Windshield Coatings - Pros/Cons? (5th gen Crack prevention)

[Randyman...]

So, after dealing with numerous chips and now going on my 3rd windshield in my 2013 T4R (!!!), I'd like to investigate Windshield Coatings and their effectiveness at preventing cracks and chips on our 5th gen T4R's and their almost perpendicular windshields in continuous-construction freeway areas.

THEROK mentioned ClearPlex in the "Cracked Windshield" thread, and it really caught my attention.

Do any of you have windshield coatings installed on your 5th gen T4R's, and what do you have to say about the overall experience? Please mention specific brands and installers you used if possible.

I'm mainly interested in actual crack/chip prevention at freeway speeds under continuous freeway construction scenarios.

Additional concerns include wiper functionality and streaking in rain, and other issues with wipers causing wear or scratches on the coating (use my wipers quite often). Any issues with glare at dawn/dusk? And of course, any other considerations I might not have considered

Thanks all! Looking to get my 3rd windshield installed very soon (next week), and might just have a coating applied the same day once your feedback sways me one way or the other.

 

[1engineer]

I don't use any coating. I have over 100K total in two 5th gens and have had one windshield crack fixed. That is all. The reason for my post here is anything you put on your windshield will scratch easier than the windshield no matter what they tell you. If wipers will scratch glass imagine what they will do to plastic.

 

[Randyman...]

I don't use any coating. I have over 100K total in two 5th gens and have had one windshield crack fixed. That is all. The reason for my post here is anything you put on your windshield will scratch easier than the windshield no matter what they tell you. If wipers will scratch glass imagine what they will do to plastic.

Thanks for your input, 1E. I'm sitting around 55K miles, and will be installing my 3rd windshield soon.

Agreed - and this is a primary concern of mine (use my wipers often). However, going through windshields like it's an Amazon "Subscribe and Save" item is also not very feasible to my pocketbook. Some compromise is expected - I'm just wondering the balance of wiper scratching vs crack prevention.

I'd even bet you can change the coating bi-yearly (or quarterly?) and still end up in a better situation than buying multiple windshields per year. Lots of construction on my 110 mile per day route, and construction is only getting worse (for the next 1-2 years at least!).

Anyone have these windshield coatings installed? How effective is the crack prevention at freeway speeds in continuous construction areas, and how objectionable is the (expected) wiper wear?

How often do you replace the coating? Any issues re-coating (residue, etc)?

Also, what if I decide the coating stinks, and I want it removed? Is that feasible w/o making a mess of a $500 windshield?

Grazie!

 

[Randyman...]

I also ran across windshield "Treatments" that aren't a film, but are chemicals that supposedly form a covalent bond to the glass and result in a very smooth surface that is said to be crack resistant. (I have my doubts :tape: )

Glass Defender Protectant

Seems unlikely that this would have much crack prevention, but would seem more durable (wiper scratch resistant) than film coatings (like clear tint).

Anyone heard of this stuff?

 

[Jeremy556]

Maybe increase following distances? We put down gravel instead of salt around here, and people who tend to not leave a lot of space between them and the cars ahead of them seem to replace 1-2 windshields per year. So far in 65K miles here, I have only replaced one, and it was from a dust devil that was carrying rocks (gravel devil?).

 

[Randyman...]

Maybe increase following distances? We put down gravel instead of salt around here, and people who tend to not leave a lot of space between them and the cars ahead of them seem to replace 1-2 windshields per year. So far in 65K miles here, I have only replaced one, and it was from a dust devil that was carrying rocks (gravel devil?).

Believe me, after dropping $500 on windshield #2 (and dealing with having 3 different chips filled and the associated waste of time that results), I've been doing my best to leave ample following distance. It almost never (if at all) seems to happen from the vehicle in front of me. Rather, I will see crap flying my way diagonally from another lane from more than a few car lengths away, and by then there is no way to avoid impending doom and another $500 bill.

