Cracked windshield in high temps with heat reflector?

So I took a 2 week work trip overseas, and parked my 22 SR5 in the uncovered hotel parking lot, facing west, in Phoenix. I have - and always use - one of those silver foil heat reflectors up against the inside of the windshield. I always use this silver facing the sun. The car was kinda shaded by a tree in front, with (apparently) a few birds overhead as well, as bird droppings and tree seeds/pods were about 2 inches thick on the OA intake near the windshield. I should have taken a pic, but was in a hurry to get home.

Temps when I picked up the car were 100F at 0900. Daytime temps in Phoenix the last two weeks were about 105-112F.

Started cleaning the cr@p off the car, and noticed the windshield was cracked in (2) places, starting at the sensor and going dead horizontal to port and starboard, about 15 inches each direction. The windshield had some minor pitting, but barely observable and nothing large enough to be concerned about enough to repair.

Did some googles, and have not seen this exact situation. It never dropped below 85 the entire time I was gone, so I don't think this could be caused by the usual suspect of thermal hot/cold cycling.

I did find some older - like 15 years ago - comments on other sites indicating that these reflectors can literally heat up the glass more than just the sun. But... I have lived in the desert decades, and always use these, and have never - until now - had a problem. That said, our house at 4000 feet seldom sees above 100F. Could the elevated Phoenix temps have caused this???

TIA.

 

Never heard of such issue from sunshade. Is this original windshield or aftermarket replacement?

I did hear about windshields exploding in cold weather if you weld around them and hit them with sparks.

 

When you say "started to clean the crap off" does that mean you were power washing it off or just removing it by hand?

If you got your windshield wet maybe you didn't notice at first about the cracks. I never wash my windows in the extreme heat because they will crack here in Phoenix.

Next time if you can leave truck at home in garage if you have one and Uber to airport. Too much theft and nonsense that goes on here in PHX.

 

Some sun shields are made to go on the outside of the windshield. They are held on with magnets. The magnets are enclosed in the sun shield material so they won’t scratch your paint.

This style is also good for keeping frost from forming on your windshield. Having said that, I don’t think I’d own this type. Being external, they are vulnerable to theft.

I just use the type that installs inside the vehicle. My wife and I have both been using the bright silver reflective sun shades propped up against our windshields on her 2021 RAV4 and my 2022 T4R in this brutal Texas sun snd heat without any problems. When at home, both our vehicles are always parked inside the garage.

 

Thanks for the responses.
Cleaned the stuff off by hand. No water. I considered an Uber, but I am about 180 miles from Phoenix, out towards Tombstone. $200 was the min price I received. For the $400 round trip, I can drive my own car, on my own schedule (I had to leave my house at 0330 for departure flight, and my arrival flight got in at 2300!), pay to keep it at the hotel lot, and still be $ ahead. Except for the price of a new windshield...

This sunshield was the inside version, silver out. Took a pic this am, and you can see the cracks - and the sunshade that I just left on top of the dash to take the pic.



While the hotel has a parking structure, it is always packed, tiny parking stalls means you cannot exit, nor can anyone else without hitting another car, and you have to go thru a checkpoint to leave. But I think next time that's what I will do.
This is going to be a pita to deal with - drive 60 miles into town, drop off the car, drive home, back the next day, blah blah...

 

There were some microbursts about 10 days ago that did a lot of damaged . I wonder if something hit your windshield rather than the sun being the culprit?

 

Yeah you are definitely in a tight spot and good luck finding an Uber at that time. I would drive myself too. Just make sure you find yourself the safest lot location because most of the hotels around Sky Harbor are sketchy.

Like someone else stated we did have some storms roll in with microburst so that is a possibility. Sorry this happened to you. Get a quote to see how much paying cash rather than going through insurance (with glass coverage) because many are now treating glass claims as the same as "small accidents" and will increase premiums significantly.

 

Thanks for the info!
Based on that, I went out and cleaned the area a bit better, and from a different angle it does appear to have started from an impact.



Of what, I have no clue. There was no damage when I parked the car.
A bird dropping a nut?
A bird dropping a rock?
Hail or rock from a microburst?
A malcontent individual or employee determined to exact revenge on customers cars with a ball peen hammer just...because ???

As I left the hotel, I did look at other cars windshields - each of the 3 cars each side of mine appeared undamaged.

At least this makes more sense than a high heat condition. The "high heat" explanation would have found me having second thoughts about using this this every time the temps are above 100.

 

From the picture it sure looks like something other than the sun hit the windshield>

 

That certainly looks like a stone chip. Being close to the edge of the glass it's likely to spread. It wouldn't have been noticeable until the cracks have extended past the edge of the TSS camera box. You have glass insurance? Replacement windshield with TSS recalibration is typically north of $1k.

 

Dang that sucks man, maybe someone mowing or weed eating nearby threw a small rock? I had something similar occur but I was driving up an on-ramp and the pickup in front of me threw a small rock from the road due to construction that started as a small chip but the next day I saw it already spread into a crack before I could even get it looked at.

 

Question: What is the purpose and function of the almost pyramid shaped "Lense" at the top of the windshield? (New 4Runner owner)

 

It's for the PCS and LDA cameras.

 

OK, please help the newbie. What is "PCS" and "LDA" cameras?

 

PCS is the Pre Collision System- watches for cars, people etc in front of you and warns you if it thinks you need to brake to avoid hitting them.

LDA is the Lane Departure Assist- will warn you if you start to veer out of your lane without signalling.

 

I've come from a 2006 Tacoma TRD to a 2024 4Runner which I am still on the learning curve. Previously with my 06 Tacoma my "PCS" and the "LDA" was my wife of 45 years!
I truly am enjoying the upgade of technology on my new 4Runner. Heck, a back up camera is a big deal!

 

@pago cruiser - Whoever is replacing your windshield, make sure they DO NOT disconnect the TSS camera. For the most part you do not need calibration if the sensor remains connected. In addition, be sure to disconnect the battery/negative terminal before they start with the replacement.

 

My guess, you had a rock hit within the last few months of driving around the the constant heating slight cooling at night caused the chip to split in multiple directions. I have had this happen in the opposite temperature direction (serious cold).

Steve

 

I've had windshields crack in cold weather and hot, both originated from a chip that had started to enlarge.

One was in single digit temps while driving, (that startled me, to say the least, haha) the second was during a heat wave. I came out of work and what had previously been a chip had expanded to a crack most of the way across the glass. This was in the 4Runner. Insurance covered both at no cost to me.

 

I had a "random" crack appear overnight, but I already had four or five hits in other spots and had been procrastinating on getting it repaired.

Dealer replaced with Toyota glass and no hassles other than transportation; I sprung for "crack repairs and 1 windshield per year" coverage and it already paid for itself. Never seen glass attract rocks like this before.

 

My wife's Tesla Model 3 is a rock magnet. Since 2018 (3) windshield replacements. Always Tesla Glass. Might be her driving? She tends to hall ass down the freeway with her sound system blasting away!
Trucks ahead?! What truck?!