Windshield Pitting
#1
Members
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have 2 year old E60 that has some serious pitting on the windshield and headlight covers. I am about to repair the headlight covers by sanding and polishing as I have done on other vehicles with great success, as they are plastic. My question is this - can anything similar be done to the windshield to polish or improve the pitting on it? It looks as if it's been driven in a sandstorm for about a thousand miles. Thanks.
#2
Contributors
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: St. Louis Burbs, USA
Posts: 8,998
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
Originally Posted by Sooner79' post='712277' date='Nov 4 2008, 04:58 PM
I have 2 year old E60 that has some serious pitting on the windshield and headlight covers. I am about to repair the headlight covers by sanding and polishing as I have done on other vehicles with great success, as they are plastic. My question is this - can anything similar be done to the windshield to polish or improve the pitting on it? It looks as if it's been driven in a sandstorm for about a thousand miles. Thanks.
#3
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Thousand Oaks, California
Posts: 11,084
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
I have the same problem too! The previous owner of my car was in Arizona and must have been driving through sand storms on a regular basis! I did manage to take care of the headlights and fog lights too, but the windshield is still VERY pitted!
#4
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left Coast, USA
Posts: 880
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 535i, 6spd mtx, Monaco Blue w/Beige interior. Sport, Preimum, Logic 7/HD/I-Pod/USB, Nav sys, rear sunshade, HUD, PDC, Split seats,
Mine too!! Only has 9K miles on it and looks as if I have 40K miles worth of pitting - especially the fog lights and headlight lenses are awful and I haven't been driving in sandstorms!! Can't remember it being this bad in the past but what can you do? BMW wants $160/each for the plastic fog light housing - so I'm not going to do that
#5
Senior Members
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Fort Lauderdale Florida
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2009 550i sports, Nav, logic Best E60 yet
2004 545i, sports pkg, logic 7 steptronic, rear shade,orient blue with beige interior, blue tooth enabled Razer Phone. 2004 X5 3.0, sports pkg, stepronic, summer pkg. imola red.
2006 Mini Cooper S, manual, sports, prem pkg, nav and kitchen sink.
The windshield pitting has been one of my pet peeves, I spend a lot of time driving on Interstate 95 and in South Florida, where road constuction has been going on forever.
Ive had 7 bimmers since 2001 and each one has has pitted windshields that drives me crazy especially in the mornings as the sun is rising. I have thought many times that BMW must be using soft glass, if that even possible. I cannot remember ever having this problem on any other car Ive owned.
I cannot imagine why BMW can not figure out how to make their glass chip resistant, the only fix that I know of is to replace your windshield. If you have glass coverage, pray for large stone hitting your glass causing a nice crack.
Ive had 7 bimmers since 2001 and each one has has pitted windshields that drives me crazy especially in the mornings as the sun is rising. I have thought many times that BMW must be using soft glass, if that even possible. I cannot remember ever having this problem on any other car Ive owned.
I cannot imagine why BMW can not figure out how to make their glass chip resistant, the only fix that I know of is to replace your windshield. If you have glass coverage, pray for large stone hitting your glass causing a nice crack.
#7
Contributors
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by jochet' post='712340' date='Nov 4 2008, 06:29 PM
The windshield pitting has been one of my pet peeves, I spend a lot of time driving on Interstate 95 and in South Florida, where road constuction has been going on forever.
Ive had 7 bimmers since 2001 and each one has has pitted windshields that drives me crazy especially in the mornings as the sun is rising. I have thought many times that BMW must be using soft glass, if that even possible. I cannot remember ever having this problem on any other car Ive owned.
I cannot imagine why BMW can not figure out how to make their glass chip resistant, the only fix that I know of is to replace your windshield. If you have glass coverage, pray for large stone hitting your glass causing a nice crack.
Ive had 7 bimmers since 2001 and each one has has pitted windshields that drives me crazy especially in the mornings as the sun is rising. I have thought many times that BMW must be using soft glass, if that even possible. I cannot remember ever having this problem on any other car Ive owned.
I cannot imagine why BMW can not figure out how to make their glass chip resistant, the only fix that I know of is to replace your windshield. If you have glass coverage, pray for large stone hitting your glass causing a nice crack.
#8
Senior Members
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pikes Peak- Colorado
Posts: 801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: BMW 535xi
Model Year: 2008
I had the 3M clear bra extended to cover the headlights and fog lights. Very happy I did as Colorado roads are notorious for flying sand and rocks. I am told when the "pitting" gets bad I can peel off and replace this last generation 3M clear protectant.
#9
BMW uses soft glass so that if a rock hits the windshield, it'll just pit instead of cracking. But as one of the members, alex9496, mentioned just pay a deductible under your insurance and have it replaced. I'd suggest you take the insurance check and find a local windshield professional to take care of the job - it should cost no more than $300 installed.
#10
Originally Posted by Mike@F1 Autoha?s' post='712642' date='Nov 4 2008, 09:26 PM
BMW uses soft glass so that if a rock hits the windshield, it'll just pit instead of cracking.