The back window of my wife’s car shattered randomly for the third time this year. Happened inside the heated front-attached garage this time and nothing hit it. Looks like it broke outwards somehow, there’s even glass on top of the car.
by Lawsompossum
29 Comments
is your neighbor an opera singer?
my guess: the car had an accident or for some other reason, the trunk lid is bent a little so that the glass is under stress the hole time. this is far-fetched though
You really have to stop letting the undead sleep in your car
don’t worry bro, the insurance will still deny your claim for whatever bs reason they got
Maybe it’s badly tempered glass, and it gets angry beyond it’s breaking point 3x a year.
Oo i think i know the cause of this one
Your car has a vent that connects the cabin to the outside, so that when you close your door, that momentary high pressure from trapping all that air goes through the vents instead of everywhere else. If that vent is clogged or the flaps can’t move freely, the pressure has nowhere to go, thus the glass breaking
These vents are usually connected to the back bumper, so check if they’re clogged or blocked
Does it always have a hole in the same spot when it breaks?
pressure?
Had this happen 30+ years ago. Rear defroster had a short and the back window exploded. Sounded like someone shot a gun at our car.
Not sure if this is your cause, and I’d expect the new window to have new defroster lines (and thus, fix the problem). Since it’s happened 3x, seems likely to not be the answer.
Either the glass is stressed all the time since installing or the air pressure in the cabin.
Try leaving the window cracked open a little bit when you park from now onwards
Squirrels
Do you always install the glass at the same place?
Have you considered installing a camera to capture what happens. Would be awesome if you captured the 4th time of it happening
– Well, some of them are built so the back doesn’t shatter at all
– Wasn’t this one built so that the back wouldn’t shatter?
– Well, obviously not
Just a quick Google search came back with: *Several owners of various Mazda 3 generations (including newer models) report their rear hatch glass suddenly exploding while parked, sitting in traffic, or in the garage*.
poltergeist
There are vents near the trunk that when malfunctioning won’t release the air pressure when closing a door/ trunk. They look like gills near the back of the car.
When she closes the door it would shatter outwards due to the pressure.
Only thing I can think of
Why did I think this was a picture of Mike Wazowski at first glance
You’ve likely got a shorting out rear demister – that will be shorting before the window connection. It will eventually break the window.
The crack pattern in the glass (hackle marks for this tempered glass) can tell you where it started and what direction the cracks propagated. Do some google search and ai work to figure out how to read them.
The ghost did it
Dude, check your garage for Aliens!
Are you sure your wife hasn’t slammed the trunk lid shut whilst something inside protrudes above the shut line? It’s the kind of damage consistent with this type of breakage cause.
My guess is that the weatherstripping on the door is weak/worn/torn or the latch is misadjusted so that the glass touches the sides of the C pillars when it’s shut. When when the metal expands (and a bit the glass too), the glass is squeezed, but has nowhere to go.
It could also be that the installers are using too little butyl rubber or whatever windshield sealant with the same effect.
There should be about a 1/4 inch gap between the glass and any metal at 70F/23C.
Check these pictures for what I mean. Looks like very little clearance – https://www.sunvigor.com.hk/onlineshop/en/mazda2-dj/2250-mazda2dj-mazdaspeed-rear-roof-spoiler-qdj1519n0pz.html
The mainbplace where the glass inyourself is missing on the right side aligns with where the glass would be touching.
Have you considered a haunting spirit? Dont write off the mischevious poltergiest option. Has your wife wronged anyone who has passed away? What is the history of your home/garage? Was it ever the grizzly scene of harrowing events? Any past owners of the car? Any reasons why a vengeful apparition would choose to make the trunk area their haunt?
No car mechanic will ask these important questions. You may need to involve an exorcist.
Has that hatch ever been repaired or replaced? I’m thinking the hatch is flexing due to changing temperatures.
Did the right-hand side edge of the glass line up with the metalwork recess before it exploded? It kinda looks like it’s the wrong glass panel, but might just be the way it’s broken.
Either way my guess is that there’s some kind of thermal expansion issue that’s pinching it between the metal parts causing it to explode – either wrong part, fitted incorrectly, or (as others have said this might be common with Mazda 3s) a design issue.
Co-worker had a large glass dining table. One day he’s in the kitchen, when a large explosion comes from the dining room. A large circular piece of glass from the center of the table, had launched itself straight up, and hit the ceiling.
Obviously it’s a fucking ghost dude
…for some reason my mind kept telling me that “back window” is actually “black widow” in your post’s title. Either way: dangerous!