[Shake n Bake]

So this is a bit of an odd one.........

I've had my F11 for 4 weeks now and in that time have had 4 occurances where a small stone thrown up by the car in front has struck my windscreen. Each of these has been quite forcefull, with a loud smack that gives no too small of a shock. Each has been during motorway driving at a speed of 70-75mph.

Fortunately the windscreen is made of tough stuff and all I have to show for that is 4 very small chips.

4 in 4 weeks seems like quite a coincidence to me. In my 20 years of driving I'm not sure I get more than 1 or 2 of these a year.

It has me wondering if maybe something about the aerodynamics of the car is somehow sending the stones into the windscreen. It sounds daft even to suggest it, but 4 in 4 weeks makes me wonder if other ppl are experiencing a high occurance or if it just coincidence.

Would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks.

[k44ENT]

My screen cracked after a stone hit it when the car was only 2 weeks old, new screen fitted and 3 months / 5000 miles on and it's a mass of very small chips as is the front end. Never had a car so bad for this and I don't drive close behind the vehicle in front.

[bobblehead]

3 separate occurences on the highway with stone flying and hit my windshield with a loud crack. I thought it would be cracked for sure but upon closer examination, just a small mark. I would have to say I was damn lucky thus far.

In Canada, right now it's winter and therefore lots of debris are left on the road, no matter it's highway or local streets. Just hope for the best.

[Dom]

After 2,700 miles I have three chips in the windscreen and countless chips on the front of the bonnet. I've given up trying to touch them up. Worst car I've ever had in that regard. Had a Mercedes E-Class Coupe that never seemed to get a chip or collect tar.

[Scottish John]

Originally Posted by Dom

After 2,700 miles I have three chips in the windscreen and countless chips on the front of the bonnet. I've given up trying to touch them up. Worst car I've ever had in that regard. Had a Mercedes E-Class Coupe that never seemed to get a chip or collect tar.

Same here guys only had car 8 weeks and get a chip on windscreen every other week. I have 3 big marks on bumper and have just bought the touch up. I was putting it down to our crap roads here in Scotland right now bur seems i may be wrong!

[k44ENT]

I think the roads do play a part in this but my wife's Megane seems much more resistant to both body work and screen chips.

[Shake n Bake]

Wow I think I struck a chord with this one.

As I sat driving home tonight looking at that beautifully sculpted bonnet (hood) I really wonder if something about that sculpting doesn't suck the airflow down and then into the windscreen (windshield??).

Would be surprised if it were so. I imagine BMW employ skilled aerodynamicists. But the volume of rapid replies here is suggestive....

[HighlandPete]

Good topic, I know the roads are pretty bad after our bad winter, loads of loose debris all over our local roads.

I do wonder about the latest front end forms with the 'high fronted' pedestrian protection, changing the aerodynamics. Appears to go against the accepted improvements of the recent past, so there must be compromises, wonder how the latest forms do impinge on the typical airflow around the screen?

HighlandPete

[blackhawk_pilot2000]

Same here, seems as though I get marks and scratches even from sand like particles.

[EdM5]

I'm not so sure.
What about ever increasing traffic throughout Europe and NA, and at the same time, deferred maintenance that all public infrastructure operators have to cope with because of budget cuts?
In the Netherlands, there is a strong relation with the recent - colder then usual - winters. The type of asphalt that is typically applied here is less suitable for seriously freezing conditions. The nasty side effect is that the asphalt gets brittle when thawing.

[northernmonkey]

whilst I love a good grassy knoll theory I think this is more like coincidence. i've got 3K miles on mine now, lot of high speed motorway driving a no chips anywhere as yet....but to keep the conspiracy going.....i have noticed when driving in rain drops bead heavily seemingly near the bonnet emblem and every so often a large collection of beads ping back onto the screen. first time it caught my eye it was like some little arm threw a small cup of water over the front center of the bonnet....so maybe there is some airflow channel going in that direction.

personally speaking with the state of uk road surfaces i'm surprised we've got any paint left at all. i've only got one chip and its a tiny one underneath one of the wing mirrors....god knows how it got chipped there. touch up stick enroute from bmw dealer this week.

[jettie1767]

I've always had clearbra installed on the front of the car including the headlights and the sidemirrors. So, no rock chips at all.

[Losco]

I think it's just luck. I just got hit last saturday and it cracked my windshield, about 1cm wide. dealer picked it up to fix it along with squeaking gas pedal and bluetooth problem. thankfully he brought the new Z4 as a loaner so I'm a happy camper

[kel3]

every car I've owned received chips from small road debris and Stones, maybe a new type of windshield material should be developed, something more durable..

[Shake n Bake]

I shall ignore the last 4 posts as it spoils my theory. Lol.

Kidding. Good to have the balance. I remain on the fence

[Jon D]

Since collecting my car last September, I've accrued 2 small chips on the windscreen and a small collection on the bonnet and front end. I think it's down to the fact that there's more grit on the roads and, to pre-empt the obvious riposte, I always keep a minimum 2 second gap, so it's not caused by following too closely.

[cidair]

Worst car I ever had, when it comes to stone chips. It´s really bad after 17.000km. 4 major chips in the windscreen and uncountable chips on the front........

And the sound when the stones hit the windscreen just crazy.
Last time I ducked and had my hands up.....and it was just a normal chip in the windscreen....

[bongo77]

I can't see the wind altering the trajectory of a stone flying towards your car at 70mph.

I think the F10 collects more stone chips because of the huge surface area of the bonnet/hood.

Also- as we're all driving round in relatively new cars, we're probably on the lookout for them.

[JOHNBMWM5]

I think the windscreens are made of "Thinner Glass", my 2010 M3 screen suffered hell with stone chips, it was covered, this 550i MS after 2400 miles has none yet, but I do have one on the bonnet and one on the wing small but you can just see them.

[Shake n Bake]

The stone is not travelling at 70mph - the car is. I would believe that the airflow disruption generated by a large vehicle travelling at high speed is actually quite significant.

Personally I am not getting stones hitting the bonnet or bumpers or mirrors etc. I am getting a lot of stones smacking into my windscreen.

[Touring]

Originally Posted by Shake n Bake

The stone is not travelling at 70mph - the car is. I would believe that the airflow disruption generated by a large vehicle travelling at high speed is actually quite significant.

Personally I am not getting stones hitting the bonnet or bumpers or mirrors etc. I am getting a lot of stones smacking into my windscreen.

So if you are travelling at 200 mph the stone is not hitting you with the same speed?

Come on guys, dont blame the the car for getting hit by stones.

[Shake n Bake]

Originally Posted by Touring

So if you are travelling at 200 mph the stone is not hitting you with the same speed?

Come on guys, dont blame the the car for getting hit by stones.

Well that's not quite the context of my statement. I was responding to an earlier poster who asserted that wind would not disturb a stone travelling at 70. My point is that the stone isn't travelling and that wind is not the force in question.

That said I still think it's all just a coincidence. I'm just curious if there MIGHT be more to it.