Replace windshield for annoying scratch?

Ryan T. · 02-14-2011, 02:31 PM

I have an annoying scratch (from the windshield wipers, previous owner) just above my line of sight on the drivers side of my e90 windshield. I've tried polish, etc. and it hasn't done anything really worth mentioning.

I've been quoted ~$300 to replace my windshield locally from a very reputable company. The glass would be Pilkington with the rain sensor, condensation sensor, etc.

My question is, I've heard lot of horror stories about how cars just "aren't the same" after a windshield replacement - whether it's the road noise, leaking, rain sensor not working like it used to, etc.

Is it worth it to cure my OCD temporarily to replace the OEM windshield which is otherwise fine? The scratch isn't a driving impairment, just an annoyance.

Hooy · 02-14-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan T.

My question is, I've heard lot of horror stories about how cars just "aren't the same" after a windshield replacement - whether it's the road noise, leaking, rain sensor not working like it used to, etc.

I got a driver side window replaced (E92) due to a break in, and the wind noise is now unfixable. Sucks, especially on long trips.

tscdennab · 02-14-2011, 02:57 PM

I replaced my windshield and there is absolutely no difference in noise from before. But I definitely wouldn't replace the windshield for that scratch. There are reputable companies that can work out glass scratches. It's a much better investment.

Ryan T. · 02-14-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tscdennab

I replaced my windshield and there is absolutely no difference in noise from before. But I definitely wouldn't replace the windshield for that scratch. There are reputable companies that can work out glass scratches. It's a much better investment.

I tried to go this route but the best local place said they couldn't do it because it would distort the glass. If you have any suggestions I'd be open to them.

Like I said, I did some heavy duty polishing myself, but only seemed to make it a little less noticeable, and in the process kind of marred the area around the scratch anyway.

JuppiOne · 02-14-2011, 03:09 PM

$300 is good price

Ryan T. · 02-14-2011, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickch

$300 is good price

Yeah, I think it's very fair, considering how much the dealer wants for "OEM" glass, which is also Pilkington, just with a BMW logo on it.

stickypaws · 02-14-2011, 03:55 PM

Call Safelite. http://www.safelite.com/

Have the tech come out and assess the scratch. They do magic. But if it can't be cured without replacing the windshield, then try to live with it. Although Safelite is the best (and they will use OEM glass), there's always a chance of creaks and seal issues developing. I'd replace a windshield only if 100% necessary.

The same goes for chasing down rattles and squeaks in a car. Once you tear apart the dash and the insides, the chances of creating new noises is compounded.

Been there, done that. And I've owned a million cars.

Try to live with the imperfection. Nothing in life will ever be perfect.

And the next time a big old gravel truck cracks the glass, then replace it.

eekthecat · 02-14-2011, 04:04 PM

That's a great price, almost too good to be true. Look into glass polishing though. I got a nasty scratch from a flying object on the freeway, but it completely polished out.

Ryan T. · 02-14-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eekthecat

That's a great price, almost too good to be true. Look into glass polishing though. I got a nasty scratch from a flying object on the freeway, but it completely polished out.

What polish did you use? I've tried a couple different things...

John 070 · 02-14-2011, 05:02 PM

Now that I've been through it, I can speak about the process. The BMW was a tedious process, not sure why, because the Nissan took all of 40 min. and was flawless. With the BMW, I was going aftermarket, and the tech could not get the glass in. My wife video'd it--he was jumping on the car and pressing. He gladly accepted his tip and left. I got home and the edge didn't even meet the roof.

The next day they didn't send anyone out, but asked my wife to take it to the shop. Without telling her, they installed the Saint Gobain Sekurit to the tune of $800. The glass is probably crooked, the dealer told me to look at the window with the VIN.

The first time the wind came right into the car. The way it is now, I just sealed it myself with silicon. I'm not going to fight City Hall, it ain't worth it.

