Give me your opinion windscreen replace

JayT

Veteran Member
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Dec 11, 2004
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Pennsylvania
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Hey folks

I am having my windshield replaced after one year for a horizonal crack nearly the entire length below the viewing area of the windshield near where the wipers rest.

I just requested OE glass, is this better/worse than aftermarket glass in your opinion?

reasoning...

Here is the history, last January I hit a deer that rolled up onto the hood and scratched the glass, and it needed to be replaced (note it did not crack the OE glass). The autobody shop subbed this out to an autoglass specialist.

The same kind of crack I am talking about (I swear it looks identical) above "appeared" in April 08, the autoglass place replaced it again under warranty as a "stress crack".

So here we are a year later (nearly) and I am again replacing this windshield. This time my insurance company is charging me my $100 dollar deductable.

To my knowledge nothing has hit my windshield, in fact it looks (and is "brand new") and it is hard form me to say when this newest crack "appeared" but I just noticed it yesterday (it is kind of hard to notice unless you look close since it is below the dash)

Anyway I can eat the $100 bucks for peice of mind if I can make sure that I don't have to do it again (I mean if I collide with something that is one thing), so I have definitely changed glass installer, and I just wanted to know if the OE glass is better?-- since the car is old enough that my insurance company may haggle or say I have to pay extra for the OE glass.

Thanks for your opinions and sorry for the long rant.

ps. I have not contacted the original glass installer or the body shop, they were both just disasterous when it comes to the work they did on my car and I am happy (with exception of being out $100 bucks) to be done with them.
 

UFO

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One other thing you might consider is if the windshield frame was distorted from the deer impact, and you may have issues with any glass manufacturer.
 

RT1

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I had a similar problem with another car where the installer scraped the paint, a rust bubble formed and put enough point stress on the glass to crack it. All glass isn't equal though. Some are more brittle than others. VW seems to make a soft glass (judging from how easily it pits) so it may work out better for you.
 

Lug_Nut

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The replacement glass for the B4 does not fit as well as the original Saint Gobain Securit piece. The replacements, from three different makers, are touted by the installing firms as being OEM, but is not of the same profile and size This difference leads to wind noise from glass that is too large to fit flush in the opening and leaks from the corners where the incorrect curve profile prevents sealing.
Thanks, but no thanks. Although my state's insurance requirements mean I have zero deductable glass coverage (one advantage of having the state set the rate) and I can get a free windshield and installation provided I accept one of the aftermarket ones. Thanks, but, No thanks. I tried last time to pay just the glass cost difference between aftermarket and the Sekurit real one (about $50) and was informed that that was not possible. I'll pay for the whole thing to be assured of correct fitment and no leaks.

But that's the B4. The A4 aftermarket glass might have the same curve and size as the OEM and not have this B4 fitment issue.
 

Joe_Meehan

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The VW glass you end up with from the dealer may well come from the same batch as the after market glass.

I suspect most of the glass sold by VW is the exact same glass you get from any local auto glass shop.
 

JayT

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The "new" glass installer said it is exactly the same except for the label. I really don't think the winshield frame is bent, since I really didn't hit the deer very hard nor at a high rate of speed, anything is possible of course, and to think I was pretty stoked to get an new shield considering how pitted the original was, its just lame.

I was about to look up replacing the cabin filter because I just had that replaced and I seem to recall you get to that in the sill below the windshield? I'm just wondering if someone at my garage could have cracked this glass in an effort to provide service.:(

Thanks all for insight
 

dieseldorf

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ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
A friend just had new glass installed in his B5. Label said, you guessed it, "Made in China" ! I couldn't identify what brand it was.

I went thru three windshields on my A4. The final windshiled was by PPG and had far superior optics compared to the two previous windshields.
 

Joe_Meehan

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dieseldorf said:
I went thru three windshields on my A4. The final windshiled was by PPG and had far superior optics compared to the two previous windshields.
Funny, I had mine replaced, I have no idea what brand it was, but it also had better optics than the OEM glass that came with the car.
 

Sip'n Diesel

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JayT - does Safelite operate in PA?
http://www.safelite.com/
I had a good experience with them, they work in your garage/driveway or come to your place of employment, only about $215 IIRC, and lifetime warranty
Joe_Meehan said:
Funny, I had mine replaced, I have no idea what brand it was, but it also had better optics than the OEM glass that came with the car.
probably because it was clean(er) than what you replaced!:p
 

JASONP

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HAd mine replaced last year with St.Gobain/SEKURIT City Jetta/Golf windscreen.
One little stone chip and the SOB has an 18" spider web across the D/S lower,not too happy with it.
The OE is way better.
 
