Featured Image Credit: Mechanic Advice/Reddit/John Nordell/Getty Images
The black dots on your windshield aren't just for decoration.
Drivers can go years without noticing them or learning why they're there in the first place. But if you are one of the curious people, you might find yourself wondering, do they actually have a purpose?
During the manufacturing process, these black dots and bands are printed and essentially baked onto the windshield.
'The little black dots on your windshield, including the black band around its perimeter, are called frits,' said Richard Reina, lifelong automotive enthusiast and product training director for CarID.com.
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Before the glass is moulded into shape, it's flat and so, is heated before it's placed on a 'bending jig'.
The black enamels appear as solid black bands near the edge and 'gradually dissolve' into smaller dots on the outer edges, appearing further apart.
This is because the 'frit' tends to heat up faster and to a higher temperature than the uncoated glass, resulting in a 'half-tone' pattern on the car's windshield.
According to Reina, in most modern cars, the windshield glass is bonded to its frame using a long-lasting urethane adhesive She described: 'Without it, your windshield would not properly adhere to your car.'
'This makes the windshield a structural component of the vehicle's body. The frit is black painted enamel that's baked onto the surface of the glass, and it provides a secure point of contact between the glass, urethane adhesive, and windshield frame,' explained Reina.
Automotive repair expert and founder and CEO at Auto Parts Guideline Craig Campbell, added: 'They serve an important purpose and are nothing to worry about. They're there to hold the glass in place and keep it from moving around while the car is in motion.
'Without these dots, the glass could become loose and eventually fall out of the frame.'
If this happens, however, or you notice the black dots start to wear off, you'll need to get the windshield replaced as soon as possible.
'This is because the adhesive is what keeps the glass in place,' said Campbell.
'Without it, the glass could become loose and fall out of the frame. While this is unlikely to happen, it's still something that you should be aware of. If you're unsure of how to replace the dots, you can always take your car to a professional for help.'
Reina added that you shouldn't try to 'fix or modify' the black dots either.
