[RobinLegin]

My car seems to collect stone chips on the windscreen like flies - and before anyone suggests it I do not tailgate- it’s dangerpous. I had a couple of the larger chips repaired but National Windscreens advised the others were too small to treat.
I’m in Switzerland at the moment, where there is limited use of salting. Instead it is not uncommon to find the roads are gritted with stone only. I have collected more chips asa result. These will be fixed on return to blighty later next week. I was not even aware of being hit by any road chips.
This has got me wondering if the BMW screens are a poorer standard than for other makes. I have had MBs running for hundreds of thousand miles and collected few chips if any.
Or are the aerodynamics of the F48 such that any airborne stones are directed onto the windscreen? If this is the case is there an after market deflector or film coating that can be installed to minimise the effects?

[knightarmor]

I think the aerodynamics just seem to attract the rocks. Our less than year old f48 has so many chips in it while my two year old f80 is clean with 32k plus miles.

[stremax]

all cars windscreen must complain same legal requirements, as stated before I think windscreen angle is not so helpfull to avoid these cracks due stones, in my case I had 12 cars along 25 years and I broke screen only on both BMW

[RobinLegin]

If it’s the aerodynamics that are the cause I wonder if treating the windscreen with something like “Diamond fusion windscreen protection” might help?
Has anyone experience of the product or similar?

[int]

Originally Posted by RobinLegin

My car seems to collect stone chips on the windscreen like flies - and before anyone suggests it I do not tailgate- it's dangerpous. I had a couple of the larger chips repaired but National Windscreens advised the others were too small to treat.
I'm in Switzerland at the moment, where there is limited use of salting. Instead it is not uncommon to find the roads are gritted with stone only. I have collected more chips asa result. These will be fixed on return to blighty later next week. I was not even aware of being hit by any road chips.
This has got me wondering if the BMW screens are a poorer standard than for other makes. I have had MBs running for hundreds of thousand miles and collected few chips if any.
Or are the aerodynamics of the F48 such that any airborne stones are directed onto the windscreen? If this is the case is there an after market deflector or film coating that can be installed to minimise the effects?

It's not you, it's the car. Been driving for 19 years across many different cars (many BMWs as well) and never had a chip/crack. Our X1 got a stone chip/cracked windshield the very first time we took it on the highway, about a week into getting the car. There's definitely a difference in quality (or aerodynamics attracting more stones) on these things! Was lucky that the crack was small enough to repair on ours - and costed ~$100

[knightarmor]

You can really tell when driving in snow. The falling snow just hits the windshield when your driving where on most other cars you can see the airflow moving the snow over the windshield.

[MrTracey]

Before my X1, I had 2 BMW 1-series and they got far more windscreen chips than any of my previous cars.
Thankfully so far, after 30 months (but only 22,000 miles), my X1 is nowhere near as bad...but I guess that's just relatively speaking.

[MJE60]

Originally Posted by MrTracey

Before my X1, I had 2 BMW 1-series and they got far more windscreen chips than any of my previous cars.
Thankfully so far, after 30 months (but only 22,000 miles), my X1 is nowhere near as bad...but I guess that's just relatively speaking.

Relieved to see a different view point. So far (touch wood), no chips but wonder if different spec screens are the reason. I think Canada has special laminated (extra insulation) cold weather screens on X1.

[MJE60]

Originally Posted by int

It's not you, it's the car. Been driving for 19 years across many different cars (many BMWs as well) and never had a chip/crack. Our X1 got a stone chip/cracked windshield the very first time we took it on the highway, about a week into getting the car. There's definitely a difference in quality (or aerodynamics attracting more stones) on these things! Was lucky that the crack was small enough to repair on ours - and costed ~$100

Is this due to the laminated cold weather windscreens you have on X1 in Canada. If laminated they may not be toughened as well?

[int]

Originally Posted by MJE60

Is this due to the laminated cold weather windscreens you have on X1 in Canada. If laminated they may not be toughened as well?

Hmm, that's an interesting thought, but my 335 is Canadian with the cold weather package and all. Been driving it for 3 years now through our terrible, pothole and stone infested Quebec roads, without a single crack (knock on wood! I should shut up before I jinx myself )

[oakey46]

For what it's worth, much of the glass on my X1 is made by a Chinese manufacturer, Fuyao, who appear to have expanded quite rapidly over recent years. The exception though is my windscreen, which was made by Carlex, a business of Japanese origin (Central Glass Ltd), but who have expanded into supplying the major car makers from production facilities in the USA and a fairly recent plant in Luxembourg, presumably to supply the EU manufacturers.
The glass in my car, and I'm sure all other X1s, has quality standard markings, so I would doubt whether it is any more prone to damage than that from other manufacturers. I do recall reading, some time ago, that to save weight and improve economy, car makers are fitting lighter (thinner) glass than used to be the case.
To date, apart from a couple of very insignificant and extremely small stone chips, I haven't anything to report (and sincerely hope I haven't spoken too soon!).
The only aspect that I'm not so sure of is whether the X1 has acoustic glass, which was a standard fit on my previous Audi Q3.

[MJE60]

Originally Posted by oakey46

For what it's worth, much of the glass on my X1 is made by a Chinese manufacturer, Fuyao, who appear to have expanded quite rapidly over recent years. The exception though is my windscreen, which was made by Carlex, a business of Japanese origin (Central Glass Ltd), but who have expanded into supplying the major car makers from production facilities in the USA and a fairly recent plant in Luxembourg, presumably to supply the EU manufacturers.
The glass in my car, and I'm sure all other X1s, has quality standard markings, so I would doubt whether it is any more prone to damage than that from other manufacturers. I do recall reading, some time ago, that to save weight and improve economy, car makers are fitting lighter (thinner) glass than used to be the case.
To date, apart from a couple of very insignificant and extremely small stone chips, I haven't anything to report (and sincerely hope I haven't spoken too soon!).
The only aspect that I'm not so sure of is whether the X1 has acoustic glass, which was a standard fit on my previous Audi Q3.

May I ask mileage done? It looks like some owners definitely think there is a problem but glad to read you do not think there is an issue (touch wood).
As I have already said , no problems noticed so far but I have done less than 5,000 miles.

[oakey46]

Originally Posted by MJE60

May I ask mileage done? It looks like some owners definitely think there is a problem but glad to read you do not think there is an issue (touch wood).
As I have already said , no problems noticed so far but I have done less than 5,000 miles.

Certainly. To date I’ve covered just over 11K miles.

[stremax]

Originally Posted by oakey46

For what it's worth, much of the glass on my X1 is made by a Chinese manufacturer, Fuyao, who appear to have expanded quite rapidly over recent years. The exception though is my windscreen, which was made by Carlex, a business of Japanese origin (Central Glass Ltd), but who have expanded into supplying the major car makers from production facilities in the USA and a fairly recent plant in Luxembourg, presumably to supply the EU manufacturers.
The glass in my car, and I'm sure all other X1s, has quality standard markings, so I would doubt whether it is any more prone to damage than that from other manufacturers. I do recall reading, some time ago, that to save weight and improve economy, car makers are fitting lighter (thinner) glass than used to be the case.
To date, apart from a couple of very insignificant and extremely small stone chips, I haven't anything to report (and sincerely hope I haven't spoken too soon!).
The only aspect that I'm not so sure of is whether the X1 has acoustic glass, which was a standard fit on my previous Audi Q3.

i quote every single word, I work in automotive glazing company and every word is correct and wise