Any one else? Rear window shattered with defroster

[Lorie]

Last week we had a snow, I used the remote start on my Outerbanks and then started out to clean it off. The back window completely blew out of the bronco, and it made one heck of a mess. The dealer now has it. Insurance company said they have heard it happen before, the rear defroster overheats and the cold makes it shatter. Of course the part is not readily available.;;

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[Rgill]

Last week we had a snow, I used the remote start on my Outerbanks and then started out to clean it off. The back window completely blew out of the bronco, and it made one heck of a mess. The dealer now has it. Insurance company said they have heard it happen before, the rear defroster overheats and the cold makes it shatter. Of course the part is not readily available.

That is physics at work. Cold glass and high heat. Boom

When heated glass expands If this heating is on one side and too rapid to allow it to soak through to the cold side, the hot size grows and the cold side does not. This causes stress in the glass causing it to try to bend and if excessive will cause the glass to crack.

There are problems the other direction also…..One time I had one of those cooking glass bowls that were “shatterproof” until I took a hot one and put cold water on it causing again a physics type reaction to take place in the other direction. The glass exploded in my hand.

Front windshield also can experience an issue due to defrosters… get expanding cracks etc due to the cold/heat issue.

There is always a chance there was a small unseen defect in the glass that caused the catastrophic end to your rear glass when physics took over.

Some people skip the defroster and spray home made de icing spray which a
Safelite guy once talked about on the news


“A de-icing spray is just made with just a couple simple ingredients and it's easy to make at home.

"If you are industrious like many, you can create your own and it's super simple. Just 2/3 rubbing alcohol and one part water. So 2 parts rubbing alcohol, one part water, spray it on there, give it a second, you're good to go," says Kimling.”

 

[dejones64]

Sorry to see this happen. Has not happened to me but I don't like that the rear defroster comes on with auto start, especially with no snow or ice on the window.

 

[cgparsons1983]

Wow. What was the temperature outside?

 

[Lorie]

Sorry to see this happen. Has not happened to me but I don't like that the rear defroster comes on with auto start, especially with no snow or ice on the window.

Right, and I don't see a way to remote start it without the defroster. I just hope I don't get gun shy of it when I get it back. I love and baby that thing

 

[Lorie]

Wow. What was the temperature outside?

Only about 22, so not real cold

 

[dejones64]

Right, and I don't see a way to remote start it without the defroster. I just hope I don't get gun shy of it when I get it back. I love and baby that thing

Ha, I may have found something. I haven't verified any of this yet, don't know if the Bronco Sport is included in this...

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=2929&languageCode=en&countryCode=USA&Uid=G1526101&ProcUid=G1526102&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

 

[fastlax16]

I’d make sure they take apart all the panels in the back to get all the broken glass out. Someone busted out my hatch glass to steal some stuff out of the back a long time ago. Never got all the glass and I could hear it rattling. Drove me nuts.

 

[Lorie]

I’d make sure they take apart all the panels in the back to get all the broken glass out. Someone busted out my hatch glass to steal some stuff out of the back a long time ago. Never got all the glass and I could hear it rattling. Drove me nuts.

Good Point, thank you!!

 

[Glamdring70]

Right, and I don't see a way to remote start it without the defroster.

It would leave you without the defroster, but for at least the really cold ice months you could slide the connector off the window. I don't think that will cause any alarms. Be careful to release and slide and not yank the heating element off the glass. I would imagine that as the interior heats, the ice would melt and slide off the rear and if it was snow, you'd have to broom it anyhow or you can spritz it with a de-ice mix.

 

[tRex]

I don't know...I'd tend to believe if heat was the culprit, it was the cabin air temp, not the defroster? I have seen disaster happen to the windshield with a high front defroster setting. Granted, you don't have hot air blowing on the back glass, but maybe if you're setting the heater high enough it might affect the back glass? I just don't think the electric defroster gets that hot -- and while in contact with the glass, wouldn't it heat quicker and more evenly?

 

[RonSwanson]

That is physics at work. Cold glass and high heat. Boom

When heated glass expands If this heating is on one side and too rapid to allow it to soak through to the cold side, the hot size grows and the cold side does not. This causes stress in the glass causing it to try to bend and if excessive will cause the glass to crack.

There are problems the other direction also…..One time I had one of those cooking glass bowls that were “shatterproof” until I took a hot one and put cold water on it causing again a physics type reaction to take place in the other direction. The glass exploded in my hand.

Front windshield also can experience an issue due to defrosters… get expanding cracks etc due to the cold/heat issue.

There is always a chance there was a small unseen defect in the glass that caused the catastrophic end to your rear glass when physics took over.

Some people skip the defroster and spray home made de icing spray which a
Safelite guy once talked about on the news


“A de-icing spray is just made with just a couple simple ingredients and it's easy to make at home.

"If you are industrious like many, you can create your own and it's super simple. Just 2/3 rubbing alcohol and one part water. So 2 parts rubbing alcohol, one part water, spray it on there, give it a second, you're good to go," says Kimling.”

There have been complaints regarding panoramic roof glass "exploding" while people are driving, without big temperature swings or obvious impacts. Ford is one of many manufacturers mentioned, so heat/cold explanation above would make sense if there were a defect.

 

[Jill]

Ha, I may have found something. I haven't verified any of this yet, don't know if the Bronco Sport is included in this...

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=2929&languageCode=en&countryCode=USA&Uid=G1526101&ProcUid=G1526102&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

There’s the answer!

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