These often aren't tiny rocks, but pieces of the road and similar debris that you can clearly see headed for your face!

The most recent one was where they had the pavement ripped up and were still waiting to re-pave the lanes (just the top most layer), but traffic was still flowing in all 4 freeway lanes. There was stuff flying EVERYWHERE for about 1/2 mile or so! I got the most recent crack and a huge divot at the same time on that day.

Even when I was babying my brand-new T4R and getting 22MPG and never going above 60MPH in the first 2000 miles or so, I still got a chip (that one was filled, but got 2 more and had them filled, then I got 3 more that I never had filled - then "Huge Crack #1" happened shortly after).

Also, Safelite claims they have replaced over 491 windshields in my area (Houston) for my specific make and model (5th Gen T4R) in the last 12 months. This is just ONE windshield company! (Granted a rather large one!) Seems more common than you might initially think around here. 110 Miles per day (all on I-45) is not helping my cause...


Any input on the windshield coverings and/or chemical treatments and their effectiveness on preventing such issues? This is getting expensive pretty dang quick - and my inspection is up in October - so I'll need a new windshield by the end of October for sure! I'd like this one to last a few months, if not a an entire year or more

Thanks for all of the replies so far!

 

[Jeremy556]

Believe me, after dropping $500 on windshield #2 (and dealing with having 3 different chips filled and the associated waste of time that results), I've been doing my best to leave ample following distance. It almost never (if at all) seems to happen from the vehicle in front of me. Rather, I will see crap flying my way diagonally from another lane from more than a few car lengths away, and by then there is no way to avoid impending doom and another $500 bill.

Sounds like bad luck, I certainly understand that. Hopefully you will go a couple years now without a chip.

After I had my OE windshield replaced from the dust devil, as I was turning on to the paved road, a dump truck was passing in the other direction. I got to watch a nice big rock fly into the upper passenger side of the windshield. Chip number 1 at 12 miles (distance to paved road from house) after replacement . Fortunately, since then, only tiny chips that you only notice if the sun is at just the right angle.

Sorry, no experience with any windshield coatings, but I would be very skeptical. Anything that is going to be soft enough to absorb impact is going to be easy to scratch and cause glare.

 

[Randyman...]

Thanks for the reply. I'm certainly skeptical about coverings as well, but I'm willing to try something to prevent (or lessen) this in the future.

The chemical based coatings seem like they would not scratch like a film might, but I can't see them providing much protection from impact. Seems like more of a rain repellent than a crack prevention treatment.

"Diamond Fusion International" claims to treat tons of commercial vehicles and military vehicles (over 750,000 according to them). Are they just selling crap to these un-suspecting companies, or is there really something to these chemical coatings?

Hoping 1E will chime back in with some cold hard facts on Mohs hardness biggrin2: ) and if chemical treatments can actually improve glass hardness and improve crack resistance.

Back to work... T-minus 40 minutes 'til quitting time!

 

[THEROK]

Clearplex is not a coating. It's a plastic film like say venture shield for your bumper. It's just optically clear and is designed to last for x years depending on where you live and how often you use your car.

Just like any film it is not a permanent solution just like anything else on your car.

I've had clearplex on at least four new cars the past four years and it's been great. I saved my arse on my Range Rover brand new maybe a day after I installed it from what surely would've been a windshield replacement. I have it on my gt3, Toyota truck now. All good.

Money saved. Peace of mind. Factory seal.

Ps. Make sure you have an authorized installer do the work. I used a local Seattle shop who has its market cornered.

 

[Randyman...]

There's the man that put this idea in my head last night! Thanks for chiming back in, THEROK. :hello:

What can you say about wipers and how they affect the film with regard to scratching? We had almost 2 straight weeks of rain (a little everyday), so I tend to use my wipers a lot. Does the coating result in more streaking between wipes? No additional glare?

How involved is ripping the film off and re-applying a new layer (by a qualified installer, of course)? If I decide the film just isn't for me, can it be removed w/o any ill effects to a new $500 windshield?

