My car should have goldfish in it...

everyman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Austin
TDI
2000 New Beetle
I've been battling rain leaks ever since I got this 2K Beetle several months back. No, it's not the stupid sunroof or the hoses. I've been down that road. I thought I had it solved finally but then the rainy season kicked in again, and I've twice come out to a car with an inch of water in it. I pulled the headliner yesterday and hit it with a hose. It appears that the windscreen seal has perished along the top, and has even gotten worse in the last couple months. I gather the bonding agent they use has age issues, or possibly heat issues being that this is TX.

I called the dealership figuring that they'd be more than happy to charge me three times what the job is worth. I was told that they don't do glass work at all, and just hire Safelite which is down the street. I called Safelite and they said, they can't do it or won't do it, and I should call the dealership. I'm caught in a loop and my mind is spinning out of control and my car is filling with water.

Any suggestions? I was thinking just plain old black rtv smeared along the inner face of the thing. The only problem I thing of is that unless the outside is sealed, water will still get behind the old seal and contact the body (rust), and I'm not sure that the RTV will hold up very long against the kind of heat we routinely get here.

What to do? I have neither the skill, the time, nor the inclination to try and tear out the screen myself.
 

VWWV

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
Location
Florida and WV
TDI
passat 96, candy white
Any independent glass installers around? Check the yellow pages. Most will come to your house/office to install. Generally less expensive than corporate installations. Stop by some auto rebuilders and ask if they could do it or if they would recommend somebody? If it had been broken and covered by insurance, I bet that Safelite would have been happy to do it? Others have suggested that OE glass is superior to aftermarket...something about chip resistance....?
 

everyman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Austin
TDI
2000 New Beetle
VWWV said:
Any independent glass installers around? Check the yellow pages. Most will come to your house/office to install. Generally less expensive than corporate installations. Stop by some auto rebuilders and ask if they could do it or if they would recommend somebody? If it had been broken and covered by insurance, I bet that Safelite would have been happy to do it? Others have suggested that OE glass is superior to aftermarket...something about chip resistance....?
I think that may be my only option. I'm sure there are some around. I just have find a trustworthy one because a whole lot of them are fly by night operations.

I suspect you are right about safelite. They probably only want to do the job if they can sell me new glass. I'd really rather not do that for the reasons you mention. God I'll be glad when this nightmare is over. I suspect that this is why the PO dumped it on me, even though I specifically asked them about leaks. At this point it's pretty much destroyed my headliner because it's gotten wet so often.
 

VWWV

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
Location
Florida and WV
TDI
passat 96, candy white
Sorry. I didn't understand that you wished to re-install the original glass. I'd like to recant my suggestions.
 

everyman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Austin
TDI
2000 New Beetle
VWWV said:
Sorry. I didn't understand that you wished to re-install the original glass. I'd like to recant my suggestions.
So you think even an independent shop would be less than interested in removing glass, cleaning off the goop and resetting it? Is it because it's so hard to get it off in one piece or something? This just seems like a really silly thing to be dealing with.
 

mo_focus

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Location
stouffville, Ontario, canada
TDI
84 944
1- you are in the wrong section for this question. This area is for MK6.
2- No one is interested in doing a re-re beacue there is no moeny in it, labour is about 60$ but places sell the glass for about 200$. Glass usually costs them about 20-40 so thats where the money is and that is why no one wants to do a re-re for you.
 
Top