bumpersignal

I had my windshield changed a few months ago and it sounded like my engine got more aggressive sounding from inside the cabin. At first I thought it sounded kind of cool but now it's getting kind of annoying like I have a v8 under the hood. Although, the outside ambient noise is quieter and less wind noise as well from the windshield. The louder engine noise are the lower pitches like rumbling and growling. What could possibly cause that by changing out a windshield? FWIW, it's an oem windshield.

Rudeney

The installers likely did not seal it properly. I assume it's not leaking when it rains, and given the engine noise comment, it's probably not sealed securely along the bottom edge. Most glass shops will warrant their work. I would contact them to see about getting it fixed. They may be able to do it without removing the glass, as the bottom edge is accessible by removing the plastic panel behind the wipers.

bumpersignal

Right, it's not leaking water. Thanks for the advice I'll talk to him about the bottom seal but i get the feeling he's going to try to deny it being an issue. Let me know if you have any suggestions on how to direct evidence to it so that he won't deny it. Now that I think about it, he told me was an OEM equivalent and I don't see any markings that says otherwise. Any idea what to look for? This is the only print I see on the windshield:



Man, the clk giving me headaches this month! First the brakes and now this. Thank goodness there's an awesome community behind the brand

Yidney

Hard to beleive the glass itself would cause this, but in the lower left corner OEM will have the MB star symbol, and the brand Sekurit. If you stick a piece of copy paper on the dash it will be easier to read.

Yidney

I missed that you posted a pic. Yeah, that isn't OEM.

Rudeney

It's not the glass itself that is the problem - it's the installer not properly applying the urethane sealant. My car ahs aftermarket Safelite brand glass and it's just fine. The guys who did my job were great. They were careful and very particular. The only thing they did was to install one of my visors with the hinge rotate 180-degrees which made it not snap into place when flipped up, but that was an easy mistake (and an easy fix for me).

bumpersignal

Thanks all for your valuable advice. Now I know what to say to the installer. Wish me luck. If it doesn't work out at least I put it on AMEX. They know how to deal w/ these merchants.

Rudeney

If they refuse to check this and say it's "normal", you could check is by smoke. Blow smoke from a cigar through a hose at the base of the windshield, checking to see if it comes out on the other side.

Critter

Blow smoke from a cigar, now that is professional.
Remove the plastic trim at the bottom of the windshield, spray with a foaming glass cleaner and then used compressed air with nozzle to direct air from the inside of the car near the bottom of the glass, bubbling of the foam glass cleaner on the outside shows where the leak is. Do this also up the sides just to be sure. Foam on the outside and compressed air inside. Easily repeatable, BTW this is not an OEM glass.

Rudeney

You want professional, go to the dealer and pat $120/hour. YOu might even get a free carwash and a cup of latte. You want good solid advice and some fun, come to the forum!

Two things: One, a cigar would (to me, at least) be more enjoyable that using foaming glass cleaner. Cigar smoke is generally thick and very visible so it works well in these "smoke tests". And two, I was going to suggest using a proper smoke generator, complete with dye-coloring (pink or green would be very visible in this area), but I figured a cigar would be less expensive and more readily available to most DIYers (and more fun)

billyhead1

Also, on the topic of windshields, I was quoted $700 to replace mine. What did you guys pay?

bumpersignal

I paid $750 and regret it. I should've paid the full asking price at the dealership I think was $1100. The ~$350 saved isn't worth the headaches I've faced. I've had to take it back to the windshield installer 2x when it was first installed, because all the panels were completely off kilter and the rain/mirror sensor wasn't installed properly. Apparently w/ my CLK there are so many possible issues when it comes to the windshield that it would've made most sense to go w/ OEM. I've learned my lesson and hopefully that'll prevent others from making the same mistake I did.

mis3

Depend on the area, some MB dealerships outsource some of the works to outside contractors. Some of these works include detailing, windshield replacement, bumper painting, clear bra, wheel repair, etc.

For examples, I know the guy who does bumper painting for my MB dealership and he does excellent work. He charges me $120 and for the same, same work, the dealership will charge me $240. I know this guy because I saw him working on some cars in the back of the dealership one day when I was waiting for my car.

Yes, windshield replacement is one of the items that my local MB dealerships do not do themselves.

Rudeney

Most dealerships do outsource glass work. My dealership will supply the parts, but a local company does the work for them - out in the parking lot out of their mobile service van, just like this company would do if I called them directly. I had to have a new windshield on my CLK this summer, so I filed a claim with my insurance. They "suggested" Safelite, and said they would unconditionally guarantee the work for as long as I own the car (though not against future breakage, unfortunately!). Like I said earlier, they did a very good job. The invoice I saw was for $1,100 of which I paid my $250 deductible. The installer said he thought my insurance likely paid a lower negotiated price, but that was the "retail" price.

Another note about windshield replacements is that the best results would be to leave the car parked for as long as possible to allow the sealant to cure. I scheduled my job for first thing in the morning, and left the car in my office parking lot all day. If you have it done at a dealer, you might be tempted to wait on the car, then drive away as soon as it's finished. Or, the dealer might even move your car around the lot. Really, I'd suggest not using the dealer - us a mobile service and have them do the job where you can leave the car sitting still for several hours (4-6). If you want OEM glass, you can specify that, but you might pay more.

Oh, one more thing - I was very impressed with the way they removed the old glad. Instead of prying on it and letting it crack and break and getting glass bits all in the car, they used a special cutting wire. They attached a suction cup with a winding mechanism to the glass, and then some other suction cup pulleys to the corners of the glass. They used a small "ice pick" to put a hole through the gasket, then pulled the wire through. Using the pulleys and winding mechanism, they pulled the wire around the perimeter of the glass, cutting through the old sealant. The glass was then removed in one piece. Other than having to clean up some slivers of the urethane sealant/gasket, it was a very clean job.

bumpersignal

Right, I fully agree with what you are both saying. IF you know for certain that your independent contractor is the guy that dealers call to do their outsourced work, then you should certainly be alright going directly to that person and cutting out the middle man. however, if you're like me and do not know which independent contractor that might be, then I'd suggest going to the dealer and getting the peace of mind knowing they'll handle any service issues that might arise even if they outsource it.

billyhead1

Teeters & Schacht in Novato, CA was who my dealer referred me to. If anybody else has other SF Bay Area recommendations for a windshield installer, that would be great. We might be able to get a sticky started, with regional recommendations.

mis3

Depending on the service advisor, some may tell you. I did when I needed to repair a wheel and to repaint part of the bumper. Both times my SA gave me the numbers to call. The works were excellent and I saved maybe 40-50% of the costs.

Rudeney

Another way to get information about subcontractors from your dealer is to call and ask, "Hey, I have a buddy who needs glass in his (BMW/Audi/Lexus, etc.) and I was really happy with the (glass/wheel/bumper, etc.) job you did for me. Can you tell me who you subcontracted that out to?"

mis3

Great idea. I will try this approach.