Miata Mailing List: April 1994, Message #56
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   From: meek@me.mech.utah.edu
Subject: Re: Windshield Karma 8-(
   Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 16:30:36 -0400

>Quiz:
>What do 10% of all CD jewel-boxes and my windshield have in common?
>
>Late last week:
>Halfway to work I heard a loud cracking noise; Looked up & saw nothing. 8-)
>Five minutes later, same thing. Hmm ...  8^|
>Ten minutes later, no noise, but I saw it. A crack! >8^0  A vile,
>monstrous thing about 8" long, arcing up from the bottom edge at the
>center of the windshield, worming its way rightward toward the passenger
>side.
>
>Next day, on the way in, at about the same block on the same road
>(meaning that the heater had been blowing hot air on the windshield
>about the same amount of time), I heard another noise, and the crack
>completed its journey back down to the bottom edge of the glass. The end
>result is roughly an arc about 18" long and 4" high. There is almost no
>evidence of a rock impact - a single, almost microscopic (seriously)
>crunch-mark less than an inch from the bottom edge of the glass. Any
>chance that it is a stress fracture? (i.e., Any chance of it being a
>warranty item?)
>

It may be a stress fracture.  Look for an impact point on the windscreen. 
It may be small.  Check your insurance.  My insurance does not have a
deductable for windscreens.

Sandy

Sanford Meek
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
University of Utah
Amateur radio:  KB7YSQ
meek@me.mech.utah.edu