Windshield chipping (3rd windshield with only 9K on truck)

[biggut1]

Here is a chip for you. After work one day I get in my RL and start to remove my sun shades. I start with the one on the right side and the edge of the shade had mananged to get under the rearview mirror mount and as I remove the shade the mirrow pops off the windshield taken one massive chunk out of the inside of my windshield. Thank goodness for the great service department at my local Honda dealer they agreed to replace the windshield under warranty.

[wjr1004]

No chips here yet thank god....

[PeterK]

Here in Louisiana, the roads normally have some debris on them. All my years of living in Michigan, I never replaced a windshield on any of my cars. The last 10 years here in Louisiana, I have put in 11 windshields in my Toyotas and Hondas. Was told - not sure if true - that the windshield glass used now is thinner to save weight and is more "brittle". I have asked at various glass shops and no one knows of a better quality replacement glass being available.
Pete

[N0LO]

Mine is fine so far!

Attention Floridians Windshields are repaired or replaced at a $0 deductable. So get them fixed!

Two cars, two windshields.

[VTRidge]

I got a huge chip in the windshield of my Ridge early last month. Unfortunately, it was just about right in my field of view, and large enough that the windshield had to be replaced. Of course, things aren't always that easy.

Now, my new windshield has wind noise whereas it never did before. The glass shop used a PPG replacement (not Honda OEM). I just went back today to have them try to fix the noise, I even printed out and showed them the TSB so that they could use that to help them. Wasted effort. It still makes noise, maybe even more so. I'm not all that versed about this problem, but it seems to me there is a large gap between the moulding and the pillars on the top corners, exactly where the TSB says it should be filled in. Isn't that what the TSB advises to do?? It looks like Repair Procedure B of the TSB shows better mouldings that actually span that gap.

Anybody out there with advice? Should I demand replacement using OEM windshield and mouldings? I don't think I could bring it to the dealer to fix for free can I... since it wasn't them, nor the factory that caused this problem?

[Taff]

Almost 44K on my Ridgeline with the usual chips expected from living in Colorado. Today the wind picked up on the interstate and blew up a cloud of anti-skid debris from the side of the road. I now have litterally thousands of chips across my entire windshield.

Having taken a pretty good look at the glass in my windshield, it appears to be pretty thick stuff and this might explain why none of the previous chips have spread into cracks. However, I have to concur with the previous posts referring to the brittle nature of the Ridgeline windshield. Could it be the case that Honda has decided to go with a compound that is more brittle, and therefore more susceptible to tiny abrasions, in order to avoid major cracks?

Does anyone know of any product to reduce the effect of the pitting on the screen?

[BillB]

Anybody else have trouble with chipping?

Too many chips and dings to count now on my 3rd windshield. I have given up worrying about these windshields ever performing like those from other brands I am used to having. These are just too soft and unless they improve the glass, it is useless chasing after a cure.

[FL_Ridge]

I have heard that some states pay for windshields out of their Highway Funds. Any truth to that?

[BillB]

Isn't that what the TSB advises to do?? It looks like Repair Procedure B of the TSB shows better mouldings that actually span that gap.

The moldings do not span the gap, they have not been redesigned for 2007. The procedure to use when installing the windshield is to push the moldings as close as possible to the metal frame, but it is a tricky procedure and one that will not be done properly by anyone not familiar with replacing a Ridgeline windshield. The OEM molding is pre-formed with the curves at the top of the windshield being very defined and difficult to alter their shape to force into the corners. If you force the corners, the straight part of the molding twists and that looks like hell also. Unlike some moldings, this molding goes on the windshield before the glass is siliconed in and that makes it even more difficult to get just right.

[Embo_9]

I heard Click and Clack talking about this just the other day. Turns out the reason we're all having so many chips is that the car companies are using thinner glass on their vehicles.

Glass weighs a lot and the more a car weighs the more power it takes to drag that weight around. So, the car companies put thinner glass in the cars/trucks to reduce the weight and bump their fuel economy.