OEM windshield

[LVL]

Haven't posted in while but figured I'd ask the experts their opinions. I'm a bit torn on if OEM windshield is worth it. Dealer quoted $550 for replacement glass installed or $300 for Safelite glass installed. Heart says OEM but head says Safelite. Thoughts?

[lithium726]

Find a local glass shop and get OE-equivalent glass (such as Saint-Gobain Sekurit, Pilkington, or SIGLA). They won't have the roundel on them, but those are the same suppliers BMW/MB/VW use, and they should be around $300-350 installed. If you can't find a shop, call a body shop and ask who they use.

[dannyzabolotny]

Go with Pilkington or an equivalent OE brand. Just make sure it'll work with the rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights first. Oh and make sure somebody knowledgable installs the glass... poorly installed glass can cause horrible rust and/or excess wind noise at speed.

[LVL]

Thanks for the heads up in the glass manufacturers.


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[dohalloran]

I went with Pilkington, after a vicious stone chip put a hole in mine. I was advised by the installer to buy the OEM trim for around the windshield, and that I did. Competent installer is the key.

[StephenVA]

+1 to above

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

If you get an installer, make sure you watch and keep an eye on him. They end up scratching the paint if they are not careful. Inspect the rail before he squirts new urethane. Any scratches need to be coated with urethane primer to seal up the scratches. If this is not done right, you will have rust in less than 4 to 5 months. A leak will be your first sign if this happens. By the time that comes about, you will be amazed at how fast the cancer had spread. I saw this too many times when I worked at a body shop.

[adm750]

+1 to above

+2....
aftermarket glass will make you hate your car...the optics were a nightmare...(like looking through the windshield equivalent of one of those clown mirrors at the fair) not to mentions rain sensing wipers and the eye pack potentially having to be transferred...which, in my experience, I've never seen work btw....

We started to do windshield installs at the (BMW) dealer I wrote service for and there was just no better way to go. This way we could control quality of the glass (we used OEM of course...), fitment, and ensure no paint nicks that could leave an owner with an issue like BimmrMeUp states... Parts and labor were more money but worth every penny. Never tried to source a Pilkington, or Sekurit windscreen....but surely would be worth it. If the owner or the insur. company balked at the full nut of a dealer pricing for an install, I would recommend they use the claim $$ towards an OEM glass, then refer the owner to a reputable installer who's work I trusted. Now - if you find there isn't that much difference in sourcing a quality glass compared to what you can purchase an OEM screen for...then just go with OEM and have a quality installer fit it. Get the new moulding too while you're at it

[Mike WW]

If you get an installer, make sure you watch and keep an eye on him. They end up scratching the paint if they are not careful. Inspect the rail before he squirts new urethane. Any scratches need to be coated with urethane primer to seal up the scratches. If this is not done right, you will have rust in less than 4 to 5 months. A leak will be your first sign if this happens. By the time that comes about, you will be amazed at how fast the cancer had spread. I saw this too many times when I worked at a body shop.

Very good point, I don't know how many I've seen like that especially with the older gasketed windshields. They take a utility knife to cut it out and cut all the way thru the paint down to the metal. Half of them probably even don't have a clue what they're causing, they install the windshield, it doesn't leak and they never see it again.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Yeah, they get scratched up, no matter how good the glass guy is. At one shop, I used an induction machine to basically heat up the metal underneath where the glass is glued on. It took practice to not overcook the paint off the metal, after a while, you just get it, how slow, how much time to hold the bit over a certain spot, but when you did it just right, the vein of urethane just comes off the paint beneath, nice and clean. I did notice, after being seasoned at it, go out on a drinking spree, come back to work the next day, cook the paint right off the metal, lol. Ooops! Now the painters gotta cut the section in. Oh well, it beat having to wait for the glass guy to show up before you could do some work on days you did it right.

[Jason5driver]

Thanks for the heads up in the glass manufacturers.


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So, what happened?
What did you end up getting?

[coolcom]

I just got mine replaced at a local shop the other day. $216 out the door ($116 glass w/rain sensor, $100 labor). I had no idea what glass I would get, but it’s pilkington. I opted to buy genuine BMW trim for $45 from FCP. He did a great job and even glued down the fabric on the A pillars.