Hi, I was sprayed with gravel on the hwy yesterday, (sure glad I had bumped my insurance up to 0 deductible on glass) and learned today that with four chips it's more wise to replace the windshield. That doesn't bother me, I'd rather not have blemishes and fill in my line of sight, except for this:

I'm concerned about having it replaced at all. It's an after market windshield. Described as being the same, so before I got too much more nervous I just thought to call and get the part number. She'd told me she'd ordered the one with the shade band...before I freak out any further I'll look it up. Has anyone else had to replace a windshield with an after market one, and were there other complications, like the cowling around it, etc?

I was clueless as to how to add the prefix 'opinion needed' so I just put it in the title.
I got the part number for the replacement windshield, I cannot locate it online...I think maybe if I post it here someone might know...my concerns are that it won't be tinted glass that matches the other windows, or won't be tinted AT ALL, and while she chose the shade band, I looked shade bands up and found out normally they aren't more than 3-6 inches...mine looks to be larger than six inches and I'm becoming more and more nervous about replacing the windshield, starting to wonder if I should just let the chips run until I simply have to.

If the insurance will even allow me to do that now that I've made the claim. I want it the way it is sans chips...all my glass is green tinted and I surely wish i could find a source and picture for part #DW01378GBY
I'll try posting the part number in case someone is bored and sees this and can help me out with this question as well as the littler ones near the top, but especially this question, please!

 

I have used Safelite a few times and they have been really good.

 

Thank you! I'm wondering, please, was it for chip repair or full windshield replacement? I did learn it'll be the green tint with the shade band and the painted border or whatever it's clalled. My fear is over the cowling and attached parts, some of which seem to affect the venting and defrost...I'd read somewhere else awhile back where a guy was complaining he'd replaced his winshield but not the cowling and it was an $80 plastic part and he was having severe leaking into the interior of the car. It kind of sounds like crap to me, but I get anxious so I'm asking.

The chick at the repair shop said those parts either snap or screw off and will be put right back on. Is this true? Mabe it's somewhere in my manual. It's Safe-lite Solutions that handles all glass claims for my insurance and they do, indeed, send all repairs to Safelite if at all possible. The nearest one of those is a couple of hours away so they are sending me to a "preferred provider" in their network who will adhere to their terms and whose warranties they will back..

 

Well I got a new windshield on the one car and a crack repair on the other one both are still good and about 5 years old now.

Just ask to see the windshield before they install it, they do use your same trim pieces. Won't be anything in your owners manual. You can purchase a Service manual that has alot of fixes in it. I am not sure if windshield is in there though.

 

Yeah, I was pretty freaked out having just spent an hour being interviewed by a claims adjustor as to why I'd added comprehensive to begin with. Gee, I trade in a junker truck with multiple cracks in the windshield that it came with, plus a big star that happened on this same hwy..and buy a beautiful car with perfect glass and I'm gonna just leave my insurance at the bare minimum liability once I've transferred it to the car? Please. I didn't put it to her like that, though. I put it very nicely. I took all the pictures she wanted and somewhere in the texts I said that the reflection was blocking the chips I'd noticed first...so should I try taking them from inside..and she kindly said "Do you see the one with the steering wheel in it where the chip looks like it has little legs?" I said "Yes, that's the biggest chip of all of them." She said "That looks close enough to the dash that they couldn't get equipment in, anyway, so there's no need to re-take the pictures of the other three. I"m approving a replacement."

Very nice, eh? In my anxiety it hadn't even occurred to me that I could ask to see the windshield before it was installed and ask about the ability to re-attach the cowling and other trim pieces. Thanks for seeing things clearly for me. My vision was...well....chipped. Hehehe.

 

No offense, but I think you're getting inside your own head too much on this one. These companies replace a ton of glass every year with very few problems, it's a very big / mature industry. As with anything, the job will have some warranty period for issues if something isnt done properly. But as long as you use a reputable shop, it's very unlikely you'll run into any. They'll take care of R&R of everything necessary to change the glass.

Personally, we've probably had 10-15 windshields replaced while living at our last house (bad enough I lost count) across 5 different vehicles (3 of which were W bodys - a GP and two impalas) and never had a single issue until our last one.

The only issue we ran into was on the last one (for our '15 Edge with lane keep assist camera) was that some electronics come preinstalled on the windshield. The setup on the aftermarket windshield would not allow the lane keep camera to program, so they removed the aftermarket windshield and put in brand new OEM glass that solved the programming issue (at zero cost to us).

