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      08-08-2014, 10:00 AM   #1
nicknaz
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windshield replacement.. what to watch out for?

Hey guys, I'm not having much luck with the car this week....Got a rock chip that turned into a crack within a day

I have an appointment with Safelite today to replace the windshield with OEM dealer glass (not aftermarket)

My understanding is the glass already comes with the rain sensor/light senor, and there is a separate condensation sensor that needs to be reused/replaced.

Is there anything I need to watch out for?

Thanks!
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      08-08-2014, 07:42 PM   #2
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Quick update... The rain/light sensor clamps on to the windshield and can be reused, and the separate condensation sensor isn't applicable for the E89

The total cost through Safelite was $581 including tax and installation for OEM glass ("Guardian" brand), which was half of what the dealer quoted me ($1200, even though they outsource the installation to a 3rd party)
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      08-15-2014, 02:10 AM   #3
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Hopefully all went well for you. It all comes down to two things. First does the installer know what he is doing? Just because they come driving up in a glass truck doesn't mean they will do the job right. Second the quality of the glass you are getting. If you got a Guardian windshield, it should say it on the glass, you got yourself a good brand. Notice I say good brand. If I remember right Guardian does not make glass for BMW as original equipment. They are referring to the fact that Guardian is an OEM company that provide glass for different car makes not necessary yours. Sekurit Saint Gobain would actually be the right OEM glass for you.

Just remember you get what you pay for.....having said that dealers do charge a premium for parts with their logo on it. But at the end a dealer piece of glass is still better than any aftermarket OEM product....may not worth the money but it's better.
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      08-15-2014, 11:15 AM   #4
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The original windshield on my car was Guardian brand. Both the original glass and the replacement glass have the BMW roundel denoting an OEM part

Some of the cost savings came from a bit of lower price on OEM glass, and the bigger portion was on others parts. Safelite reused the rain sensor and trim, which the dealer wanted to replace. The labor charge was also cheaper for safelite

So far so good, windshield is fine with no distortions, all of the trim looks fine, and the rain/light sensor is working.

Overall, I'd recommend Safelite and Geico based on this glass replacement experience
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      08-15-2014, 09:34 PM   #5
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I stand corrected on the Guardian Glass as oem for BMW. Guardian now make original glass for BMW. Just checked. I didn't know BMW went this route now too. Maybe it's a cost saving thing. In the last several years I see multiple car make using different brand glass in their cars.

Guardian make one of the best windshield there is out there. Do you know if your windshield came from a BMW dealer? Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking the work Safelite is doing or the glass you got. I just want to shed a little light into this topic for the people interested.

Like I mentioned in my last post there are differences between a dealer glass and the so called oem from an aftermarket source. Most car manufacture have a strict guideline in the piece of glass that is installed on their cars. Sometime the slightest defect is rejected. Guess where these rejected glass end up....yes in the aftermarket world. Although sometime you will get a piece of glass with the car make logo on it from an aftermarket source it's probably a piece that is rejected. This is not to say that the glass is bad nor unsafe but if you look close enough you will find the problem. Most of us can careless on the majority of the defects.....things like a small nick at the edge, edges not sanded evenly/smooth, a few small pinhole bubble in the black ban around the windshield, a speck of dust in the lamination, bonded windshield with moldings not straight or hardware not installed straight,etc..... Then there are some that is really bad like distortions. Usually these glass will have the logo etched off of it due to rights but some will fall thru. Let just say if you want an absolute perfect piece of glass the dealer is probably you best shot.

The installation person is also very important....of course. They must take care in cutting the old windshield out with no or minimal scratches to the pinch well. Any scratch needs to get cleaned and primed real well to prevent rust. On a safety note even when the primer is being applied it must be applied correctly. Primer is not allowed between the old urethane and new urethane. Speaking of urethane.... was the right urethane used? The list goes on and on. I won't bore you.

If you have the time research on the windshield installation method and ask questions before you choose a shop to do the work.....just like anything else. The bottom line is you are the final inspector of the work. Make sure you are happy with the result.

