Windshield pitting

**shagnat** · 03-07-2014, 05:57 PM

What I thought was tree sap turns out to be pits in my windshield.

What can I do to minimize or eliminate these tiny pits? They aren't terrible, just very annoying!!!

**Centexhokie** · 03-07-2014, 06:28 PM

I had the same problem on a BMW 335i. I clay barred it to get the bonded contamination off and polished it with Diamondite glassworks restorer. I had to go over it 3 times, but the results were very good. I tried the Diamondite protection and was unimpressed. I just clayed and polished every 9-12 months. Others may have better solutions.

**oldmodman** · 03-07-2014, 11:00 PM

Three choices.

Live with them. Cheapest possible "solution"

Try to polish them out. generally not an easy or satisfactory answer either. Most of the people on here that have tried to polish out an entire window have not been happy with the results.

Replace the windshield. It's the most expensive method, but it yields a perfect result and it takes the least amount of time. It may even be possible to have some or all of the cost paid by your insurance. depending on the amount of damage and your policy.

**shagnat** · 03-08-2014, 11:23 AM

Replacement is not an option as my insurance won't pay for anything other than damage that is line of sight.

Looks like #2 may not be a good option if it's difficult and not many are satisfied. Sooooo..... guess I'll have to live with it.

Just makes me wonder how these pit marks got there. It's almost like part of the windshield (upper middle) was sand blasted. Now that's a bit of an overstatement, but, just trying to describe the situation.

**shagnat** · 03-08-2014, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Centexhokie

I had the same problem on a BMW 335i. I clay barred it to get the bonded contamination off and polished it with Diamondite glassworks restorer. I had to go over it 3 times, but the results were very good. I tried the Diamondite protection and was unimpressed. I just clayed and polished every 9-12 months. Others may have better solutions.

what hardware did you use...... any info on that would be essential to me. and thanks for replying.

**FUNX650** · 03-08-2014, 12:49 PM

Here's a Mike Phillips article about glass-pitting:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ry-buffer.html

Bob

**Centexhokie** · 03-08-2014, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by shagnat

what hardware did you use...... any info on that would be essential to me. and thanks for replying.

I used a PC DA polisher with a 4" orange pad. The BMW had a fairly soft glass as compared to Japanese models that I was used to maintaining. The glass looked like you describe when I got it. I kept trying to clean it before I realized it was actually pitted. The glass looked new when I got done, so for me the cost and time was worth it. Today I have a GG 6" that I would use if I still had the BMW.

When I was doing this I didn't know there were glass pads. Today I would try them.

**shagnat** · 03-09-2014, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Centexhokie

I used a PC DA polisher with a 4" orange pad. The BMW had a fairly soft glass as compared to Japanese models that I was used to maintaining. The glass looked like you describe when I got it. I kept trying to clean it before I realized it was actually pitted. The glass looked new when I got done, so for me the cost and time was worth it. Today I have a GG 6" that I would use if I still had the BMW.

When I was doing this I didn't know there were glass pads. Today I would try them.

Centexhokie, thanks. That's a BIIG help. Funny thing is I have 2 microfiber pads but no packaging so I have no idea what that would be used for... *sigh*

I've got a couple of orange pads so I'll give them a try and see what happens.

**shagnat** · 03-09-2014, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by FUNX725

Here's a Mike Phillips article about glass-pitting:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ry-buffer.html

Bob

That's exactly the way mine look but not nearly so severe. And I totally agree with Mike about the sun needing to be low. Most times i can't see them, but, when I do it's like having a big ole ugly mark on a black car..... eye goes right to it..... now where are my drugs?!

**swanicyouth** · 03-09-2014, 05:53 PM

True pits are divots or small chips in the glass where likely something impacted it. While I have been able to remove scratches/defects in glass, my experience is that pits are just too deep to realistically remove. They may be improvable, but I'm guessing if your fixing 100% what you thought were glass pits, and you are actually fixing what you are seeing, they really are not pits - but something else.

Just my experience/opinion. I'm no glass expert. I could be wrong. It's just what I've encountered.