But for all the ones with 'normal' glass without al l kinds of electronics on it, we never had an issue. One thing to note - if you've got aftermarket tint that's beyond the legal limits for your state, you'll have to eat the cost of the tint if you want it redone.


On a side note, I've had 3 or 4 chips filled, and I'm not a huge fan, especially for stuff that's in / near your line of sight. It's not as visually obvious as the original crater but it's still apparent, especially as sun reflects through it. I've also had one crack as they were trying to fill it, necessitating another appointment to replace the glass.

 

None taken! I struggle with that worry/anxiety loop A LOT, and I don't mind a bit being told when I'm doing it...sometimes I'm truly not aware...like I thought I had myself calmed down last night...I didn't , hahaha! She said that though it's after market, it's tinted factory green and she chose the one with the shade band. Driver #3 suggested I take a look at they glass before they install it and I was thinking at that point I could double check with the techs on the assorted attachments to it. The cowling is crucial, and if it can't be re-attached that's an issue that I'll have to decide upon, maybe the piece witll be included in the replacement, maybe not, and ultimately I don't have to worry about it until the time comes...like cross that bridge when I come to it, hahaha! This is not Safelite, it's Grizzly Glass, a preferred provider in Safe-lit solutions' network. They lake Safelite, it's just hours away. This place has three shops and must adhere to all terms, warranties, etc as Safelite themselves do, and Progressive will back those. I wish someone here had had a monte's glass replaced so I'd know more detail are ok. There is antenna wiring to the rearview mirror for all of it's specs.. it handles several things. I've got to rememer to tell them not to accidentally bump the sunroof tab, it's off-track and will strip the motor...stays a moon roof. I might ask them about it as I'm sure it's not covered by my insurance, but perhaps it is a simple fix I could pay them for. I belive the chick said her husband has 30 years experience so I can just rest assured,, and I doublt they'll be angry with me over wanting to talk to him and ask those few questions (which I will write down so they stay concise and I don't go all over the place like I am here).

I was not thrilled at all with the concept of filling, espcially the biggest chip in my line of sight. At first I was told that since the count was up to four it was a full replacement as four chips damage the integrity of the glass. Then, during the interview with the claims adjustor, she noticed that biggest chip was mighty close to the dash and decided it has to e a replacement. Sigh. I'm sorry about all of this, I'm so very grateful for your help!

PS My state has no issue with tint, at least not up in this neck of the woods. It was surprising to see when I first moved out here. Some people have dark enough tint that you can't see inside their vehicles, that was not allowed in WA, OR or CA as I recall.

Brittainy ordered the windshield tinted, she had two choices, one without the shade band and one wth, she chose the one with. It comes tinted. My factory green is nowhere near as dark as a lot of vehicles around here, I'm sure it's no problem.

 

AFAIK the wiring for the mirror runs into a harness up in the headliner. So they just pop the mirror and trim off the old glass, let it dangle from the harness while they remove and replace the glass, and then snap the mirror back onto the new button on the new glass and tuck the wiring back into the headliner.

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The cowling is crucial, and if it can't be re-attached that's an issue that I'll have to decide upon, maybe the piece witll be included in the replacement, maybe not

I'd imagine it's either like my 03 or 08 Impala, the cowling is not included with the new glass. The stock part is removed and reinstalled after. Assuming this isnt some kind of super shady place, they're not going to just leave a giant gaping hole under the windshield.

There is another option to keep in mind if you're really afraid this place is going to jack it up that bad- insurance cant force you to use their shop. You can specify whichever installer you prefer, but itll be on you to work it out if the place you pick screws it up.

You're better off TBH. A filled chip anywhere in your normal vision would drive you nuts. We had one like that on my wife's Edge and every time youd turn a corner, it would sparkle in the sunlight like a ring. The crater itself came out nice and smooth, but the tiny hairline cracks around its perimeter dont get filled, so those will always reflect light.

Just curious, which state? I've just honestly never heard of a state with zero regulation on windshield tint. Unfortunately I'm in one of the more restrictive states, we've got zero allowance below the AS-1 line. Oh well, luckily I've only been pulled over once for it.

 

Pretty similar

 

Huh, that's interesting. Never really hear much about Border Patrol up north. Had no idea they were that prevalent up here.

Probably only hear news about the local BP being down here in AZ though.