S-Class (W221) 2007-2013: S 320 CDI, S 350, S 450, S 500, S 550, S 420 CDI, S 600

Retrofit Side Laminated Glass

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Old Dec 28, 2024 | 04:47 PM
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2008 W221 S320CDI
Question Retrofit Side Laminated Glass

Hey everyone, i have a 2008 S320CDI that was ordered without the laminated glass (heat and ir refelecting) on the side and rear windows. Due to having Nightvision i have the appropriate frontscreen but was wondering if side windows were an easy swap or there was something else to watch out for? I could get them for quite cheap and was wondering if the upgrade was worth it.

Basically is this a 1:1 swap or do i need new seals, window motors etc. too?
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Old Dec 29, 2024 | 05:07 AM
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2006 W221 S500L M273
In the EPC it looks like only the glass itself is different but the guide rails and rubbers are all the same.
See for example: https://mb-teilekatalog.info/view_Su...=72&subgrp=060
Code 595 is relevant for you:
595: Heat insulating+ir reflectg.safety glass side+rear
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Old Dec 29, 2024 | 06:04 AM
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S500
seems surprising they are quite fat - you'd also need the rear qrt ones or it would look weird
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Old Dec 29, 2024 | 07:11 AM
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Thank you for checking, yeah the it also says Sungate instead of Solargreen on the side windows.

Was wondering the same BOTUS, they look much thicker. I guess i'll have to figure out how to get that rear quarter panel off or just buy the whole door
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Old Dec 29, 2024 | 07:17 AM
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be aware GPS and phone signal drop lots of signal strength with IR glass - she often opens the sunroof or side windows to get GPS connection when using here phone

If you have way too much time, the glass for free or very cheap, like to spend days damaging paint & trim and live somewhere stupidly hot maybe - otherwise why do it ?
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Old Dec 29, 2024 | 07:37 AM
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2008 W221 S320CDI
It's less the IR reflection and more the noise insulation provided by the thicker glass, i sadly got to drive in one with the 595 option and at highway speeds it felt noticeably quieter than mine. The glass i could get for 350 which seemes cheap enough to consider it.
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Old Dec 29, 2024 | 08:54 AM
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Originally Posted by ClearHunger445
It's less the IR reflection and more the noise insulation provided by the thicker glass, i sadly got to drive in one with the 595 option and at highway speeds it felt noticeably quieter than mine. The glass i could get for 350 which seemes cheap enough to consider it.
Tires would make a bigger difference. Do you recall if it had the same tires?
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Old Dec 30, 2024 | 05:33 AM
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2008 W221 S320CDI
Both were running 255/45R18, mine on Michelin Primacy 4+ but i don't remember the make of his tires
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Old Feb 24, 2025 | 01:21 PM
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2008 W221 S320CDI
So i finally got around to some extensive testing and it seems like my car let's in air at the top quarter closest to the drivers head and that's why it's so noisy compared to a car with the option 595, i found this out after test driving another w221 without laminated glass and it also was way quieter inside. It felt like an actual S-Class.

Once i tape that off it's like you're sitting inside of a vault that's going 70mph, if i take the tape off it feels more like a dacia
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Old Feb 24, 2025 | 01:29 PM
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the make real ones and cheap ones....
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Old Feb 24, 2025 | 03:21 PM
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So i guess that means i need a new window seal? Since it wasn't like this when i bought it might just have gone bad?

On my old BMW i had the windows adjusted when it got noisy but that was after it was in the body shop for a repair.
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Old Feb 24, 2025 | 06:33 PM
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S500
someone was saying the thicker windows sit in the same runners and seals - that sounds a bit odd - but might explain why thin windows get more noise
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Old Feb 26, 2025 | 02:41 PM
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2010 E550, 273 Engine: 2012 S550, 278 Engine
Originally Posted by BOTUS
be aware GPS and phone signal drop lots of signal strength with IR glass - she often opens the sunroof or side windows to get GPS connection when using here phone

If you have way too much time, the glass for free or very cheap, like to spend days damaging paint & trim and live somewhere stupidly hot maybe - otherwise why do it ?
Little late on this - In my 2012 S550 the sunroof glass is not the same IR-glass as rest of them. I found out at car wash where the window sticker would not work on the windshield (did not work on 2013 model either) with the MB glass. On the 2013 I had windshield was replaced and it worked fine with it, but that glass was not MB glass.

With this 2012 model I had the same problem and then just tried the carwash sticker on the sunroof, and it works very well so I don't think the sunroof glass is the same IR glass probably because they use very strong tint on it.
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Old Aug 29, 2025 | 06:51 PM
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W221.156 S350
Originally Posted by ClearHunger445
Thank you for checking, yeah the it also says Sungate instead of Solargreen on the side windows.

Was wondering the same BOTUS, they look much thicker. I guess i'll have to figure out how to get that rear quarter panel off or just buy the whole door
I know I am also late this, but here goes.

