I noticed a crack in my windshield over the reason, coming from the top down - just above the mirror - it's growing every day. Thing is, I've NEVER seen a windshield crack w/o starting first w/ a chip or other break. I wouldn't easily believe ~360W and two JL 10s could cause enough vibration to crack the SOB. Anyone else w/ decent audio have a mysterious windshield crack?

 

No the bass did not kill Kenny and it most certainly did not crack your windshield.

 

Right - but vibrations to the glass might have. There was NO other damage; no obvious trauma. I've never seen a windshield spontaneously crack. Don't "talk" to my like I'm stupid. If nobody else has had a problem with their glass with very modest Car Audio, I suppose I can conclude my car just had crappy glass. But I won't know if anyone else has had similliar cracking unless I ask.

 

Again, no this would not happen. Your glass is impregnated with multiple laminations in the front windscreen. The only way for it to crack from a vibration would be to have a chip on either the inside of it (which is unlikely) or on the outside (which is highly likely). The air pressure that is exerted on a windscreen when the vehicle is in motion would also have caused the same type of crack to spread, same with repeated hot and cold cycles as the glass expands. Once there is even a hairline crack started on the outside, it is only a matter of time before the crack starts to spread. Your glass, expecially front glass is designed to flex, vibrations from a sub system in the 8 (unless it is a db drag monster) would not cause the window to crack all on it's own. Something else started the problem that the subs and heat have carried it on. A impact to a side window for example or even the back window would have far more serious results as it is a safety glass. It is designed to shatter on impact and fall away, thus there is no laminations in it to keep it strong and intact like the front window. In the event of a collision from the front, a shatter type glass if used in the windscreen would then shatter into the front seat occupants face and body, something that is not a good idea, thus the safety glass with lamination to keep it intact. If the side glass which does not have the laminations in it and is by far weaker has not broken or cracked first from the output of the subs, the chances of your subs causing the front windscreen to crack is marginal at best.

My vote, rockchip + expansion caused by heat.

 

I appreciate that. But there was NO rock chip. There IS no chipping. Just a crack, starting from the edge of the glass, and now over a foot long.

 

It might have been there from day one then. Time to head into Mazda if there is no visible dings in the windscreen.

 

Any chassis modifications (strut bars, stiffeners, springs, shocks, etc.)?

The chassis of a car is designed to twist to absorb movement. When you stiffen the chassis, the torque moves to the next softest component - the glass.
I've seen plenty of cars modified for rigidity crack glass all over the place with no warning.

 

I had a SUV that the windshield cracked with no chip around it. It was in a wierd half round circle shape. I called my insurance company and it was replaced at no charge to me.

 

Do you think Mazda would care enough to cover 'glass'? I'll take and post pics tonite.


Nothing. Car's stock except for I/E/Wooooofers/Clear Corners. I suspect the clear corners were too much bling?


My comp. insurance deductable is more than the cost of a windshied - which I found for $300.

 

I had a rock chip hit right at the edge of the windshield...and it caused a crack llike that.

The only way I knew that it had been hit was seeing the rock come up and hearing the crack when it hit....I couldn't see an actual chip on the outside....just the crack starting from the edge

 

Mazda will not cover the glass.

 

i saw somewhere here that someone had a windshield that had been chipped at the very edge under the weather stripping during installation develop a crack.

 

With a cracked winshield you should not have to pay the deductible on the comprehensive. They should replace it for free. Its the one thing insurance companies will replace for free because they would rather pay for a new winshield then have someone they are covering driving around with less than perfect visibility. Talk to your insurance agent about it. As I said it should be covered and should be replaced for free.

 

There is a thread around here about the same thing happening. I had this happen to me and Mazda replaced the windshield. It is a stress fracture. There have been quite a few of them.

 

That's what I was going to say. I can't remember what the Mazda "rules" were but I have heard of this being a problem before. I haven't heard about it in a long time, but I can remember reading a couple of threads about this way back (about a year and a half ago) when I first joined. Good luck and happy searching.

 

That's only in florida.




I called a dealer; he's said he's covered windshields in the past - My wife'll take the car in today and have them look at it.

 

I thought that might be the case sorry about that. I guess living in the heat has its perks.