All I can say is the BMW must be harder than the Nissan to install, so make sure you inspect the work. Also, they seem to like to let the rearview mirror dangle by the cord, which makes it not fit quite right afterwards.

If something is in the driver's view, it has to be done. It's not for those who are OCD, but what can you do? Just accept it and move on I suppose. And I don't get why some cars have Pilkington, is that a USA/S Africa v. Germany thing? I've seen that on 328 sedan loaners....oh yeah, I had to remove my wiper arms and realign them myself. But on the bright side, a rattle from my pass side that was there since day 1 is now gone.

Ryan T. · 02-14-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

Now that I've been through it, I can speak about the process. The BMW was a tedious process, not sure why, because the Nissan took all of 40 min. and was flawless. With the BMW, I was going aftermarket, and the tech could not get the glass in. My wife video'd it--he was jumping on the car and pressing. He gladly accepted his tip and left. I got home and the edge didn't even meet the roof.

The next day they didn't send anyone out, but asked my wife to take it to the shop. Without telling her, they installed the Saint Gobain Sekurit to the tune of $800. The glass is probably crooked, the dealer told me to look at the window with the VIN.

The first time the wind came right into the car. The way it is now, I just sealed it myself with silicon. I'm not going to fight City Hall, it ain't worth it.

All I can say is the BMW must be harder than the Nissan to install, so make sure you inspect the work. Also, they seem to like to let the rearview mirror dangle by the cord, which makes it not fit quite right afterwards.

If something is in the driver's view, it has to be done. It's not for those who are OCD, but what can you do? Just accept it and move on I suppose. And I don't get why some cars have Pilkington, is that a USA/S Africa v. Germany thing? I've seen that on 328 sedan loaners....oh yeah, I had to remove my wiper arms and realign them myself. But on the bright side, a rattle from my pass side that was there since day 1 is now gone.

Yikes, that's what I'm afraid of. The scratch doesn't deter my vision at all, just annoys me to look at (you know how once something is there, you can't help yourself?)

Anyway, don't want to cause any of these "real" problems by having my windscreen swapped out for OCD's sake.

nh_district · 02-14-2011, 07:20 PM

I'm from the camp that prefers the original windshield be left alone, even if it's less than perfect. I'd be a lot more annoyed with water getting into the car than a scratch on the glass. That's the worst case scenario of course, but I've experienced it on a previous car, and it ain't fun.

That said, the windshield on my 330 was replaced at some point before I owned it, and it's fine.

bigup · 02-14-2011, 07:24 PM

I wouldn't bother - you'll probably install new glass and get a rock chip within a few weeks.

I've resigned myself to the fact that BMW glass sucks, and will be covered in scratches and chips quickly. I have more glass defects on my 1 year old BMW than my last car which was 7 years old and on factory glass!

eekthecat · 02-14-2011, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan T.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eekthecat

That's a great price, almost too good to be true. Look into glass polishing though. I got a nasty scratch from a flying object on the freeway, but it completely polished out.

What polish did you use? I've tried a couple different things...

I didn't do it myself. There is a local company that specializes in it. I'm posting from the iPhone app, so I can't tell where you're from, bit if you're in southern California, pm me and I will send contact info. They were miracle workers for me.

doggiedog · 02-15-2011, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan T.

I tried to go this route but the best local place said they couldn't do it because it would distort the glass. If you have any suggestions I'd be open to them.

Like I said, I did some heavy duty polishing myself, but only seemed to make it a little less noticeable, and in the process kind of marred the area around the scratch anyway.

Distort the glass? One of the first things I noticed about my car when I got it was the windshield glass was not entirely uniform. You can see when sunlight reflects through it there are denser and narrower areas in the glass, particularly on the upper third of the windshield.