Got a 2006 s350 and all the side/rear windows say Solargreen. I discovered recently that I could order in a replacement windshield (which had already been replaced by an aftermarket cheapy) that's IR/heat insulated, costing about 15% more than the base model one, so to me it's a no-brainer especially considering he hot climate I'm in.

However, regarding the other windows, it is going to be difficult to source them unless I happen to find someone wrecking a S500+ model on which I believe these come as standard.

Apart from checking the data card for the wrecked car, is the only other indication would be the Sungate word?
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Old Aug 30, 2025 | 05:10 AM
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yep every window should say sungate... its much thicker glass - its a sandwich - so all the window rubbers / trim will be different ?

as Arrie says the sunroof isn't - when I meant she opens it - its the sliding trim she opens to get a GPS signal on the phone


.

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Old Aug 31, 2025 | 05:22 AM
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W221.156 S350
Originally Posted by BOTUS
yep every window should say sungate... its much thicker glass - its a sandwich - so all the window rubbers / trim will be different ?

as Arrie says the sunroof isn't - when I meant she opens it - its the sliding trim she opens to get a GPS signal on the phone


.

Based on my research, the windows - as longa as it's not the one with enhanced security/bulletproofing (in which case many things will be different), are a direct replacement.

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Old Sep 1, 2025 | 09:30 AM
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2008 W221 S320CDI
As ezzat said, it was a 1:1 swap on my car

Same trim, seals etc.

Front at least is very easy to do aswell
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Old Sep 1, 2025 | 09:41 AM
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222 S-65
Originally Posted by ezzat
Based on my research, the windows - as longa as it's not the one with enhanced security/bulletproofing (in which case many things will be different), are a direct replacement.
Guard windows being over an inch thick.... don’t expect one to fit.... If you could manage to find one!
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Old Sep 1, 2025 | 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by ClearHunger445
it feels more like a dacia
Dacia...
You know, most people don't know what that is, let alone having driven or ridden in one, yeah?
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Old Sep 1, 2025 | 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Sathinas
Dacia...
most people don't know what that is
NVH wise it’s like driving an s-class but with the windows down and the suspension is as refined as a wheelbarrow
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Old Nov 11, 2025 | 01:42 AM
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W221.156 S350
Originally Posted by ClearHunger445
As ezzat said, it was a 1:1 swap on my car

Same trim, seals etc.

Front at least is very easy to do aswell
Managed to get a full set, for those wondering. The difference in thickness is very small. Measured using s micrometer about 1cm from the top edge of the rear windows around the middle.

Sungate (double glazing): 5.44mm
Solargreen: 5.31mm

A 13mm difference is all, or about 2.5%, hence why the same seals can be used.

The sungate one is more reflective in the sun, appears as if it was tinted (surprise). Appears cooler (as in more blueish than green).

The solargreen is green alright.

The sungate edge appears as such:


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Old Nov 11, 2025 | 08:52 AM
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W221 S500
The reason heat insulated cars seem quieter is due to the insulation layers attached to the door cards.

This isn't fitted to cars without the heat reflected glass.
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Old Nov 11, 2025 | 11:08 AM
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W221.156 S350
Originally Posted by AL5461
The reason heat insulated cars seem quieter is due to the insulation layers attached to the door cards.

This isn't fitted to cars without the heat reflected glass.
Spot on, got a complete set of that as well, with double pads for the front doors (incl a new pair from MB USA)

Last edited by ezzat; Nov 11, 2025 at 02:59 PM.
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Old Nov 11, 2025 | 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by BOTUS
yep every window should say sungate... its much thicker glass - its a sandwich - so all the window rubbers / trim will be different ?

as Arrie says the sunroof isn't - when I meant she opens it - its the sliding trim she opens to get a GPS signal on the phone


.
Doesn't the W221 have laminated/"double glazing" as standard?

Even my base W220 had laminated side windows...

I know people always thought the W140 windows were bullet proof because they were about 7 or 8mm thick, in reality two 3mm panes and an air gap...

W220 and, or so I thought, W221 have two 3mm panes with a minimal air gap... It's the coating inside the laminate that makes it Heat Reflective rather than the two glass layers.

Incidentally mine has Heat Reflective from new, so don't know what 'standard' glass looks like dimensionally other than the B07 Guard spec is basically a W221 shaped tank so all bets are off in that respect.
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Old Nov 11, 2025 | 05:31 PM
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Originally Posted by ClearHunger445
Both were running 255/45R18, mine on Michelin Primacy 4+ but i don't remember the make of his tires
Different tyres have very different noise characteristics. Only way to.compare is identical size on identical cars over identical piece of road. On a C Class or Chevy Malibu/Kia **** box this becomes more apparent. On an S you would like to think the difference will be much less apparent.
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