I'm leaning towards these films over the chemical based coatings as the film would seem more effective against impact IMO. And I believe making the glass "Harder" with a chemical coating might make it MORE prone to cracking? 1E - care to confirm either way?

Looking like I might give the film a shot with a little more coaxing from ya'll (well, at least from THEROK since he is the only one that has used these films :cheers

This forum is so awesome!!!

 

[EasylyConfused]

"Diamond Fusion International" claims to treat tons of commercial vehicles and military vehicles (over 750,000 according to them). Are they just selling crap to these un-suspecting companies, or is there really something to these chemical coatings?

I would be inclined to think they are just selling Crap, however when I bought my 4Runner the Diamond Fusion coating you mentioned above came with a 3 year warranty, at the fraction of the cost of a new windshield. Being in Alberta, we go through windshield pretty frequently, so it sounded like a good deal.

With it I've had 4 stone chips filled, all from pretty solid hits, and the windshield has only now developed a small crack from the top edge after I left a stone chip unfilled for over a month. So MAYBE there is something to this coating, or maybe the windshield is just far thicker than any previous vehicle I have owned.

That being said, after about 1 year, the coating had appeared to have worn off under the wipers, as the water stopped beading there while it continues to do so on the remainder of the windshield. So I don't see how it could still be working, but every time I get another solid hit in the windshield, that sounds like a gun went off, I'm always surprised to see a small chip, which they fill for free.

 

[Bino9905]

I have 2cracks in my 2013 windshield
The dealership wants 1100 dollars for a new one.......not including install!!!!!!

 

[Ol'Baditude]

I would be inclined to think they are just selling Crap, however when I bought my 4Runner the Diamond Fusion coating you mentioned above came with a 3 year warranty, at the fraction of the cost of a new windshield. Being in Alberta, we go through windshield pretty frequently, so it sounded like a good deal.

With it I've had 4 stone chips filled, all from pretty solid hits, and the windshield has only now developed a small crack from the top edge after I left a stone chip unfilled for over a month. So MAYBE there is something to this coating, or maybe the windshield is just far thicker than any previous vehicle I have owned.

That being said, after about 1 year, the coating had appeared to have worn off under the wipers, as the water stopped beading there while it continues to do so on the remainder of the windshield. So I don't see how it could still be working, but every time I get another solid hit in the windshield, that sounds like a gun went off, I'm always surprised to see a small chip, which they fill for free.

The DFI is really good stuff, it's just unfortunate that it's so ridiculously expensive. I think it was somewhere between $400-500, and a new windshield was $390, so I never got it done on my 5th Gen, but defintely had them do it when we picked up the Venza this year. I had it done on my 4th gen to try it out, and was very impressed with the way it resisted the tiny pitting associated with the smaller hits, as well as preventing chips and dings from the much bigger hits. Never did have to go back for the free fix, but that's a nice feature of the coating as well.
I also really liked the way it beaded water and allowed bug guts to wash away much easier(that's the really nice part).

 

[Randyman...]

Alright - now we are getting some data! Two round-about votes for the chemical coatings, and one glowing vote for the film. Please keep it coming

I have 2cracks in my 2013 windshield
The dealership wants 1100 dollars for a new one.......not including install!!!!!!

I'm pretty anal about my ride, and I was happy with the Safelite glass and installation for under $500. My deductible is $500, so I figured no point in filing a claim just to "upgrade" from safelite's glass to what Toyota Parts calls "OEM Glass". There is more information on "OEM" vs Safelite's glass in the "Cracked Windshield" thread (Toyota "OEM Glass" is not really OEM by my definition - it's not what came on the truck from the factory).

I'll check back on Thurs for more votes - can't wait :cheers:

 

[LandCruiser]

Just get your chips fixed regularly before they turn into cracks.

I have about 6 fixed in the last year, they seem to be holding up in -20 to 100 degree temperature range.

The coatings turn hazy and opaque when they're scratched and exposed to road salt... at least all the ones around here look that way.

