Rear window breaking from chassis flex?

[stinkydriverx]

I think this is a very rare thing. Maybe it was just old glass.
Heres the story.
Lets start by saying I have an 89 325is. Coilovers and front strut bar.
As I was backing out of my driveway (I take it a little sideways to clear my lip) I hear a loud pop. I stop, get out and look under my car, to seee if something suspension related has broken. I don't see anything wrong with it. I get back in my car. I look in my rear view mirror to see that my entire rear window has grenaded itself. It had the broken safety glass look across the entire window! If its any difference I had had the defroster on for about 10 minutes before leaving. I have never heard of anything like this happening. I want to make sure it does not happen again obviously. Its a 100 dollar fix. Im posting to see if any of you more experienced guys would actually agree that it is possible. And if it is how can i prevent it from happening again?

Thanks
-Andrew

[george graves]

Defroster would be my bet.

Maybe a few of the heating traces developed a break in them and so the others started heating up more, causing non-unifom heating across the glass. It stressed the glass - and pop! Just a guess. But I doubt it was chassis flex, unless something is f-ed up with your car.

[StereoInstaller1]

Mine did the same, except I was not in the car.

[oh2fly]

Back when e30s were new, I saw a few do that. One, right in front of me in a not so cold Cali shop. Haven't heard about any in a long time, though. I like the damaged heating element theory too.

[87e30]

Sorry, can't be of help. But damn, that's nuts!

[geezerman402]

I've read about this happening to other people... general consensus is that it's the fault of the defroster.

[stinkydriverx]

Side note, I also noticed the glass was made by a different company.
It was different than all of my other glass which is OEM. Leads me to believe it was of lesser quality maybe? It was most definitely crazy!

So basically just never use the 20 year old defroster. hahah
Thanks guys.
I must have sat there for 10 minutes just looking at it with a wtf look.
I knew i couldn't be the only one.

[StereoInstaller1]

My defroster was not on: there was no one in the car, car was not running.

[Will_318i]

that's a crazy story. at least it didn't shatter and get glass everywhere.

[T Verdier]

My rear wheel comes of the ground in some driveways and I hear all of the windows creek.

[erik325i]

I don't believe it's the cause of chassis flex. I've had parts cars that had the c-pillars smashed in to the point that the rear window came out of the seal (intact).

[e30trooper]

i just replaced i rear window becuase of the defroster took a shit

EDIT: PICS





Installed the new window my self and only paid 20 BUX :D My defrost shorted out and yea fucked shit up

[Wh33lhop]

My defroster was not on: there was no one in the car, car was not running.

Don't lie Luke, you were bumping your mad ghetto phat BAYSE y0!

;)

[Jean]

I can't wait to have a working defroster.... last glass I installed I didn't check (ohm) the grid and it's fricking bad.

[Holland]

The E30, notorious for bad inner door handles, leaky trunks, and random exploding rear glass.