davidspalding

Since getting my pre-owned car 6 months ago, I've noticed in the morning and the evening, when the sun is low on the horizon, that there are hundreds of miniscule specks or defects in the windshield and rear window glass that catch the light. I think I've also caught them on the side windows, too, but I don't look through them as much.

It's not road debris or anything, yesterday after a thorough car wash followed by glass cleaning (inside and out) with Stoner's Invisible Glass, I again could see these teeny "sparkles." It seems as if they're IN the glass, evenly distributed, and rather annoying when driving into the sun in the morning.

Has anyone else noticed this in Acura glass?

LukeaTron

I have seen this in every Honda/Acura vehicle I've owned. I've gone so far as to check it out with a hand held microscope. It turns out they're little pits in the glass. I don't know why Honda seems to have such issues with this. It was totally out of control in my old Civic. Driving in the city on a rainy night was downright dangerous due to absurdly high amounts of glare from the street lamps. It's much, much better in the TSX than it has been in my other Honda cars but at 50 some thousand miles, I'm starting to see some pitting.

Hopefully it won't progress to the point that my old car was. I'd probably replace the windshield if it did.

bbbuzzy

I agree with the previous poster that the "sparkle" is likely due to pitting of the glass. I don't think the is a Honda/Acura issue, just a result of modern glass, highway debris, road salt, acid rain, blah, blah, blah. Put in a new windshield and you should be fine.

Simba91102

I'd vote for road rash. My 05 w/ 64K miles is getting a new windshield in the spring due to the toll highway driving (especially in the winter) in New England takes on windshields here (that's why I'm waiting). It's gotten to the point where driving into the sun in the AM can be downright dangerous. This isn't restricted to Acura in my opinion; I've had the same experience with Audi and BMW. I don't know if it's crappy glass, more sh*t on the roads, more traffic, or a combination of all of the above, but I've found that 2-3 years and/or 50-60K miles is about the safe life expectancy of a windshield nowadays. Being the cynical, grumpy old man that I am, I'd suspect the envirofanatics have a hand in this (granted, a convenient whipping post, but just about everything that isn't as good as it used to be can attribute at least some of the reason for it to environmental concerns).

LukeaTron

The only reason I point to the Honda specificality is because I've had 3 Honda vehicles that have demonstrated this problem to a much higher degree than cars with a similar history. It's purely anecdotal but I have heard other people mention the same observation. The windshield in my Civic was so densely covered in these little pits that it almost had a frosted appearance. This was after ~150k miles. It was hands down the worst windshield I've ever been behind.

davidspalding

The windshields I've had in my 1987 Jeep haven't had this problem. The current one has something like 90,000 miles on it ... no big pits, and it's at a steeper angle to the wind.

I wonder, if it got so bad while under warranty, if this is covered. Windshield glass should NOT become obscured by imperfections after 15 months of operation (that's how old the car was when I bought it).

rx280

The posts in this thread are giving credence to a suspicion I’ve had for a while: that the windshield of my TSX is more easily pitted and scratched than the windshield of every other car I’ve owned. My ’04 has about 55,000 miles on it, and this is its fifth New England winter. Winter means frequent sanding of the roads, and that results in more sand being thrown back at your car by the vehicles – especially big trucks – ahead, and it’s impacts like those that pit the glass.
Having said that, I must also tell you that it’s not so much the pitting that makes me think the windshield glass is unusually soft; it’s the scratching. Using ice scrapers, I’ve put far, far more scratches in this windshield than in the windshields of all my previous cars combined. And, no, I haven’t suddenly started using old, crappy scrapers with rough edges. I’ve got at least a half-dozen very significant scratches in this windshield. They’re more than a few inches long – a couple must be close to a foot long – and deep enough that you can feel them with a fingernail.
Anyone else found that scraper use has taken a greater toll on their TSX windshield than on their previous/other cars’ windshields?
(A do-it-yourselfer won’t be able to remove scratches this deep by polishing the glass; no way. I had a technician from a glass polishing company take a look and he said he could probably significantly reduce or eliminate the scratches – at a cost of several hundred dollars – but he acknowledged that the heat being generated in the polishing process could cause distortion of the glass.
As much as I fear shoddy workmanship, I’m seriously considering having this windshield replaced. Of course, I have to wonder whether windshield #2 would be any more resistant to pitting and scratching, assuming use of OEM glass.)

LukeaTron

If it comes down to it, I'll replace my windshield with non-Honda glass. I can't imagine I'd have any more problems than I would otherwise given my past experience.

I'm no where near needing that yet so far. My TSX windshield is in pretty good shape at 50 some thousand miles.

spoiledkari

My windshield was replaced with Non-Honda glass 1 week after I purchased the car brand new and I also have this pitting problem. I think it has something to do with the angle of the windshield.

curls

it's common on many cars and is known as "sand pitting". Caused by very fine particles of sand being kicked up from other vehicles, and over time they take their toll.

DemonPoofball

It's good to see I'm not the only one who's noticed this!! Luckily mine's not too bad, and I only notice it when the sun is at a particular angle. I originally saw it w/in a week of getting it last summer-- and there was only 18 miles when I picked it up (and about 250 more by the time I got it home, but there wasn't much on the road then-- such as winter sand).

