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.
How bad is the pitting? I think if it's pretty bad, then there's no fix other than a new windshield. At least that's what I've been told, which is why I had to get a new one.
Not bad enough to spend the money on a repacement. I was just wondering if it could be improved by some sort of polishing.
I had the same issue on my E36 and did quite a bit of research on the subject. I was told BMW uses a "softer" glass that is less prone to cracking & chipping but as a result is more prone to pitting. I have no idea if that's true but it makes sense to me because when compared to my other cars (Mazdas & Chevy) with similar mileage and driving conditions, the BMW's windshield is MUCH more pitted. I used the Autoglym glass polishing kit ( http://www.properautocare.com/glpokit.html ) with mixed results. It gets the glass incredibly clean and definitely takes out all the grit and contaminants but didn't do anything for the actual 'pits'. They said in order to properly polish all the pits out, you would have to remove too much material from the windshield and would end up with a lot of distortion in the glass. Bottom line...try the polishing kit and see if it cleans it up a little (it was definitely an improvement), if not, the only solution is probably a new windshield.
You may also want to check with your auto insurance company. Most of them have windshield repair/replacement plans as part of your policy, and most will not count glass damage as a "claim."
Space Cowboy is right...some Insurance companies will pay for the replacement of a damaged windshield as they feel it is a safety hazard the might result in a more severe claim like an accident or injury claim. Others feel it is part of the insureds responsibility to ensure they are driving in a safe vehicle free of defects. They could state the accident was caused by you not maintaining the vehicle properly and deny any claim This is different for every carrier. Some cover the entire cost of winshield replacement, some have a deductible others do not cover it and you must then attempt a claim or pay out of pocket. Give your agent a call. A bit of advice, do NOT get anything other than the BMW windshield. My experience, and some fellow chapter members as well, has NOT been positive with some of the aftermarket OEM windshields. I am sure there are some good alternatives out there, I just have not seen any personally.
Windshield scratches or pitting I have also had this issue. I tried the dealership and they would not offer any solution other than replacing the windshield. I have tried a solution of Red Jewelers Compound, Glycerine and water, with no success. Just a wast of time actually. Good Luck!
