[ds968]

I drove the 968 to work today and when I returned home I noticed a rather large crack in my Maserati windshield , running in a mildly curved line all the way from the pillar to almost the middle / center point of the windshield ( on the passenger side ) . I was inside the car this morning because I took some things out of the glove compartment to transfer to the 968 and would have immediately noticed something that large and visible . So it happened sometime during a half day span. The car sat parked the entire time , no one else drives it, there were no objects in proximity of which one could suspect as having fallen on the windshield to cause something that severe, especially since the crack has no apparent impact markings at all, not even a pinpoint spot in that entire long line .

Also, the possibility of something like a tiny rock / pebble hitting the windshield while I drove the car yesterday, with the cracking having developed only some 16-18 hours later seems unlikely as well, because 1) I would have definitely heard the impact and 2) there would be some kind of defined point where it hit, from which the crack spreads. At least I think there would be, I've had pebbles crack several of my 944s and 968 windshields over the years , but in all cases there was a small and very distinct impact point ...and of course the moment when it hit was always loud as hell ..


So what happened here is a complete mystery to me .


Has anyone ever experienced or even heard of anything this bizarre ?! Is there such a thing as a pressure crack that could freakishly happen from closing the cars doors and creating a vacuum ( for lack of better terminology ) or some other similar physics phenomena ? Maybe a teaction to many days of extreme heat and then a mere 20-30 degree temperature swing causing a weak point in the windshield to give up and crack ?


Puzzled . Not to mention a bit sick to my stomach ..

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[Rap]

Time to get a new car. You didn't mention someone coming along and purposefully causing the damage? Of course we all know you are up for sainthood so that probably is not the answer. Sorry to hear that.

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[flash]

i have had a windshield crack due to being parked in the hot sun.

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[94SilverCab]

i have had a windshield crack due to being parked in the hot sun.

 

Me too, happened on my Infiniti...

 

Don't they have a Maserati Forum?

 

Jay

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[Waylander]

I have seen some reports in the news of panoramic roofs going pop in the sun, anything is possible

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[jimham968]

Does Lucas make windshields?

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[Rap]

Is there a windshield forum?

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[ds968]

Lol, there IS a Maserati forum and I'm on it , but no info yet from anyone who had this happen to their cars. However, it has noting to do with the make and model of any given automobile , that's why I posted the question here as well..


Seems heat-pressure glass cracks are not that unique..

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

SH** happens. Just a tiny twist in the wrong place will crack your windshield. I bet most of us, our friends or family have experienced this in our lifetime.

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[ds968]

According to one of the other forum members who owns a body shop, leaving your side windows just slightly opened when parking the car out on very hot days supposedly helps mitigate the risk a bit, but it's not an absolute guarantee it'll prevent these kind of things from happening , since the exterior heat absorbed by the glass may be sufficient by itself to cause cracking . I guess from now on I'll just throw a cover on the car during extreme heat days . It's hassle but better than a busted windshield ..

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[flash]

the problem with covers is that they often scratch the paint

 

also, when you go to get in the car after it has been sitting in the sun, don't run the air conditioning right away.  put the windows down first, to let the car cool off a bit.  then turn on the AC.

 

the best solution is just don't park the car in the sun

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[Rap]

Build a garage. You're cars deserve one.

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[ds968]

No choice not parking the car in the sun at work . But good idea re waiting before turning on the AC , never thought of that. and as you know, my AC is at the "on" position all the time .

Yeah, I'll ask my employer to build a garage , because my cars deserve one.

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[JWahlsten]

I had this happen to me washing my car years ago...  Extreme temperature deltas have a tendency to cause small stresses to propagate.  It was pretty cool watching the windshield crack.  Stupid, but cool.  Thank goodness my windshield was in a much cheaper car  Mine started at a small chip I didn't see until after.

 

I wonder if a sunshield would make a difference for you.  I always use one parking at the airport for days.  Learned the lesson on that one from the 944.  Helped delay dash cracks.

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[Rap]

Dan a man of your stature deserves a garage. I'm surprised it's not in your employment contract!

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[ds968]

I always use a sunshield, but unfortunately in this case it appears it did not make a difference . Perhaps it may have delayed this occurrence , but did not prevent it .


I'll have to ask what the Maserati windshields cost ( I won't see the invoice because it's sent directly to the insurance company, I just pay the shop for the deductible ) - if I recall the last time a rock found its way into the 968 windshield , which I think was over ten years ago , the total cost installed was around $ 500. I imagine this one is likely to be in the $ 2,500 + category ..

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[ds968]

Dan a man of your stature deserves a garage. I'm surprised it's not in your employment contract!

I hesitate to reveal the reason I want them to build me a garage ; I'm the company's chief risk officer - they're going to accuse me of failing to even identify, assess and manage my own car's windshield's cracking potential risk , how can I possibly be trusted with a multi-billion dollar enterprise risks ? I'll likely get fired and then have to find a garage ...to live in ! And in this area , the space a garage occupies goes for about $ 500 K

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[Chris Vais]

I had this happen on my A5. Carefully check the edge of the windshield where the crack originated and you may wind a very small stone impact. My windshield replacement guy said that a stone strike on the extreme margin of the window will eventually lead to crack. Mine cracked halfway across after a day parked in the sun.

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[ds968]

Yeah, I also looked at that very spot carefully, but could not detect anything .

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[az968]

First, you must have been parking next to your 968 cab because that car has everything break - the Mas is now picking up some bad habits.

 

Second, how can it get so hot in the Bay area for a car to get so hot in the sun it would break a windshield?  I used to live in a place people would explode into flames in the summer and never had a windshield do that, course I always left a window cracked so expanding air could escape.  Never had to wait to blast the A/C either after getting back into a car at the end of the day. Course when it's 150 degrees F inside, the A/C takes a loooong time to cool the car down.

 

Third, as a risk management officer, you should be able to convince your company that a garage, or at least covered parking, for expensive cars is managing risk properly.  Your boss used to own that car and I'll bet he'll approve a garage to reduce the risk to his new car. Come on, Dan, Sell this harder

 

Fourth, they must make Mas windshields out of Swarovski crystals for them to be so flimsy.

 

Fifth, I'll bet you had a very small stone chip that caused the crack, likely near the base of the crack.  It does happen. Yea for full glass replacement insurance.

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