest that this is an issue either.

Meths and wire wool is a perfectly good way to clean a dirty screen. It's good because the wire wool is softer than the windscreen glass so cannot scratch it.

Any and indeed every car will have the same issue of a dirty front 'screen.

 

[Man in Black]

Thanks for the reply but it is not a 'dirty screen'. it is like tiny particles of sand, in the glass, not on the surface of the glass. As what would happen if you followed a road gritter. They are so tiny you only see it in bright sunshine. I may have to live with it.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thanks for the reply but it is not a 'dirty screen'. it is like tiny particles of sand, in the glass, not on the surface of the glass. As what would happen if you followed a road gritter. They are so tiny you only see it in bright sunshine. I may have to live with it.

Yes. My CL has it. But then it's 17 years old...

Micropitting is the technical name for it. Like I said, I've seen no reports in the warranty data (as part of my job I get to see global warranty reports for all OEMs) to suggest that this is a) MB unique, b) increasing in frequency or even c) a recognised quality issue for carmakers worldwide.

Think about it. Glass can only get scratched if something harder than it impacts the surface at enough of an incident angle (+/- 30 degrees to the normal) to achieve a force vector enough to cause a chip. That realistically is found in granite gravel chippings and not much else- road salt/ marl mix usually doesn't contain hard stuff for that reason. So cars that see this issue tend to have been driven around roads with hard localised gravel surfaces. If you're in the northwest you may be more likely to see this as the roads there have a higher proportion of granite chippings- long story.

 

[Man in Black]

I appreciate your response and technical viewpoint. However, from driving a mini cooper in the 60s, through Escort Mexico, Lotus Elan +2, Rover 2000, Peugeot 407, VW Golf, BMW M Sport etc. NONE of those cars had this particular issue. But, as I said, I'll have to live with it.

 

[Xtractorfan]

It is an inherent part of todays driving, Mini Coopers and Ford Escorts didn't have the same amount of traffic to cope with so less problems with sandblasted windscreens. Take into account bigger/broader tyres, and the flexibility of the tread acting as a catapult for these tiny particles.
Admittedly some cars are more prone that others, but this is more to do with the environment they are driven in

 

[Rory]

I appreciate your response and technical viewpoint. However, from driving a mini cooper in the 60s, through Escort Mexico, Lotus Elan +2, Rover 2000, Peugeot 407, VW Golf, BMW M Sport etc. NONE of those cars had this particular issue. But, as I said, I'll have to live with it.

I was a sales rep driving around mainly N Wales for some years in the 80's in my younger days - so lots of single carriageway roads and I drove closer to other traffic than I do now, as I'd always be looking for the overtake.

We had new cars every 2yrs and did about 50,000 miles in them. I had two cars where I got the screens changed during their time with me just because they became dangerous to see through if facing a low sun.

Have you had your car from new? Some replacement screens are not of the same quality as original fit.

 

[umblecumbuz]

I have had this 'micro pitting' on only one Merc.

I bought it used, and didn't notice the pitting - just as though it had been mildly sandblasted - until a few weeks after I bought it,

I phoned the seller, and it came to light ('scuse the pun) that he was a quarry firm manager, and regularly drove behind quarry trucks.

Couldn't blame MB for that. In fact, the black paintwork was excellent, with only the normal scattering of bonnet chips. The paint was harder than the windscreen?

 

[Man in Black]

The screen is an original MB product, factory fitted.

 

[AMGeed]

This isn't a MB only problem. Thousands of cars that spend their lives on motorways have the same problem with pitted screens.

You are wasting your breath thinking MB will do anything about it.

 

[bob 6600]

My mate Dave had the same problem. It got really bad and almost dangerous in direct sunlight.

Luckily it 'developed' a crack from an old chip and so got replaced via insurance.

Dave was happy

 

[Craiglxviii]

Have you had your car from new? Some replacement screens are not of the same quality as original fit.

Sorry to disabuse, but replacement screens (even Autoglass labelled or whatever) branded come direct from the same factory as the OEM screen. Ask me how I know this.

 

[Craiglxviii]

I have had this 'micro pitting' on only one Merc.

I bought it used, and didn't notice the pitting - just as though it had been mildly sandblasted - until a few weeks after I bought it,

I phoned the seller, and it came to light ('scuse the pun) that he was a quarry firm manager, and regularly drove behind quarry trucks.

Couldn't blame MB for that. In fact, the black paintwork was excellent, with only the normal scattering of bonnet chips. The paint was harder than the windscreen?

MB paint is ceramic and REALLY hard. However remember that steel will elastically deform under the paint so that will absorb a lot of the impact energy of stone chippings which would not happen on glass.

 

[GlosRichCLK]

It must be the quality of the glass these days, not as tough as it was.

I've seen these sandblasted screens on many cars. Usually a result of driving to close to trucks.

I had a 2008 Honda Accord with only 56k miles, but it had been a motorway car, and the windscreen was a mess.

 

[Craiglxviii]

It must be the quality of the glass these days, not as tough as it was.

I've seen these sandblasted screens on many cars. Usually a result of driving to close to trucks.

I had a 2008 Honda Accord with only 56k miles, but it had been a motorway car, and the windscreen was a mess.

The quality of glass has only been going up over the years. What has changed is the overall thickness, which points to impact resistance not abrasion.

 

[Westheath]

It seems there confusion here with a manufacturing complaint and wear and tear.

Modern bonded laminated windscreens are part of the cars structural strength,
older toughened unbonded windscreens were a single sheet of glass mounted in a rubber seal.

Laminated screens are softer than toughened glass, cars still have toughened glass fitted
usually in the doors and rear window.

If there's a defect in the manufacturing I'm sure Pilkington or NAG would have been hauled over the coals.

 

[Craiglxviii]

The toughening (actually, tempering) process does not make glass any more or less hard. it just de-embrittles it to prevent jagged splinters. Cracks form in cubes instead.

 

[Westheath]

Hit a toughened window with a hammer,
Then hit a laminated windscreen with a hammer and see what happens.

Also interestingly >>>>>

 

[V6Matty]

But laminated and tempered glass is made up if the same type of glass it's just that one is thinner and built up in layers rather than just a single thicker bit

 

[Craiglxviii]

Yup.

But laminated and tempered glass is made up if the same type of glass it's just that one is thinner and built up in layers rather than just a single thicker bit

2mm glass, 1.6mm PVB, 2mm glass...