109
votes
Accepted
Why is plexiglass not used for car windows?
Plexiglass is flammable. While it doesn't release toxic gases or excessive amounts of smoke, it is still rated B2 (normally flammable) and thus forbidden as interior material in motor vehicles, ...
- 2,642
47
votes
Why is plexiglass not used for car windows?
Because of how it reacts in a collision. Auto glass is designed to shatter into small bits that are fairly dull, as opposed to large, sharp daggers. In the US, your car must be outfitted with glazing ...
- 781
34
votes
Accepted
My car has moisture on the inside of the glass but other cars do not
There is something (very) wet inside your car. Feel around the floor, look at all the lowest points of the floor. If the front passenger floor is wet check the hoses to the heater core. Check all ...
- 1,046
23
votes
Why is plexiglass not used for car windows?
In addition to to the other factors mentioned. Plexiglass is not opaque to UV radition like silica glass. Passengers would get sunburned driving around exposed to sunlight.
Used to be, when not all ...
- 331
21
votes
My car has moisture on the inside of the glass but other cars do not
Do you use the circulate feature on your car? This should be turned off. It looks like the image below:
I learned early on that this causes this exact issue in the winter. My theory is that the moist ...
- 311
18
votes
Why is plexiglass not used for car windows?
Plastics are awesome. One of their characteristics is that they easily degrade in UV / sunlight. In my experience that is the weakest link in its usage. With that said, there are a whole lot of ...
- 6,569
11
votes
My car has moisture on the inside of the glass but other cars do not
On my car the A/C is on all the time - as per the handbook, specifically to control the humidity inside the car.
You should consider running with the A/C on over the winter and see if that makes a ...
- 34.6k
10
votes
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Is it safe to drive with a crack in the windshield?
There are limits on the amount of cracking allowed on a windscreen before it fails safety inspection. Obviously, if your car isn't in a state/county that requires safety inspection, that's irrelevant.
...
- 8,672
8
votes
Why is plexiglass not used for car windows?
I think in answering this question you need to answer the initial question which is fundamentally, is plexiglass used for glazing in road cars. The answer to this question is that it is a very ...
- 23.5k
8
votes
Can I use a car wash to de-ice my car
No, you cannot. You state that " I would only have to scrape a little bit to get there safely", however this is not correct - you should clear ALL essential windows before you move the car - the first ...
- 28.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Does putting down the visors help defogging the windshield?
I think the visor is right…
When you put the visors down (or at the "right" angle) they stop the airflow from the defroster vents from being able to move across the headliner. They may even deflect ...
- 14.4k
8
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How to repair a crack that is inside a windshield
Unfortunately there's no way to repair this. The only way to "fix" it is to replace it. Bullseye chips (original impact) can usually be fixed. They do it with some liquid fill and sucking out all of ...
- 153k
8
votes
My car has moisture on the inside of the glass but other cars do not
One thing that helps to deal with fog inside the car is a humidity absorber:
Of course, absorbers can only trap some residual humidity, so if you suspect there's a leak you should find it and fix it ...
- 2,642
7
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Accepted
Best routine for making a frozen car driveable
Get an insulating blanket for at least your windshield. You place this over the windshield at night, and it prevents frost from forming. The windscreen is the most difficult to get ice-free, so this ...
- 4,422
7
votes
Keeping windshield ice-free without heater
Does the air conditioner work? If so, you can blow COLD and DRY air onto the windshield from inside by setting the controls to: A/C, WINDSHIELD, OUTSIDE AIR.
The cold/dry/outside air from the A/C ...
- 278
7
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Is it illegal in U.K. to drive with this windscreen damage?
It is illegal in the UK to drive a car that is not in roadworthy condition. If it would fail an MOT test, that makes it unroadworthy.
The windscreen part of the UK MOT test is defined in
https://www....
- 1,848
6
votes
Frozen windshield wiper fluid on road trip
Here's a parts explosion
The hose #9 you could drain through.
I like the coolant idea.
pour coolant in the reservoir, it might take a bit but it will turn the slush into liquid. There a glycerin ...
- 33k
6
votes
Why is plexiglass not used for car windows?
it scratches too easily. thus, it cannot be used in a road environment
- 61
6
votes
Is it a good idea to wax my windows?
tl dr: There are no major safety issues with using wax on your windows.
I have done it before without issue. It will do a couple of things for you. First, it will fill in minor imperfections in the ...
- 153k
6
votes
Can I use a car wash to de-ice my car
If it's cold enough to have ice covering your windshield, the leftover water will ice up your doors and locks. Depending how soon and how much you use your brakes, you could have some ice forming on ...
- 12.2k
5
votes
Does Ford's heated windscreen/windshield normally drain excessive current?
There won't be a fault with the windscreen. If it was drawing excessive current, then the fuse for this circuit would blow.
There could possibly be a fault with you alternator, in that it is not ...
- 24.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Old windshield chip
probably nothing to worry about but....
The integrity of the windshield is compromised. The chip in the nice smooth surface creates a point of failure. The chip is the weakest link in the chain, so ...
- 33k
5
votes
Accepted
Is this windshield crack definitely caused by impact?
I cannot tell you with 100% surety this was caused by an impact, but I'd suggest it probably was. Glass is a strange beast. It does have some flexibility to it, but if you get a stress riser in it, a ...
- 153k
5
votes
Accepted
Can I use a car wash to de-ice my car
I'm not convinced this would even work. The car has been cold-soaked to a temperature below 0. When you spray water on that cold surface, at least some of it will freeze. If the car wash used warm ...
- 4,422
5
votes
Does putting down the visors help defogging the windshield?
I would assume the visors would help to create / trap a column of slightly warmer air at the top the of screen instead of is dissipating across the headliner and into the cabin of the car.
- 23.5k
5
votes
Given my bad shoulder, what can I use to clean the inside of my windshield?
With a quick stroke of the pen (keyboard) using the Google, a search for "inside windshield cleaner" came up with a number of results. It looks like a shower back scrubber with a different name, but ...
- 4,455
5
votes
Accepted
Water on windshield reveals "trace areas" of wiper blades
As I understand your question, you have your car washed at an automatic car wash fairly frequently. Automatic car washes apply a wax / water repellent to the car near the end of the cycle. Even if you ...
- 5,510
4
votes
Accepted
Windshield scratch prevention
Your theory sounds good to me. Do run the windshield washers before parking the car. Now, about fixing the current scratches:
There are products that allow you to polish the windshield to remove ...
- 3,363
4
votes
Troubleshoot 2002 Chevy Impala Windshield Washer Pump
Either the switch is bad or there's a break in the wiring due to corrosion.
Gain access to the windshield washer switch connector and check for power on the red wire. If you have power at the switch ...
- 10.7k
4
votes
Best routine for making a frozen car driveable
Most diesel engines have block heaters for cold weather starting. This helps ease of starting, but also keeps the coolant at a higher than ambient temperature which helps reduce time to warm the ...
- 9,035
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