Glad it worked out for you nicknaz.
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      08-18-2014, 05:48 PM   #6
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Yes, I specifically asked about the source of the glass and was informed that Geico got a quote from a BMW dealer in order to approve the use of OEM dealer glass and Safelite purchased the glass from a BMW dealer.

An interesting thing to note is that I called my use BMW franchise dealer and the SA was very upfront about the fact that they outsource the installation to a local glass shop. They also require trim pieces and sensors on the interior of the car to be replaced, even though they are not damaged and can be reused.

I looked at all the trim instead and outside of the car and looked at the edges of the windshield, and looked for distortions before signing off on the replacement. I couldn't tell the difference between the replacement and original. I will report back in a few months on the outcome of the end of lease inspection, but I'm not expecting any issues (this is my fourth time using Safelite.. previous 3 times were windshield repair.. and I've had no issues)

So, you seem to have some strong opinions on windshield replacement. What would you have done in my situation? Would you have paid the $1200 (~$600 additional out of pocket cost) to do it at the dealer?
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      08-18-2014, 11:56 PM   #7
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One of the OEM on the Benz windshield glass is AGC - extremely good glass.
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      08-19-2014, 08:21 AM   #8
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I have also heard (not verifed) that the rain sensor may need to be calibrated after the windshield replacement.
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      08-21-2014, 12:03 AM   #9
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Nicknaz.....You did all the right thing. If this is the first time your BMW windshield is replaced...also being a newer 2012...you shouldn't have any issues. If it is a leased vehicle and you'll be returning it it will not matter. None of the dealers that I know of have an in-house windshield replacement tech for some reason. They all outsource the work. They will call a shop that is in their vendor list and the shop sends a mobile guy out to do the work. There are the rare occasions where the shop is close enough and the car is taken to them. The BMW rain sensors are all reusable. What needs to get replaced if not removed correctly is the gel layer between the sensor and the glass. It is a ultra clear gel that bridges the eyes in the sensor to the glass. What usually happens is the gel get damaged during removal and when reapplied it traps air bubbles between it and the glass. Large bubbles will affect the function of the sensor. What the dealer is doing is playing it safe....and maybe up selling. They don't want a customer to complain about a warped or wavy molding if reused. Some dealer windshields come with the rain sensors attached. They don't sell just the gel piece so they sell it as a package. Let me just point out one little thing about reusing moldings. When it stretch or warps the only way to get it back on the glass and car is to use the urethane and glue it down to the glass and pinch well. If you see a car driving around with a lot of blue tape on the glass/molding, that is what happens. They need to hold it in place until the urethane dries. It may look like a perfect job but the next time you need that glass replaced the new molding will not fit in the pinch well right due to the build up of the urethane. It will/may cost you more money the next time because the shop now needs to clean all that urethane up...time consuming. Trust me it's more trouble than you want or need if you plan on keeping the car for a long time. I do have a strong opinion on this subject. I own a glass shop......but have stopped servicing autoglass for a few years now.

AlexT....AGC makes good glass as well.

Rking117....up until I stopped servicing Autoglass the only car I know of that needed recalibration are the higher end Mercedes. Mercedes put a lot of gizmos on the windshield. Heck the higher end models even have double pane window glass.
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      08-21-2014, 08:42 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toplessrydr View Post
...Rking117....up until I stopped servicing Autoglass the only car I know of that needed recalibration are the higher end Mercedes. Mercedes put a lot of gizmos on the windshield. Heck the higher end models even have double pane window glass.
That is good to know. Does this information come from the manufacturers or from the auto glass industry? The reason i ask is that I had my windshield replaced on my 1er a while back and the sensors never seemed to work right afterwards. it would take a lot of rain to get it to wipe the window
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      08-22-2014, 12:50 AM   #11
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If it hasn't been fixed look near the base of the center rear view mirror from outside. The sensor is in the back band surrounding the base of the mirror. The area should be crystal clear. I've seen all sort of things done. One time I even saw the repair guy shot clear silicone in there. There should be no bubbles either. The only other thing that could be happening is they removed the gel entirely and never put another one back on. The sensor is held in place....on a metal bracket.... that was glued to the windshield with a pair of clips. I would bet this is not far from what is causing your delayed sensor problem.
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