Windshield Condition

The windshield on a motor vehicle must be free of cracks and discoloration. 

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In the Vehicle BASIC, the windshield violation will be given a value of 3 (windshield condition has a severity weight of 1 and since no out-of-service order was issued, no additional severity points are assigned, and since the inspection is in the last six months, the time weighting is 3). 

This part of the regulations, along with Appendix G, provides the standards that the parts must meet at all times. Brake wear hmits, brake freeplay, tire wear hmit, windshield condition, etc. are all covered in these regulations. 

The rate of spray is deterrnined by propellant concentration, the solvent used, and valve and vapor pressure. The pressure must be high enough to dehver the product at the desired rate under the required operating conditions. For example, a windshield ice remover that is likely to be used around 0°C must be formulated to provide an adequate pressure at that temperature. Spray dryness or wetness and droplet size depend upon propellant concentration. 

Silicones are being used in advanced fields of technology. One such field is aerospace where extreme environmental conditions are experienced. These applications include coatings for firewalls, windshields and other thermal barriers, and corrosion protection. In all these applications, the silicones are often not visible. 

Cyanoacrylates are not appropriate for the bonding of the steel parts of an automobile, because of the environments that the car will be exposed to. Those environments include such things as rain, variations in temperatnre, exposure to solvents (such as gasoline, oil, and windshield washer solntion), ozone, acid rain, salt spray, and ultraviolet light from the Sun. (A more appropriate adhesive for car parts would be an epoxy-based adhesive.) Another example of a special adhesive would be the one used to attach a new rearview mirror in an antomobile. Because the cured adhesive in this case will be exposed to wide variations in temperature and to an extremely large amonnt of nltraviolet fight from the Snn for prolonged periods of time, an adhesive formnlated specifically for these conditions should be used. 

Windshield wiper and washer condition. Mirror system. 

Use moderation in judging safe speed. To maintain a safe stopping distance during reduced visibility, slow down, but not so much that you become a hazard to drivers behind. Keep vehicle clean, especially headlights, windshield, tail lights. Use emergency flashers in extreme conditions. 

The out-of-service criteria glaces in a restricted service condition any vehicle that has a crack or discoloration in the windshield area lying within the sweeg of the wiper on the drivers side and does not address the remaining area of the windshield Appendix G addresses reduirements for the whole windshield as specified in 393 60... 

Interlayer with gradient color bands are made for automobile windshields (81-83). The band is printed on the interlayer surface or tinted by coextrusion with pigmented resin. Curvature for a windshield is accomplished by differentially stretching sheet heated at about 85-100°C over a tapered shaping drum. Rolls of sheet or precut interlayer blanks are usually stored or shipped refrigerated at 3-10°C, or shipped at ambient conditions with an interleaved thin sheet of plastic such as polyethylene to prevent blocking. 

All vehicles with cabs shall be equipped with windshields and powered wipers. Cracked and broken glass shall be replaced. Vehicles operating in areas or under conditions that cause fogging or frosting of the windshields shall be equipped with operable defogging or defrosting devices. 

Flame-out (flame lift-off or blowouts) sometimes occur at a flare, at which time flammable vapors will be discharged. If heavier than air and wind conditions permit, they will travel along the ground to other areas until dissipated. Provision of a windshield around the flare tip will assist in preventing flame-out conditions from occurring. 

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