Explanation for glass just 'popping'!

Oracle · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:04

Ok, its not been that cold my way today, and theres not been much sun, and the car (Rover 25 3dr) hasnt been used today either!

Heard a smash (car is on the drive), went out immediately and saw no one, no objects lying around and majority of glass is 'outside' of the car. Basically, the window's just popped! This is rear 3/4 light Drivers side window.

This has happened once to me before with a Corsa, (although that one was on a stupidly hot day), and the glass just popped a few minutes after the drivers door was shut. (passenger glass popped in this case).

What explanations can you give to make this seem feasible bearing in mind the lack of heat cold, and the fact they I just know no-one smashed it..

(car is on driveway, a fair distance from road).

darko · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:11

has the glass been replaced recently?

it happened to a friend of mine just after autoglass replaced his windscreen. apparently the glass was fitted just a smidgen out of place so when he mounted the curb going into his drive, the car's frame flexed a bit and the windscreen just cracked as it was being stressed in a certain place.

Oracle · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:11

Nope.....original

A5H · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:12

airgun?

Adam_151 · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:13

Glass is a very weird thing, its quite unpredicatable, it can sit strained for quite a while, and a small change and pop, heard about an oven door at a company that makes commerical catering equipment, something had been assembled a bit too tight, it sat on the shelf in the stores for months, before one day it just went pop out of the blue.

I expect you've ruled out some troublemaker with a ball bearing gun? (don't just assume that because you saw no one, that there was no one there, if they were in a car, or even on a bicycle, they could have been gone before you made it to the door)

Oracle · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:14

Slime101 · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:14

A5H said:
airgun?

Thats what i'm thinking, someone is taking pot shots @ your windows with a air gun.

Glass popping - not somthing i have ever herd of and for you to have 2 totally different cars do it suggests foul play from a 3rd party.

Oracle · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:17

sorry, forgot to mention...two different locations! The Corsa, i was stood next to it talking to someone when it popped. We both dived for cover it was that weird!!

cymatty · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:25

Oracle said:
sorry, forgot to mention...two different locations! The Corsa, i was stood next to it talking to someone when it popped. We both dived for cover it was that weird!!

Someone is trying to kill you. :eek:

Scottland · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:27

Do you live in "da hood"?

Edit: Do the 25's also suffer the HGF problem? Maybe someone put a HG in there with the window

L0rdMike · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:29

You didnt pour hot water on it did you?

Its odd for a window to just shatter, do you live in the artic or something?

Oracle · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:31

cymatty · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:31

Scottland said:
Edit: Do the 25's also suffer the HGF problem? Maybe someone put a HG in there with the window

LMFAO.

megakid · 2 Mar 2006 at 17:46

I know my sister's friend had a peugeot 807 (people carrier jobby), few years back, her new born was on the back seat in her baby seat - strapped in whilst she was parked talking to someone just next to the car. Suddenly the entire rear windscreen smashed inwards, covering the baby in shards of the stuff!

Needless to say, straight to the garage where a very very firm complaint was lodged with the manager. Just before speaking to the manager, the mechanic sympathised but added the fact that he's seen it before on five or six other 807s - So it does happen!

Dogbreath · 2 Mar 2006 at 19:15

The early Smart cars used to suffer with rear screens shattering if you used the heater on a cold day. As said, glass is funny stuff, amazingly strong but just a tiny bit too much stress and it shatters. Could a bird have hit it perhaps?

danza · 2 Mar 2006 at 19:51

The same happened to my inlaws when they had an N plate Escort. Rear window just went pop. Nothing to indicate vandalism either. Very strange. Could be something to do with residual stresses in the glass/movement of the bodywork due to change of temperature.

Paul Spiteri · 2 Mar 2006 at 20:00

I also know someone who had the rear glass go on car
it was spontaneous..it happens, but i cant remember the reason. just badly fitted in the 1st place i suppose

L0rdMike · 2 Mar 2006 at 20:01

Have all these windows shattering happened in extreme temps on just on your normal day?

Muncher · 2 Mar 2006 at 20:02

I was driving my sister's Clio over the Orwell bridge and the drivers window just imploded at about 70mph, nothing left of it, showered me and the inside of the car with glass.

No idea what caused it.

Jonny69 · 2 Mar 2006 at 22:57

I shut the door after paying for some petrol and the window went on me. Scared the crap out of me because it went BLAAAAM! when it went.

Explanation for glass just 'popping'!

Man of Honour