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Topic: rear window blow-out (Read 4920 times) previous topic - next topic

rear window blow-out

Coming home thursday after thanksgiving dinner with the family (btw dinner was GREAT!) it was 29º outside back window was steaming up so i turned down the rear window de-fogger drove for about 5 miles and a BIG POP! from the back window. It was the back glass shattering. Question for everyone: Has this ever happened to any of you? and Could there be something wrong with the electrical part of the defroster?

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #1 –
1st time I heard a bout something like that...  :wtf:

Your windows was probably weak already.......  :brick:
The little expantion produced by the heater just finish her or maybe a little  with a sling-shot trow some thing in your glasse without you noticing it....

But I dont think a Rear-Windows heater can directly destroy a glass...  Not enough Current, Not enough heat...  :screwy:

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #2 –
Quote from: blknredcougar
Coming home thursday after thanksgiving dinner with the family (btw dinner was GREAT!) it was 29º outside back window was steaming up so i turned down the rear window de-fogger drove for about 5 miles and a BIG POP! from the back window. It was the back glass shattering. Question for everyone: Has this ever happened to any of you? and Could there be something wrong with the electrical part of the defroster?


YES.  This same exact thing happened to my dad in '84 or '85 when he was driving his father's '84 GS, which was the same kind my dad had at the same time shown in the pic below.  Never found out why.  The glass repair shop said it was not a projectile.  The insurance covered it as "defective."  He suspected that the glass was installed from the factory in a defective way in that it was not allowed to expand or that the glass itself did not have enough elasticity or whatever characteristic that allows it to expand.

He did have his rear defogger on but it was probably about 40 degrees outside.
"lol.. because not too many people care for that style of car"
[size=-2]Click on paw print \/[/size]

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #3 –
Yer all wrong.  Or you could be I guess.  The most cars use a fairly high amperage (lots of heat) rear defroster setup.  This circut is on a timer (im not sure if its thermal or not), it will only run for a certain amount of time then shut it self off.  In some cars it will cycle it self (and the dash light will always remain on) and others the system will just shut the defroster off and the driver will have to turn it back on.  I have honestly cannot remember how the cougar / tbird system works.  (mine is asleep for winter). 

Sometimes this timer circut fails and over heats the window.  The warm glass and the cold air cause the window to explode, just as if you take a glass from the freezer and pour boiling water into it.  This is very commen in regions were it gets really cold in winter (coughcoughwinnipegcough).

All the factors mensioned by other users are probably just as likey as this (in your situation) I just wanted to mension that this happens and some people loose a few rear windows before the problem is corrected.


So, if you window ever explodes at -30* you'll know why

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #4 –
Well some of these glasses shatter pretty easily.  My Cousin in-law Chipped a corner of the rear window on his Full size chevy and shatterd instantly

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #5 –
I had it happen to a Corsica (my sister-in-law's) and used to see it happen to Saturns all the time. Never heard of it happening on a Cougar though.

The back window of my Father's explorer went out too, but that was probably due to my driving a 4-wheeler through it :hick:
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #6 –
When I worked at the local Ford dealership, there was a new focus that inexplicably shattered its rear window.  It was fairly cold outside, and had been raining just previously, so no doubt there was some frozen rain inside of the rear window channels.  I get in the car and shut the door...CRASH!  The dealers were pretty p*ssed; it was to be delivered that day.  :grinno:

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #7 –
:mad: can't find a factory window in any junk yards around here
can any one in Ohio check there bone yards  It's a back window with tint and defogger Factory Please
Or should I just get one from the glass doctor or gardain glass

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #8 –
The rear window on my Cougar "blew out" today. I left work today in my other car....came back home and it looked like a small portion of the Cougar's rear window didn't have any condensation on it. A few minutes ago I got in the Cougar and when I shut the door, the widow shattered. I reckon the part of the window that appeared not to have condensation was already broken when I shut the door. I didn't find any foreign objects in the car. WTF  :rolleyes:

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #9 –
Quote from: blknredcougar
:mad: can't find a factory window in any junk yards around here
can any one in Ohio check there bone yards  It's a back window with tint and defogger Factory Please
Or should I just get one from the glass doctor or gardain glass


Simply call some specialized windshield repair shop...

Call more than one....  here, I called 3 "Lebeau Vitre D'Auto" (Lebeau car window) for a windshield last year and none of them had the same price. (lifetime waranty installed at home....)

One told me it was tough to get (400$) and the other said, piece of cake... ill get it tomorrow... (250$)  :screwy:  :screwy:
wtf? Same banner 150$ price range for same car? in the same city?  :screwy:


Finnaly, the guy at the shop I choose told me they ordered from a manufacturer in US...


Anyway.... I guess finding a Back window coulnt be an issue....

Why a Factory only btw?

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #10 –
Doubt this is what happend.  But there is a mean as prank that some people like to do.  Take a glass cutter and cut a line in the bottem of the window.  Then when a heard enough bump ishiznit......

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #11 –
blknredcougar, you probably have remedied the problem by now, but I got my rear window replaced (w/defroster) for $187. The window without the defroster was $224. I'm pretty sure most places use the same glass manufacturer (PPG), so as long as you use a good installer, you should be good to go.
The front window cost $167.

Both costs were for a 1985 Mercury Cougar.

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #12 –
All is fixed .  Yes  grand total was $173. installed at my house and left the moulding off so I can paint it make it more uniform gray (XR7)
thanks for all your coments.  Ric
 

Re: rear window blow-out

Reply #13 –
definitly