I know where you're coming from though. I was traveling behind some gravel truck when some pieces of brown gravel hit my windshield right at eye level in front of the driver's side. I've tried buffing it out but it didn't help. It is really annoying but I try to tune it out.

thkfast · 02-15-2011, 06:26 PM

I've seen so many replacement windshields that have loopy sections of distortion that always seem to pull my focus (even if it's way over on the other side from me!) more than a tiny rock chip or a scratch ever would. The common wisdom seems to be to repair or attempt to polish out before replacing!

DaveL · 02-15-2011, 09:27 PM

Get it done but if it is done correctly you will not be driving it home that day.Proper way is windows down with doors open if they close the doors before adhesives are cured you most likely pop the seal hence noise,leaks,etc.......Find someone reputable and you'll be good

John 070 · 02-15-2011, 10:09 PM

We all took it for granted, but take a very long and hard look at the seal around your glass before you have the work done, and make sure that's what you get after the work is done. Also take notice of the positions of your wiper arms, and the rain sensor/rearview mirror. The jack a***** that did mine did obtain a new seal for the aftermarket windshield from BMW, but when they took that glass out to put the OEM in, they reused it to save all of $37 retail, and the f***** thing was ripped up. Even though it's been since XMAS, it's warranted for life I suppose so I'm so tempted to tell them to take the entire glass out again and put a new seal in. Now the rubber seal is cosmetic only, the real seal is what's between the glass and the car, under the UV dots on the glass. But seriously, to have a ripped up rubber trim on day 1 of a replacement?

My Nissan was so without incident and done in 40 min., no clue what was so hard about the 335....

Verbiage · 02-16-2011, 08:00 AM

No. There are magical ways to fix such things.

968tomr · 02-16-2011, 01:46 PM

Maybe a total of 3 inches, and I tried to have it repaired and it was unsuccessful. I contacted a local vendor who said they would do it for $675 with Pilkington, my dealer wants $1700

.

I have used the vendor before to install glass in my Porsche 968 and they seemed to do good work - but the dealer makes it out that you must remove the hood and do a great deal of trim replacement to fix the window.

Anyone with experience with this? I just want to know how hard to fight with the insurance company to go with the dealer. I know it is BMW, but the glass is held in with adhesive just like all other new cars.

-Tom

claykin · 02-16-2011, 05:13 PM

$300 seems cheap for Pilkington glass. I'm not so sure I'd believe the glass guy. There's several offshore glass manufacturers that make glass that has optic distortions, especially on the bends. Some will even use a logo that looks like the roundel to throw off unsuspecting consumers.

Ryan T. · 02-16-2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by claykin

$300 seems cheap for Pilkington glass. I'm not so sure I'd believe the glass guy. There's several offshore glass manufacturers that make glass that has optic distortions, especially on the bends. Some will even use a logo that looks like the roundel to throw off unsuspecting consumers.

Had it done today. It's the most reputable shop in Rochester, no way are they using sketchy glass.

http://www.raysandsglass.com/

Windshield looks great, has the Pilkington logo, tint, dot matrix, etc.

Haven't had a chance to try the rain sensor yet, but as I understand it they're built into the windshields on e90's, so there isn't the problem "reapplying" them that existed on the e46.

Anyway, looks good, total bill was $297. That even included $15 to apply aquapel and new black strips (top & bottom) from the local BMW dealership.