Same goes for those dumb clear bras.

 

[Randyman...]

Just get your chips fixed regularly before they turn into cracks.

I have about 6 fixed in the last year, they seem to be holding up in -20 to 100 degree temperature range.

The coatings turn hazy and opaque when they're scratched and exposed to road salt... at least all the ones around here look that way.

Same goes for those dumb clear bras.

Therein lies the rub. Both of my severe cracks did spawn from chips, but the advancement from chip to crack was literally one day! Not quite enough time to get them filled (I work very long days and odd hours on top of that).

Also, seeing how quickly they spread into large cracks (in less than 24 Hours), I'd wager having these particular chips repaired would have also resulted in the crack forming during the repair process. Safelite always states this as a disclaimer before starting to fill the chips - and they are not responsible if the chip turns into a crack while they are trying to fill it.

I had 3 chips filled when my truck was still a baby, but quickly tired of the process and frequency of repairs. Experienced 3 more chips that I didn't get filled, but then the 7th chip on the stock windshield formed into a crack overnight (not near the other 3 chips that were not filled).

2nd Windshield got bombarded with road asphalt debris on my way to work (only had the new windshield for a month!), and cracked that night. This was the first batch of chips on this new windshield - and my work hours prevented me from obtaining repair that day.

Still keepin' tab:

• 2 votes for Chemical Coatings
• 1 Vote for Film
• 2-3 votes against any type of coatings, and just dealing with replacement windshields as needed (Should have an Amazon "Subscribe and Save" on these T4R windshields!!!)

 

[Peyto]

Just get your chips fixed regularly before they turn into cracks.

This is my feeling as well. Here in Alberta the issue is particularly acute with the heavy use of a gravel/sand/salt formula (referred to as "pickle") in the winter in Calgary, and large temperature gradients.

The best strategy in my mind is to get that chip or crack dealt with ASAP. As you mentioned, I've seen a crack spread by a foot in less than 6 hours, but we have those little tents set up in just about every mall marking lot that need less than half an hour to do the fix for around $40. The one I go to actually notes exactly where the chip/crack is, and guarantees that it wont spread.

Plenty of people have just given up altogether and don't get chips/cracks fixed, instead opting to just budget for a new windshield every year or two. Of course then you have a potentially compromised windshield which can be dangerous, which is why I don't use this strategy.

 

[Randyman...]

This is my feeling as well. Here in Alberta the issue is particularly acute with the heavy use of a gravel/sand/salt formula (referred to as "pickle") in the winter in Calgary, and large temperature gradients.

The best strategy in my mind is to get that chip or crack dealt with ASAP. As you mentioned, I've seen a crack spread by a foot in less than 6 hours, but we have those little tents set up in just about every mall marking lot that need less than half an hour to do the fix for around $40. The one I go to actually notes exactly where the chip/crack is, and guarantees that it wont spread.

Free time is a precious resource for me. I generally don't have free time on my 55 mile drive to work (I believe every chip>crack I've encountered was on this commute to work! Being late for work is not an option).

While I got doused with asphalt during the most recent issue, I did not actually see the chip on the passenger side until it had already formed into a ~18" crack that night. I wasn't very happy considering the windshield was only 1 month old. Oh how I wish it was a perfect peachy world - but my reality is far from that...

I believe the films or coatings will be my only form of recourse (or deal with $500 replacements often). I'm not one to leave my windshield cracked - My T4R deserves better than that! My first brand new vehicle...

I'd love some more reports from people that use these films and chemical coatings. I'm really leaning towards giving them a shot if they can be removed if I don't like them...

Grazie! :cheers:

 

[1engineer]

Murphy's law: Buy a windshield, put it in your garage and you will never break another again.

 

[Randyman...]

Murphy's law: Buy a windshield, put it in your garage and you will never break another again.

For me and how Murphy treats me, this would likely result in the windshield in the garage getting broken somehow on the same day I get a crack on my drive to work!