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BioBob

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Raleigh NC
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No OEM for me

I am about to change out my windshield as I cracked it while changing seats (tilted the seat up to undo the plugs, and cracked the windshield).

I will not go OEM, but not due to the crack. I have had 2 VW's and both windshields were sand pitted, and I never drive on gravel roads! I think the german glass is softer.

I was glad to read above that PPG makes them.

That will be my choice.
 

XXX_er

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northern B.C.
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2002 golf
are you saying you had cracks propagate without any rock hits after the deer incident ?

Windshields are glued in so they don't get much of a chance to flex if something is out

I used to get at least 25 rock chips every winter up here ,there is no point in getting a new windsheild till they sweep in april or may ,1st snow fall is before halloween ... so maybe 6 months of crack free vision


Right now I got cracks every where ... I don't look AT them
 
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JayT

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It's funny to think now that folks are commenting on the pitted/soft nature of their OE glass, I bought my tdi with ~40k in 04 and I was thinking from day one "man the guy who had this before me must have followed a sand truck to work everyday!"

I'm gonna take some of your suggestions and look around, I have not heard back from the insurance company or the glass installer they called, someone dropped the ball, and my insurance company is one step closer to losing my business.

I'm not in a super hurry, you cannot tell the crack is there unless you look hard, it's below where the dash sits, and presumably still "glued" at that location, it doesn't leak, (yet), if I was smarter I'd probably wait till inspection in November to have a new one put in. What worries me though is that the crack is nearly the entire width of the shield.

thanks for all the input
 

Nogas4me

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Were all the cracks in the same location and of the same character? I once had a problem (on a truck) where the frame was nicking the edge of the glass when it was being bedded. Cracks that come from an edge are usually from nicks on the edge of the glass during install or a really unlucky rock that hits at the edge of the glass.
 

XXX_er

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northern B.C.
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JayT said:
It's funny to think now that folks are commenting on the pitted/soft nature of their OE glass, I bought my tdi with ~40k in 04 and I was thinking from day one "man the guy who had this before me must have followed a sand truck to work everyday!"

At least half the rock chips I ever collected since I moved up north and that would be hundreds were from rocks thrown up by oncoming rigs ... if you drive winter highway its the price you pay
 

JayT

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Nogas4me said:
Were all the cracks in the same location and of the same character? I once had a problem (on a truck) where the frame was nicking the edge of the glass when it was being bedded. Cracks that come from an edge are usually from nicks on the edge of the glass during install or a really unlucky rock that hits at the edge of the glass.
Yes, honestly the crack in the screen now appears to me to be identical to the previous one. I think that I might ask the installer to look more closely at the frame.

Still no word back yet -- they are not going to like me if I have to be the one to follow up, its just one of my pet peves, I mean it is what they do... I just don't understand some folks in the "service" industry today.
 

nm50

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Everett, WA
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I used to install these for a living and have been exposed to just about every brand available. PPG seemed to consistently have better quality and fitment than most, but the OEM glass (Safeguard, Sekurit, etc.) seemed to always have best fitment for the make it was intended for. Just as important as the fitment though is the installers work ethic, and I can tell you many of them are hacks. Only about 5% of the cars I worked on had previous installs that were worth mention. If you care about your car, watch closely or figure out how to do it yourself.
 

Sip'n Diesel

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nm50 said:
I used to install these for a living and have been exposed to just about every brand available. PPG seemed to consistently have better quality and fitment than most, but the OEM glass (Safeguard, Sekurit, etc.) seemed to always have best fitment for the make it was intended for. Just as important as the fitment though is the installers work ethic, and I can tell you many of them are hacks. Only about 5% of the cars I worked on had previous installs that were worth mention. If you care about your car, watch closely or figure out how to do it yourself.
that's why I chose Safelite!
 

Dimitri16V

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DE
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The factory glass sucks indeed. I do a lot of highway driving and after 160K , the windshield is pitted alot. I kind wish I get a stone thrown at it so I can change it. In winter sunny days, I get alot of glare.
Cracking after the install is a problem with the windshields that are glued, which is the case with all of them these days. It is entirely possible those aftermarket installers use the wrong glue/sealer.
Safelite is in PA , along with Diamond Auto glass.
 

JayT

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update

I checked with my inspection garage and the crack, though it spans nearly the entire length of the screen, will not keep me from passing inspection. It is not in view of the driver. (in fact you have to look really hard to see it), so I think I am going to wait to replace it, since it will cost me $. My garage suggested the body shop may have "tweeked" the frame during there job after my collision with the deer (you know so many things were wrong with my car after I came from this collision center it only makes sense), so as long as it is secure and not leaking I guess I will leave it alone.

thanks everyone for all your thoughts and suggestions, I cannot give this site enough kudos...:eek:
 
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