02-14-2011, 02:31 PM	#1
Ryan T. Private First Class 7 Rep 116 Posts Drives: '18 F82 M4 ZCP Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Rochester, NY iTrader: (0)	Replace windshield for annoying scratch? I have an annoying scratch (from the windshield wipers, previous owner) just above my line of sight on the drivers side of my e90 windshield. I've tried polish, etc. and it hasn't done anything really worth mentioning. I've been quoted ~$300 to replace my windshield locally from a very reputable company. The glass would be Pilkington with the rain sensor, condensation sensor, etc. My question is, I've heard lot of horror stories about how cars just "aren't the same" after a windshield replacement - whether it's the road noise, leaking, rain sensor not working like it used to, etc. Is it worth it to cure my OCD temporarily to replace the OEM windshield which is otherwise fine? The scratch isn't a driving impairment, just an annoyance.
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02-14-2011, 02:57 PM	#3
tscdennab Banned 188 Rep 1,809 Posts Drives: BMW 335i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Europe iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW [6.24]	I replaced my windshield and there is absolutely no difference in noise from before. But I definitely wouldn't replace the windshield for that scratch. There are reputable companies that can work out glass scratches. It's a much better investment.
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02-14-2011, 03:09 PM	#5
JuppiOne Captain 27 Rep 687 Posts Drives: everyone crazy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: MO iTrader: (4)	$300 is good price
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02-14-2011, 03:55 PM	#7
stickypaws Dictator 63 Rep 1,811 Posts Drives: people crazy Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: where you want to be iTrader: (0)	Call Safelite. http://www.safelite.com/ Have the tech come out and assess the scratch. They do magic. But if it can't be cured without replacing the windshield, then try to live with it. Although Safelite is the best (and they will use OEM glass), there's always a chance of creaks and seal issues developing. I'd replace a windshield only if 100% necessary. The same goes for chasing down rattles and squeaks in a car. Once you tear apart the dash and the insides, the chances of creating new noises is compounded. Been there, done that. And I've owned a million cars. Try to live with the imperfection. Nothing in life will ever be perfect. And the next time a big old gravel truck cracks the glass, then replace it.
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02-14-2011, 04:04 PM	#8
eekthecat Lieutenant 29 Rep 481 Posts Drives: 428i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: California iTrader: (2)	That's a great price, almost too good to be true. Look into glass polishing though. I got a nasty scratch from a flying object on the freeway, but it completely polished out.
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02-14-2011, 05:02 PM	#10
John 070 Lieutenant General 1859 Rep 14,850 Posts Drives: 335i cpe Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ZSP/ZPP/ZCW iTrader: (0)	Now that I've been through it, I can speak about the process. The BMW was a tedious process, not sure why, because the Nissan took all of 40 min. and was flawless. With the BMW, I was going aftermarket, and the tech could not get the glass in. My wife video'd it--he was jumping on the car and pressing. He gladly accepted his tip and left. I got home and the edge didn't even meet the roof. The next day they didn't send anyone out, but asked my wife to take it to the shop. Without telling her, they installed the Saint Gobain Sekurit to the tune of $800. The glass is probably crooked, the dealer told me to look at the window with the VIN. The first time the wind came right into the car. The way it is now, I just sealed it myself with silicon. I'm not going to fight City Hall, it ain't worth it. All I can say is the BMW must be harder than the Nissan to install, so make sure you inspect the work. Also, they seem to like to let the rearview mirror dangle by the cord, which makes it not fit quite right afterwards. If something is in the driver's view, it has to be done. It's not for those who are OCD, but what can you do? Just accept it and move on I suppose. And I don't get why some cars have Pilkington, is that a USA/S Africa v. Germany thing? I've seen that on 328 sedan loaners....oh yeah, I had to remove my wiper arms and realign them myself. But on the bright side, a rattle from my pass side that was there since day 1 is now gone.
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02-14-2011, 07:20 PM	#12
