What's wrong with the glass?

[CircuitJerk]

Wear polarized sunglasses, you'll see that quite a bit on auto glass.

[bestwheelbase]

The glass is tempered (so it shatters into tiny bits rather than throat-slicing shards ) and what you see is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Specifically the cooling phase, which puts the glass in tension. Polarized sunglasses make it more apparent (depending how you turn the lens), but often it is visible with the naked eye.

[GenkiElite]

Sooo, is the glass polorized?

[wbradley]

Get a pair of Maui Jim H2O sunglasses and you will see that pattern on most side and rear glass. It looks like the glass cools while in contact with a waffle pattern. If it reacts with a polarized lens that is evidence of the crystal orientation in the tempering process. Also, if you look at an LCD display (car audio) with the same glasses, straight on or sometimes turned 90 degrees you can see the difference.

[bestwheelbase]

Originally Posted by GenkiElite

Sooo, is the glass polorized?

No, all those posts are wrong.

[EsoBOFH]

It is, in fact, polarization. The reason it's in a circular pattern, is because you can't always know where the sun is coming from. In a polarized camera lens for example, the pattern is in one direction, and you can rotate the lens to suit the position of the sun for the picture you are taking. In the case of cars, it's circular to be effective from all angles, but in this manner it's not always filtering everything out, but filters a good percentage of it from all angles. Similar effect as tint, except it doesn't darken the windows (the slight tint you see in the windows, is actually tint and has nothing to do with the polarization).

[jeebus]

Originally Posted by wbradley

Get a pair of Maui Jim H2O sunglasses and you will see that pattern on most side and rear glass. It looks like the glass cools while in contact with a waffle pattern. If it reacts with a polarized lens that is evidence of the crystal orientation in the tempering process. Also, if you look at an LCD display (car audio) with the same glasses, straight on or sometimes turned 90 degrees you can see the difference.

yes, only these specific glasses work.

[Superhatch]

This is how this thread makes me feel:

[Stu baru]

Originally Posted by bestwheelbase

The glass is tempered (so it shatters into tiny bits rather than throat-slicing shards ) and what you see is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Specifically the cooling phase, which puts the glass in tension. Polarized sunglasses make it more apparent (depending how you turn the lens), but often it is visible with the naked eye.

Bingo. I'd never seen this on the side windows of a car before my BRZ, but often on rear glass of many makes. WAY annoying in the side glass since I only use polarized sunglasses (and you should too). The term for the optical phenomenon is birefringence.

[Stu baru]

Originally Posted by jeebus

yes, only these specific glasses work.

You're kidding, right?

Maui Jim makes good polarized sunglasses, as does Kaenon (my brand of choice), and both (or any truly polarized glasses) will make the optical effect of tempered auto glass more apparent.

[jeebus]

Originally Posted by Stu baru

You're kidding, right?

Maui Jim makes good polarized sunglasses, as does Kaenon (my brand of choice), and both (or any truly polarized glasses) will make the optical effect of tempered auto glass more apparent.

there is no possible way I was being sarcastic

[Bonburner]

Originally Posted by bestwheelbase

The glass is tempered (so it shatters into tiny bits rather than throat-slicing shards ) and what you see is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Specifically the cooling phase, which puts the glass in tension. Polarized sunglasses make it more apparent (depending how you turn the lens), but often it is visible with the naked eye.

So the what's the method of making the front windshield

edit: forgot to type what's the lol

[bestwheelbase]

Originally Posted by Bonburner

So the what's the method of making the front windshield

edit: forgot to type what's the lol

Good question. The front windshield is not tempered. It is a laminated form of safety glazing made of two thin pieces of glass with a polyvinylbutyral (PVB) layer in the middle. In case of impact, the glass is held in place by the PVB. This is why windshields do not shatter into a million tiny pieces like a side window. This is also why thieves break in through side windows even though it would be a helluva lot easier to crawl in through the big front window opening.

[wbradley]

Originally Posted by Stu baru

You're kidding, right?

Maui Jim makes good polarized sunglasses, as does Kaenon (my brand of choice), and both (or any truly polarized glasses) will make the optical effect of tempered auto glass more apparent.

The only reason I specified those glasses is because I see the pattern super clear through mine, they are polarized crystal glass lenses and my brother who is an eye doctor says they are the best. Otherwise I am sure any polarized lens works...sorry for misinforming.

So there actually is a reason the patter looks like a waffle...interesting and thanks for sharing.