Now it's foggy all the time

[Pinto Girl]

Well, I feel like a total idiot, and need to confess my sins to the community.

A week or two ago my windshield was hit by a rock while I was on the freeway. Normally, I tend to try and ignore things like this (after a suitable period of mourning, of course) but this one was different; the impact was directly in front of where I look while I'm driving.

Instead of calling a professional immediately, I freaked out and tried to rub it out with (it sounds stupid even writing the words) a cleaning/polishing wax that I had sitting around the garage...

I'm sure you can see where this is going.

So I polished and polished and polished before realizing that the damage wasn't getting smaller...it was getting bigger!!

I'd ended up creating this hazy area about 8" in diameter, directly in front of the driver's seat. Not to mention a whole mess of hairline scratches.

So THEN, I orded some of that Zaino glass rubbing compound, in hopes that it would perform a miracle. I buffed and buffed some more, and it did succeed removing some of the scratches that the wax had left, but didn't do much for the hazy area.

So, *finally* I enlisted the help of an auto glass place. The service person tried his best to restore it, but couldn't; I think I succeeded in destroying the optical quality of the glass itself.

Just called my friendly Toyota dealer; a new factory windshield is going to cost $1,100!! I'd consider leaving it the way it is, but when the sun (or car headlights) hit it at the right angle, that hazy spot becomes almost completely opaque, and I have to look around it in order to see the road.
[big sigh]

The car goes in tomorrow; there goes my fall clothing budget!

[eagle33199]

Ouch, that suck...

note to self - only use windex on windows, never anything else

[Charles Suitt]

WOW... $1,100 sounds excessive, even for CA. In driving my 04 home about 250 miles, a truck flung a stone into my original windshield and produced a small crack unrepairable with silicone, so I had it replaced with an OEM (Toyota brand) windshield. The TOTAL bill was $645 of which I paid $50 (my glass breakage deductable).

Don't know about your insurance coverage, but have you considered talking to an independent auto glass shop? I could have accepted PPG, but insisted on Toyota brand to maintain the "origialness" of my Prius.

[Beryl Octet]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 9 2006, 02:00 PM) [snapback]330109[/snapback]</div>

Well, I feel like a total idiot, and need to confess my sins to the community.

A week or two ago my windshield was hit by a rock while I was on the freeway. Normally, I tend to try and ignore things like this (after a suitable period of mourning, of course) but this one was different; the impact was directly in front of where I look while I'm driving.

Instead of calling a professional immediately, I freaked out and tried to rub it out with (it sounds stupid even writing the words) a cleaning/polishing wax that I had sitting around the garage...

I'm sure you can see where this is going.

So I polished and polished and polished before realizing that the damage wasn't getting smaller...it was getting bigger!!

I'd ended up creating this hazy area about 8" in diameter, directly in front of the driver's seat. Not to mention a whole mess of hairline scratches.

So THEN, I orded some of that Zaino glass rubbing compound, in hopes that it would perform a miracle. I buffed and buffed some more, and it did succeed removing some of the scratches that the wax had left, but didn't do much for the hazy area.

So, *finally* I enlisted the help of an auto glass place. The service person tried his best to restore it, but couldn't; I think I succeeded in destroying the optical quality of the glass itself.

Just called my friendly Toyota dealer; a new factory windshield is going to cost $1,100!! I'd consider leaving it the way it is, but when the sun (or car headlights) hit it at the right angle, that hazy spot becomes almost completely opaque, and I have to look around it in order to see the road.
[big sigh]

The car goes in tomorrow; there goes my fall clothing budget!
[/b]

That does bite... Usually when stuff like this happens, I call my insurance co., is that a possibility for you?

[galaxee]

ouch! and right in front of the driver's seat, of course. sorry to hear about that.

[Pinto Girl]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Oct 9 2006, 01:22 PM) [snapback]330122[/snapback]</div>

WOW... $1,100 sounds excessive, even for CA. In driving my 04 home about 250 miles, a truck flung a stone into my original windshield and produced a small crack unrepairable with silicone, so I had it replaced with an OEM (Toyota brand) windshield. The TOTAL bill was $645 of which I paid $50 (my glass breakage deductable).

Don't know about your insurance coverage, but have you considered talking to an independent auto glass shop? I could have accepted PPG, but insisted on Toyota brand to maintain the "origialness" of my Prius.
[/b]

I do think I need to make another call or two to compare prices.

The guy who tried to repair the glass said that I "...should be careful about getting a new windshield...might have a leak..."

Of course, these words are going through my head now, and so I figured I'd pay whatever is necessary to do it through Toyota...the idea being that somehow it'll come out better.

Rationally, I don't think that's true, but emotionally somehow it feels better to take it to the dealer (and I can't believe I'm admitting that, either!)

Is there anything to 'watch out for' when I have a windshield replaced? Never, in nearly 30 years of driving, have I had to replace one...until now.

Insurance-wise, I haven't even brought it up with my company. Since I messed it up myself, I feel like I should take responsibility for it myself, too, and not ask all of my fellow insurees to pick up a teensy part of the tab.

I know, a hopelessly naive attitude.
[smile]

[San_Carlos_Jeff]

Over the years I've had four windshields replaced on different cars. Two of those were from mobile guys that did it in the parking lot where I work, and two were in shops. All of them turned out fine, no leaks, and good workmanship. I'd call a few places up in the city for pricing and give one a try if they are cheaper than the dealer.

[Beryl Octet]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 9 2006, 03:58 PM) [snapback]330182[/snapback]</div>

Is there anything to 'watch out for' when I have a windshield replaced? Never, in nearly 30 years of driving, have I had to replace one...until now.

Insurance-wise, I haven't even brought it up with my company. Since I messed it up myself, I feel like I should take responsibility for it myself, too, and not ask all of my fellow insurees to pick up a teensy part of the tab.

I know, a hopelessly naive attitude.
[smile]
[/b]

I seem to go through a lot of windshields, I've had the one in my truck replaced about 2 years ago, and my pre-Prius car the year before that. Both times, they came to our house, and no problems with leaks or anything else. These were PPG, not OEM-branded glass, but both seemed fine to me. The Prius has a big windshield, but other than that I expect it's not any different from any other car, and I'd hope it would cost a lot less if you went with a local glass company as opposed to having the dealer do it. I'd ask around, or start looking at the yellow pages.

My insurance company will also send someone out free to fix chips, in the hope the windshield can be saved and not need to be replaced, your co. might have something similar (not trying to rub it in or anything, but just for future reference). Good luck!

[richard schumacher]

"I freaked out and tried to rub it out with (it sounds stupid even writing the words) a cleaning/polishing wax that I had sitting around the garage"

Imagine what that crap does to paint!

[IsrAmeriPrius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 9 2006, 12:58 PM) [snapback]330182[/snapback]</div>

Of course, these words are going through my head now, and so I figured I'd pay whatever is necessary to do it through Toyota...the idea being that somehow it'll come out better.[/b]

I doubt that the dealership does its own glass work. They must farm it out to a glass shop. Call your sales or service adviser and ask. If they value your business, they'll tell you whom they use. Then call the glass shop and see if they'll give you a better price, since they will not have to pay the dealer to act as the middleman.