I wondered at one point if it were something I could cleanse off, but I'm guessing, by the comments, they're pits (I kept forgetting to look closer as I can't see it all the time). My last car was 17 and I never saw that kind of pitting (well... one windshield on it made it 11 years, the other 6, when I traded it). Weird. This should be interesting!

davidspalding

Disappointing that so much pitting would be on my CPO after 15 months ... but then, it DID have 35,000 miles on it. The previous owner did plenty of driving in it. But I'm still wondering ... rear window, too? How?

I recall someone here on the boards discussing a windshield "polish" that Mercedes offered, but couldnt' find it online. I'm guessing that glass specialists could (maybe) polish out minor nicks. Anyone ever investigated this?

LukeaTron

I looked into it and was told that to get rid of it they would have to take off so much glass that the windshield would be warped and act like a lens afterwards, distorting everything you see through it. Hardly seems worth it.

LukeaTron

I have long suspected that aerodynamics play a large role in the problem.

cmschmie

I am getting it too.

Had it in my 2000 Grand Am as well

visuelz

I've never got anything like that. Maybe you should try claybar. =]

LukeaTron

A clay bar isn't going magically fill in all the little pits in the glass.

Well it might, but not in any way that's going to make visibility better.

davidspalding

Based on this document I found online,[1] what we're looking at are near-microscopic "surfact pits" (p.3). They certainly don't penetrate to the plastic interlayer. So if resin is used to fill a vacuum evacuated space in a break or crack, and closly "approximates the refractive index of the laminated glass," I wonder if there's a treatment which could fill small surface pits. Maybe I'm dreaming.

[1] It's an interesting document, by the way. I learned things I didn't know about repair limitations for damaged windshields.

2T0S0X4

I have a 2004 with 49,000 miles and finally had the windshield replaced through my insurance. I live in California no where near any snow but it was bad enough that you could start to feel the pits when you rubbed your hand over the glass.

davidspalding

I heard from a auto glass specialist in Las Vegas, she said that this is a common problem in the desert from sand, and there's no magic bullet (either to fix, or a type of glass that's more resistant).

I'm curious 2T0S0X4, what explanation did you give your insurance company to cover the replacement?

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

i've never really noticed the specks in the winshield, but i will atest to the poor visuals during rainy nights. for some reason, i just find it really hard to see, especially w/ glares. at first i just attributed it to my own vision, so i wear my glasses. but after reading this, i wonder if those specks, if there, make everything look worse.

sb65

I've noticed it on every car I've owned ... 76 Chevy Vega, 82 Nissan 200SX, 94 Accord, and 03 TL. I had my Accord windsheild replaced due to being cracked by a rock, and it was perfectly clear for a while, but within a year or two, the same micro-pits were there. I don't think that it is Honda/Acura specific.

Colin

FWIW, I notice both pit and industrial fallout on the glass on our S2000s. I can reduce much of it by running detailing clay across the glass a few times a year. A razor also works but you need a lot of soap for lubrication and it is more dangerous (to the glass). Even on a well maintained car, you'd be surprised at how much junk is stuck to the glass.

kjones00

I have previously owned two Dodge Dakotas and two Jeep Grand Cherokees - none of them had this problem. However, my fiancee's 2002 Accord has it bad. Maybe it does have something to do with the angle of the window and how close it is to the ground.

KJ

2T0S0X4

I Just fought with them to replace the glass due to "sand blasting" from driving on the freeways here and that it was not safe to drive the vehicle due to the visual impairment. They approved the replacement after an adjuster inspected the glass.

davidspalding

Thanks for that suggestion. One of the reasons I wash my car regularly in urban enviros is to keep that industrial gunk from settling too long and degrading the wax/finish. Good idea though, I imagine that a clay bar takes off surface contaminants that even thorough glass cleaner doesn't. I won't even touch the razor blade method ... leave that for experts.

I figured as much ... an adjuster needs to appraise it to determine the extent of visual impairment. I imagine there is some kind of standard (e.g. 10 specks per square mm, in primary driver vision area), and I'm curious what it is. I'll bet they keep that REAL close to the vest.

schill38

I had a huge rock take out a fist sized divot in my '05 when it had only 3k miles, I replaced the windshield with a non-oem and am now at 44k miles and it has the same problem, I think this is just a natural wear issue...

davidspalding

Thanks everyone for your feedback and anecdotes. Very illuminating. Must be a slanted/curved windscreen thing. My '87 Wrangler has a flat screen, at a 70(?) degree angle ... and doesn't exhibit this kind of damage. Having been in that Jeep for so many years, I'm just a naif about this.

I'm going to try Colin's clay bar idea. After the last wash, I cleaned the *#&@ out of the front and rear windows, with multiple applications of Stoners and buffing with a dry, clean microfiber. This morning, the rain is positively rolling off (something I used to love about using siliconized glass cleaner, or aviation anti-fog glass cleaner, when I was in Coast Guard aviation). There's something to be said to having your windscreen as clean as possible, you don't have to use your wipers as much.