# The Little Black Dots on your Windshield.



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)




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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)




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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)




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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

They are getting better at repairing highways 
In the past,Everytime road construction was ongoing I could count on buying a new windshield that year.
This year,I only bought a back window for a Honda.

The poor young lady was passing by when my riding lawnmower hit a rock. Shattered that window like a bullet.


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

Windshield replacement is a very seldom 
talked about component of heavy duty 
rideshare use of vehicles.
I found a small independant shop that 
replaced my nissan versa after 2 years
of heavy use for $210. 
My Corolla is about due for one too now
after 100k miles of driving due to small pits.
I learned pretty quickly to avoid following 
trucks as they are the primary reason
one might get an actual crack. 
On a side note I was warned by a cop
as he wrote me $ 500 violation for
something else that they are supposed 
to impound vehicles that have cracked 
windshields if they are being used for rideshare 
I'm not particularly worried about those dots


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> Windshield replacement is a very seldom
> talked about component of heavy duty
> rideshare use of vehicles.
> I found a small independant shop that
> ...


Had SOMETHING hit the roof of my Hyundai,that took the paint off. Very loud impact. Might have come through a windshield.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> Windshield replacement is a very seldom
> talked about component of heavy duty
> rideshare use of vehicles.
> I found a small independant shop that
> ...


Call your insurance company. 

I just found this out over the weekend. 

Here in AZ if you have comprehensive coverage you can get a glass replacement rider for around $50/year that covers glass replacement with no deductible. 

It might be state-specific but worth a phone call.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

New2This said:


> Call your insurance company.
> 
> I just found this out over the weekend.
> 
> ...


Can I get one for my Lawnmower ?

It's taken out 2 of my kids car windows & now a strangers car window this year.
Cutting grass is getting Expensive !


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> Can I get one for my Lawnmower ?
> 
> It's taken out 2 of my kids car windows & now a strangers car window this year.
> Cutting grass is getting Expensive !


Was this you?


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

New2This said:


> Call your insurance company.
> 
> I just found this out over the weekend.
> 
> ...


My wife claimed windshield one time and 
we didnt find out till afterwards but they counted
it on her driving record the way as an accident !!!!
It happened to me once too when
I claimed a tow these mfers!!!
I just pay for it out of my pocket
it's not worth the hassle. 
I'm driving for a living I dont need any 
extra Mark's on my record for anything.. 
thanks for the heads up though !!!


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> My wife claimed windshield one time and
> we didnt find out till afterwards but they counted
> it on her driving record the way as an accident !!!!
> It happened to me once too when
> ...


It's an additional coverage but negligible cost.

It specifically doesn't count against your policy. 

It might be specific to AZ because the state is just one giant sandbox full of rocks.


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

New2This said:


> It's an additional coverage but negligible cost.
> 
> It specifically doesn't count against your policy.
> 
> It might be specific to AZ because the state is just one giant sandbox full of rocks.


You have a fancier car too there might not 
even be an aftermarket windshield availible
I should ask my wife anyway


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

New2This said:


> Was this you?
> 
> View attachment 665167


Same kind of mower. I duck !


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

New2This said:


> It's an additional coverage but negligible cost.
> 
> It specifically doesn't count against your policy.
> 
> It might be specific to AZ because the state is just one giant sandbox full of rocks.


Same in NY. Glass coverage is well worth the price!


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

Seamus said:


> Same in NY. Glass coverage is well worth the price!


Do you guys get inundated with "we'll give you a $___ gift card if we replace your windshield" ads?


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

tohunt4me said:


> View attachment 665156
> View attachment 665157


OMG!!! Are you sure this article didn't come from "The Onion" or some other satire??? This is laughable.

As you may recall from other automotive discussions we had over the last couple of years, in my young adult years I spent 12 years working for General Motors in assembly plants. As a manufacturing engineer one of the areas I had responsibility for was the windshield area where the windshield is installed.

There are 3 components here, the windshield (glass), The windshield flange (metal), and the Urethane adhesive holding them together. The entire black enamel band on the windshield perimeter is referred to as the Frit. This provides an etched surface on the glass to help with the Urethane adhesion to the glass. The Frit also hides the Urethane.

The black dots serve no purpose but aesthetically transition from the black solid "Frit" to the clear glass. The black dots don't even contact the Urethane or the metal windshield flange!!! The article is either satire or stupid.

"Replace the dots"???  Yeah right!


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

New2This said:


> Do you guys get inundated with "we'll give you a $___ gift card if we replace your windshield" ads?


LOL, NO.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

I find that homeless meth heads throwing stones at cars is the primary reason for windshield replacement in my region.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Seamus said:


> OMG!!! Are you sure this article didn't come from "The Onion" or some other satire??? This is laughable.
> 
> As you may recall from other automotive discussions we had over the last couple of years, in my young adult years I spent 12 years working for General Motors in assembly plants. As a manufacturing engineer one of the areas I had responsibility for was the windshield area where the windshield is installed.
> 
> ...


I have read . . . Somewhere . . . In the past . . . That the black dots were placed at " stress points" on the windshield where damage often occurs/ leads to bigger problems

I found the " replace the enameled black dots " bit ridiculous also.
If the " frits" are exposed . . . It is obviously NOT playing a part in winshield adhesion.


