Sunny Saturday Morning

[Pawel66]

On this sunny saturday morning I went to the garage to fold down the soft top and drive out to take my daughter to shopping.

But I did not.

When I was just about to fold the soft top I noticed my right door glass on passenger seat shattered into tiny pieces. I have no idea why. It was there last weekend, today it has been broken. Nothing fell from the shelves. The car was just standing there.

The new leather was scratched on the door panel and on the passenger seat in several places.

Not a nice day.

I cleaned up the car inside. Removed the door panel and the window rails, cleaned all the pieces from the inside of the door, prepared for the new glass. I went to the computer and ordered the glass and some tiny pieces that may need to be replaced.

Fortunately my wife managed to mask the upholstery scratches with her household leather care stuff and a pen set.

It could have been worse.

[kampala]

Pawel

 Very sorry to read this. 

The glass spontaneously shattered? 

I have heard of pagoda glass shattering upon a door slam with glass not properly adjusted but not just sittting there.   

[Pawel66]

There must have been somethig wrong certainly. It is just I have no idea what.

I can imagine a situation like you described. I can also imagine a situation that the glass is under tension when the door is closed, it does not break when you slam the door, it just stays there with tension and breaks because of other, additional impulse. But I was aware that glass shoud not be under tension and it was set to the soft top without tension. Perhaps it has slowly gone out of adjustment and tension built up over the last couple of months and then something triggered breaking.... I cannot think of anything else...

[Garry]

Unless you were unlatching the soft top and the windows were wound right up, it would be easy to have the frame tap the top of the glass that will instantly break?

[Pawel66]

No, no way. I did not even get to the point of folding the soft top down. I wanted to switch on the ignition to disengage immobilizer.

Thank you for the toughts. I would really like to understand what happened. My current theory is that for some reason adjustments changed and there was too much tension when the door was closed with the glass up. Then some, even small, impulse could trigger the damage.

[Cees Klumper]

The glass on my passenger door shattered when I was making an adjustment to its orientation. I was very surprised at how seemingly easy it broke, because I believed it was not under any significant tension, the adjustment was minimal and considering the abuse these windows take in normal use. My point I guess is that it can take less than youmight think. Good luck with the fix.

[Pawel66]

That is exactly what i suspect! I must have stretched it too much sometime somewhere. When it broke - it broke (I did not see it, I just found it already in pieces). It is hardened glass - it just fell apart down to th elittle pieces between the bottom holding rails and inside the sliding jaws.

I ordered the glass and will just fit it (hopefully without breaking it). Upholstery was a bigger worry, but my wife made it so that you would not notice if you do not know something scratched it.

[cfm65@me.com]

Hi Pawel,
Many years ago(1978), I had a 190SL side window break for no apparent reason. The 190SL does not have the allu clamshells like the Pagodas.
Regards
Chris

[Pawel66]

My clamshells (if this is what you call the guide jaws) were on in that glass. There were no rattles while driving or while closing the door. The glass moved up and down freely. I could close the window with the door closed with no force. The door was closing lighlty. I really have no clue...

[zak]

Strange occurrence Pawel. Sorry to hear.
Was the window glass original to the car or replacement?

So which one of your G Wagons did you use to take your daughter shopping?

jz   

[Pawel66]

I think it might have been original as it had all the markings and was a bit worn on edges. On the other hand it was tinted and my car did not have Heat Absorbing option in the data card, so it could have been replaced at some time.

I took her in my wife's BMW . I know it is highly inappropriate. I do not like this car. Never seen such a poor quality for the kind of money it costs. I was in a hurry and I did not have time to move cars around and the Pagoda and my wife's car are on the easy exit (pool) positions.