nh_district New Member 0 Rep 5 Posts Drives: '06 330i Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Nashua, NH iTrader: (0)	I'm from the camp that prefers the original windshield be left alone, even if it's less than perfect. I'd be a lot more annoyed with water getting into the car than a scratch on the glass. That's the worst case scenario of course, but I've experienced it on a previous car, and it ain't fun. That said, the windshield on my 330 was replaced at some point before I owned it, and it's fine. __________________ '90 325i - Alpinweiss/Pacificblau, 339k and still going... '06 330i - Titansilber/Schwarz, 6 spd, Sport/Premium '86 745i - Schwarz/Anthrazit, garage queen
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02-14-2011, 07:24 PM	#13
bigup Random Car Person 26 Rep 481 Posts Drives: Slow M3 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Calgary, AB iTrader: (1) Garage List 2012 BMW E92 M3 [0.00] 2009 BMW E92 335i [0.00]	I wouldn't bother - you'll probably install new glass and get a rock chip within a few weeks. I've resigned myself to the fact that BMW glass sucks, and will be covered in scratches and chips quickly. I have more glass defects on my 1 year old BMW than my last car which was 7 years old and on factory glass!
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02-15-2011, 06:26 PM	#16
thkfast Major 263 Rep 1,028 Posts Drives: 2015 F82 M4 Sakhir Orange DCT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cedar Rapids, IA iTrader: (1)	I've seen so many replacement windshields that have loopy sections of distortion that always seem to pull my focus (even if it's way over on the other side from me!) more than a tiny rock chip or a scratch ever would. The common wisdom seems to be to repair or attempt to polish out before replacing! __________________ "The likelihood of one individual being right increases in direct proportion to the intensity with which others attempt to prove him wrong." 2015 F82 M4 - Sakhir Orange Metallic 2013 E92 M3 / 2013 E92 335is / 2010 E90 335i / 2007 E90 335i
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02-15-2011, 09:27 PM	#17
DaveL Banned 14 Rep 970 Posts Drives: 2010 335 coupe msport Join Date: May 2010 Location: Darien CT. iTrader: (0)	Get it done but if it is done correctly you will not be driving it home that day.Proper way is windows down with doors open if they close the doors before adhesives are cured you most likely pop the seal hence noise,leaks,etc.......Find someone reputable and you'll be good
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02-15-2011, 10:09 PM	#18
John 070 Lieutenant General 1859 Rep 14,850 Posts Drives: 335i cpe Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ZSP/ZPP/ZCW iTrader: (0)	We all took it for granted, but take a very long and hard look at the seal around your glass before you have the work done, and make sure that's what you get after the work is done. Also take notice of the positions of your wiper arms, and the rain sensor/rearview mirror. The jack a*** that did mine did obtain a new seal for the aftermarket windshield from BMW, but when they took that glass out to put the OEM in, they reused it to save all of $37 retail, and the f*** thing was ripped up. Even though it's been since XMAS, it's warranted for life I suppose so I'm so tempted to tell them to take the entire glass out again and put a new seal in. Now the rubber seal is cosmetic only, the real seal is what's between the glass and the car, under the UV dots on the glass. But seriously, to have a ripped up rubber trim on day 1 of a replacement? My Nissan was so without incident and done in 40 min., no clue what was so hard about the 335....
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02-16-2011, 08:00 AM	#19
Verbiage Dismembered Member 3679 Rep 9,213 Posts Drives: F80 ZCP 6MT, R55 Clubman S 6MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: DMV iTrader: (6)	No. There are magical ways to fix such things. __________________ My delivery experience and beach photoshoot here.
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02-16-2011, 01:46 PM	#20
968tomr Private First Class 4 Rep 160 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: US:IN iTrader: (0)	I have a rock chip that spidered a bit Maybe a total of 3 inches, and I tried to have it repaired and it was unsuccessful. I contacted a local vendor who said they would do it for $675 with Pilkington, my dealer wants $1700. I have used the vendor before to install glass in my Porsche 968 and they seemed to do good work - but the dealer makes it out that you must remove the hood and do a great deal of trim replacement to fix the window. Anyone with experience with this? I just want to know how hard to fight with the insurance company to go with the dealer. I know it is BMW, but the glass is held in with adhesive just like all other new cars. -Tom
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02-16-2011, 05:13 PM	#21
claykin Major General 2170 Rep 5,049 Posts Drives: various BMW Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	$300 seems cheap for Pilkington glass. I'm not so sure I'd believe the glass guy. There's several offshore glass manufacturers that make glass that has optic distortions, especially on the bends. Some will even use a logo that looks like the roundel to throw off unsuspecting consumers.
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