[Danial Beard (KB7JZI)]

We bought the car ten years ago. We bought it used. (There’s no way on God’s green earth I would have paid for a new one. new Volvos are dire!) The original owner purchased it in the Dallas Ft. Worth area, and that’s where it spent the first half of it’s life. It had never been wrecked, but the weather in Dallas is what it is. Like most vehicles in the area, the windshield had been replaced. That’s normal around these parts. Welcome to Hail Storm Central. Auto glass shop owners grin like a tree full of well fed owls when the Spring thunderheads build up.

The previous owner treated it well and stayed current on all maintenance. Then we got it. You can’t really call it abused with us either. We’ve only put 55,000 miles on it since then, most of them highway cruising miles. Again, meticulously maintained.

The one chronic glitch we’ve endured is a little on the weird side. The windshield rejects the rear view mirror on a regular basis. The little metal button the mirror mounts to just won’t stay attached. I’ve tried different glues, assorted clamping times, various cleaning solvents prior to installation, and about everything I could think of shy of human sacrifices.

About a month ago, I went out to the carport and noticed the mirror hanging from the wires (for the rain sensor and auto-dim function). So, one more time I razor-ed off the old glue, applied a sequence of B12 Chemtool, straight acetone, and an alcohol finish on both surfaces to be joined. Then I touch-scuffed (very lightly) the metal button on the disc sander, re-cleaned it, then re-glued with a single drop of fresh Gorilla Glue super glue. I held the joined surfaces in place for seven minutes. Then I let the thing ripen for 24 hours before attaching the mirror again. It held, but we’ve been told that story before.

Yesterday evening, I stepped out the door and noticed the mirror was hanging again. I was disgusted, but not surprised. When I got into the car to disconnect the wires and start over, I noticed something abnormal stuck to the button. It was shiny and had a clamshell sort of look to it, and it was absolutely and irrevocably stuck to that mounting disk.

It was a half inch wide chunk of windshield glass, which matched the half-thickness divot cracked out of the windshield right where he mirror was glued.

It’s like the dang thing chewed it’s own leg off to get rid of that mirror.

The glass has to be replaced now. I’ll re-glue the whole thing intact in place to get it to the glass shop, but I’m absolutely done with that particular hunk of glass. I saw the movie Christine. If the owner of the shop doesn’t mind, once it’s out, I’ll put two large caliber hardballs through it — just to make dang good and sure it’s dead.

[Phillip Beall (W5EBC)]

Dan,

That is crazy!  Doing a little bit of digging over coffee I find similar posts about this “tissue rejection” phenomenon on other vehicles — it’s not just your Volvo being dramatic. The mirror button adhesive eventually wins a tug-of-war with the glass layers (especially on previously replaced windshields in hail/rock country). 😒

Here are a few similar cases from other forums where the mirror took a chunk of glass with it:

• Car Talk Community thread — almost identical situation with discussion on cleaning and repair options.
• ClubLexus thread — mirror detachment pulling a chunk; suggestions for grinding the shard and reattaching.
• r/MechanicAdvice on Reddit — chunk of glass missing after the mirror came off, with real-world fix ideas.

Most folks eventually go where you are and bite the bullet and replace the windshield for safety and peace of mind.  A good glass shop can set the new mirror button properly with the right adhesive.  In the meantime, if you’re temporarily re-gluing, some recommend moving the button slightly to fresh glass and using something like Permatex or JB Weld for better hold.  🤣😂

That sounds like a PITA and real hassle — Good luck exorcising it with a couple of handgun rounds!  😁

73,

Phillip Beall (W5EBC)

[Author]

Posts