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

There's a rule in auto-club no one talks about. Usually when your frits are going out your muffler bearings will be next. 60% of the time this will happen 100% of the time.

So be sure to have them checked both together. it will save you money for sure.


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

tohunt4me said:


> I have read . . . Somewhere . . . In the past . . . That the black dots were placed at " stress points" on the windshield where damage often occurs/ leads to bigger problems
> 
> I found the " replace the enameled black dots " bit ridiculous also.
> If the " frits" are exposed . . . It is obviously NOT playing a part in winshield adhesion.


You do know there are multi-layers to the windshield right? This is designed so that it wears away so you don't get like a hole in your windshield. I mean it takes awhile for the windshield to wear away but I don't think I've ever seen it go as far down as the dots.


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

tohunt4me said:


> View attachment 665150


Does anyone remember the 7up dots for your car? There you go?


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Seamus said:


> OMG!!! Are you sure this article didn't come from "The Onion" or some other satire??? This is laughable.
> 
> As you may recall from other automotive discussions we had over the last couple of years, in my young adult years I spent 12 years working for General Motors in assembly plants. As a manufacturing engineer one of the areas I had responsibility for was the windshield area where the windshield is installed.
> 
> ...


Ya beat me to it.

For the benefit of forum members, 😉 I spent about an hour running my fingers along several windshields. 

Many windshields don't have the Frits (little circles) of those that do they are about a 1/4 inch to an inch and a half wide and run all along the inside of the glass. Up along the top some of them widen to become a third visor. All windshields have that etched band all around.

The Frits are half an inch to an inch inside the urethane bead and touch nothing.

Some Frits have no texture so my feeling is they are just for cosmetics.


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## Alantc (Jun 15, 2018)

It's those damn microchips on my window the bug the crap out of me from driving so much especially during dusk really shows how pitted the window is


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

W00dbutcher said:


> You do know there are multi-layers to the windshield right? This is designed so that it wears away so you don't get like a hole in your windshield. I mean it takes awhile for the windshield to wear away but I don't think I've ever seen it go as far down as the dots.


Nope.

The windshield is made of two sheets of glass with plastic between them. This is referred to as laminated glass.

They are made this way to protect occupants in an accident. It keeps the glass from shattering and I imagine keeps occupants inside the car.

Door glass, vent glass and back glass is made of tempered glass that breaks up in to tiny squares with few sharp edges. Again, to protect occupants. 

Some newer door glass and some older back glass (Mercedes) are laminated.


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

observer said:


> Nope.
> 
> The windshield is made of two sheets of glass with plastic between them. This is referred to as laminated glass.
> 
> ...


Seriously? 

Who would believe a window wears down? 

"wears a hole in the windshield" 

Lmaoshidmsat! 

Wanna buy some cheap blinker fluid?


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

W00dbutcher said:


> Seriously?
> 
> Who would believe a window wears down?
> 
> ...


Yes, seriously.

This wouldn't be the first silly thing you've written.

Sometimes it's hard to take you SERIOUSLY!!


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

observer said:


> Yes, seriously.
> 
> This wouldn't be the first silly thing you've written.
> 
> Sometimes it's hard to take you SERIOUSLY!!


Yes your right.

I should be more conscientious about window wear.









Oh look. My taco.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

observer said:


> Ya beat me to it.
> 
> For the benefit of forum members, 😉 I spent about an hour running my fingers along several windshields.
> 
> ...


The article above is partly fake news. The solid black enamel strip around the glass edge is indeed used to help the glass bond to the frame and to protect the glue from UV exposure from the sun, but the frits are not for either of these purposes as they are not in contact with the frame. Sunlight heats the black strip (and therefore the areas of glass underneath it) more than it does the areas of windshield not covered by the black strip. The frits are used to gradually transition from black strip to no black strip in order to enlarge the area of transition from high heat to low heat in these areas. It's a lot easier to do this with frits than it is to vary the opaqueness of the black enamel.


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## TobyD (Mar 14, 2021)

Why do the dots have to be black? Sounds racist.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

Seamus said:


> LOL, NO.


Just got the Valpak mailer


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## tucsongoober69 (May 29, 2021)

New2This said:


> Just got the Valpak mailer
> 
> View attachment 666661
> View attachment 666662


These companies bill your insurance a crap ton of money for the windshield replacement while giving you scraps... sounds familiar?


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

I happened to stop by a supplier and remembered this thread.

This, is what 4,000 of approximately 30,000 windshields looks like,










I couldn't fit all 4k in the pic.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

New2This said:


> Call your insurance company.
> 
> I just found this out over the weekend.
> 
> ...


I agree, and for florida insured drivers the cost of windshield replacement is free and zero cost to the driver regardless of what your deductible or coverage is


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## Jimmy44 (Jan 12, 2020)

tohunt4me said:


> View attachment 665154
> View attachment 665155


Most insurance policies pay for all windshield repairs and replacement


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

Jimmy44 said:


> Most insurance policies pay for all windshield repairs and replacement


It might vary by state.

When I moved to Phoenix I got full coverage on my car. 

It did NOT cover no-cost windshield damage. That was an additional rider I had to purchase. It wasn't much.


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