How to Identify the Production Year of Car Glass?
2 Answers
There is a code located at the bottom left or right corner of the car window glass, with a digit and several small black dots in the last or second-to-last row. The digit represents the production year of the glass, indicating the last digit of the year, while the small black dots denote the production month. More detailed information is as follows: 1. Many car owners are aware that the markings on car glass include the production date, especially for those involved in appraising or purchasing used cars. Identifying the production date of car glass helps determine whether the glass has been replaced. 2. The production date of car glass can be determined by examining the code at the bottom left or right corner of the window glass, specifically the digit and small black dots in the last or second-to-last row. First, the digit indicates the production year, representing the last digit of the year. The small black dots signify the production month. Upon closer inspection of other vehicles' glass, you may notice that some have the black dots before the digit, while others have them after. If the black dots are before the digit, subtract the number of dots from 7. If the black dots are after the digit, subtract the number of dots from 13. The result will be the production month. Some glass may also have additional large black dots following the production year and month, which indicate the specific week of the month. For example, 5 dots represent the first week, 4 dots the second week, 3 dots the third week, and so on.
I've been driving for over twenty years, and every time I replace a windshield, I check the production year—it's really simple. Look for the dotted number code in the corner of the windshield or window, like one marked 'DOT18.' The number represents the last two digits of the year, and the dot indicates the month—dots before the number mean the first half of the year, while dots after mean the second half. Some systems use the number of dots to indicate the month, e.g., one dot for January, and so on. Once you know the year, you can assess the glass's aging: glass older than ten years starts to become brittle, reducing safety performance, especially at high speeds where impacts can cause shattering, so regular inspection and replacement are necessary. This trick has helped me avoid several potential accidents and is also useful when buying used cars to check if the glass is original. Just be careful not to confuse the glass production year with the vehicle's manufacturing date—the vehicle's code is on the nameplate.
