OK, this falls into the Believe it or Not Category. Here goes, I bought a 2006 Convertible in September. Its first official road trip was from Columbus GA to Panama City FL last week end. I traveled with 3 other Corvettes. Upon returning to our parked cars at a local restaraunt, the following happened. One of our cars took off from the parking lot which left the three. We used our key Fobs to unlock the cars. I hit my Panic Button by mistake. No bid deal, Honk Honk Honk and I shut it off. Except when my wife went to open her passenger door, she said HONEY, The Window is GONE. The car that took off seconds in front of us said it was fine when they walked by. There was no Vandal in the parking lot. we had a visual on the lot and the cars the whole time. The passenger side window exploded like I have never seen one do. Glass was shot out of the car 10-15 feet and the entire interior of the car was covered in shattered glass. the temperature was 65-70 degrees. I never noticed any defect in the glass before. I ask our local dealer, the Insurance Company, a local auto glass repair, none had ever heard of a panic button blowing out a window. If I were to read this, I would think the writer was a Nut Job. I assure you, I am no Nut Job. Any help or other Explanation will be appreciated. If it was a fluke, so be it, I am concerened and grateful that my wife and I were NOT in the Car. We would have been riddled with glass. OK, someone tell me what happened

 

WoW []
My first thought of course was that the window was smashed by some punk and they just didn't see it when they left, and my second thought is DON'T EVER USE THAT PANIC BUTTON AGAIN!
Actually I do believe you, and if like you said no one busted that window out then what the heck happened. I would only be speculating, and couldn't even imagine the panic button causing this.
I was thinking about the temperature outside also, but you pretty much killed that thought already.
I dunno [][]
Strange.
Have you tried that pannic button since? You know not sure on the C6's but on my C5 the horn is EXTREMELY LOUD!! When i hit that panic button by accident it makes me jump everytime.
I have heard of people breaking glass with there voices, who knows maybe there was some kind of defect in it, and that horn just hit the right pitch.
Very strange.

 

First, I too believe you.

A couple of points for clarification. Did you actually see or hear the window explode? Upon this depends the possible answers.

If you actually saw it explode when you hit the panic button, then the window was under tremendous stress for some reason just prior to the lock release: probably a manufacturing defeat (but your will never prove it). The thing to be thankful for is that you and your wife were not in the car. Safety glass doesn't cut fatally, but when it explodes like that it can hurt and scar.

In particular, if this was the case, when you have the car repaired be particularly certain that the alignment of the window is perfect and that the incremental down and up feature upon door opening and closing works perfectly: I believe that C6s, like some other cars (recent Porsches), lower or raise the window about a 1/4 inch into the sealing gasket quickly as the the door is opened or closed: if this feature is not working with perfect timiong, what could happen is that as you shut the door the window riaises up that extra 1/4 inch too early, and is shut outside the gasket: this would put tremendous pressure on the glass, enough perhaps to cause it to explode with just a tiny bit of additional provocation (such as the motors triying to lower it when under than much pressure upon unlocking). This, along with just "bad glass," is the best expolanation I can think of for "I saw it explode with my own eyes."

If you did not see it explode, then I am going to assume that sincere as your friends are, they just didn't see the evidence as they walked by it: people see what they assume is there unless looking, etc. One point here: maybe you did not hit the panic button. I do not know about your year 'vette, but my Porsche goes into a very temporary panic mode when I unlock the doors, IF it thinks someone tried to tamper with it (trembler alarm was triggered) while I was gone. It only goes beserk for a second or so but, long enough to tell me something might be wrong. Thus, a likely "I did not see it explode" scenario is: someone vandalized your car (the alrm probably went off and then timed out while you were in the restaurant), and when you came out and hit the normal unlock button, it went berserk, and you only thought you had hit the panic button. (Check the owners manual, it probably explains if the security system does this).

Either way, check the auto up down feature of the window as it closes into the gasket upon opening and closing the door carefully when it is repaired.

Good luck.

 

I have not tried the panic button since, but I have not got the window replaced yet. It has only been a couple of days. C-6 parts are a little scarce at times. I will try the panic button after the glass guy gets it fixed. thanks for the response.

 

Thanks for the response. You have to picture how we were parked. We parked like all Corvette owners do, away from every one else. The cars had about ten feet between each and were door handle to door handle. The guy that pulled off just before all this happened was parked right next to the window side of my car. The way the glass was dispersed, his car would have been showered in glass, but it was not. I had not thought about the glass being not aligned when the window does its little up and down thing with the door opeing and closing. My wife actually said afterwards that she heard something funny, but could not identify the noise. I believe at this point it was my Aggravation Meter being pegged about the window. We did not actually see it break as we were still 50 feet away and it was dark. Not possible for window breaker vandal as the parking lot was lit and we were the only four cars out there. When I get the glass replaced I will have the Tech check the alignment very carefully, that seems like the most likely culprit. Never a dull moment when fooling around with Corvettes.

 

Holy Toledo! How crazy is that? Wow, I am just glad no one was hurt. I will be following this thread; keep us posted!

 

I Had the rear Glass on my 2005 coupe Explode out while I was cleaning the Rear lights. I heard a sound like throwing a match in a can of gas and looked up and the window was gone. I knew that no dealer would believe me because this just doesn't happen but when I realized that I had a security camera on the car I knew I had proof. The camera showed me behind the car and then the window imploding. As soon as the dealer saw the video the car window was replaced and covered. It was also like 65/70 degrees that day, All I can say is thank God for security Cameras. The daeler did send a copy of the video to Bowling Green.

 

not a real uncommon thing in the glass industry - called spontaneous breakage in tempered glass - you can search it on the internet and read about it

 

I had a window do that in an old gran torino i had one time. turns out dischargeing a firearm inside a car during a race riot is not a good idea. scared off the bad guys though.

 

You never cease to totally crack me up, George!