E-34 Back window replacement

[Unregistered]

Back window got shattered by a baseball this evening.

How hard is it to replace the glass myself?

Cost of glass? Readily available, or go to dealer?

Decent aftermarket alternatives?

Please advise, and thanks,

-Bart

[MBXB]

I had mine replaced by an auto glass place for $395 last year. It matched the old one down to the defroster grid. He had it done in less than an hour.

[winfred]

the rear version of the windshield? if so that needs to be done by a glass man, the only glass made aftermarket is the windshield. find one in a salvage yard and get it installed at a windshield replacement shop, i don't have access to my price lists here at home to tell you how much to expect at the dealer for a new one if it comes to that, ill try to remember to post list price tomorow

[Unregistered]

How to remove the surrounding trim and gasket for the old window?

" " replace " " " " " " " new " ?

Bentley manual says nothing of this. A local wrecker has a replacement window for $200, the dealer charges $565, and my insurance deductible is $250.

Thanks,

-Bart

[Tiger]

Pay the deductible and let dealer do it... $50 for alot of headaches is worth it.

[Unregistered]

Dealer wants $565.15 just for the glass. Deductible is $250, so I'm out at least the $250, plus the cost of installation.

That being the case, I think it's gonna be cheaper for me to replace it with a used part from a junkyard ($200) and do it myself.

So, how to install the glass?

-Bart

[Tiger]

Whoa.. deductible means you pay only $250... insurance pays the rest including installation

[632 Regal]

Im not sure you want to venture there... but by all means take a lot of pictures and do a write up for this board if you do!

Not many people have dont this im sure and the chance of you getting someone to chime in here might be less than slight.

Good luck!

[Unregistered]

Back window replacement is simple:

Put old plastic shower curtain on the back shelf to catch glass fragments, which will include mostly fine grit and small pieces. Remove the old broken glass up to the perimeter seal. Remove (peel out) the rubber molding piece at the bottom of the glass. Carefully unclip the trim molding that surrounds the top and sides of the glass. (These snap into place much like the side moldings on the car.) Using a wet toothbrush and rag, clean these pieces and the channel around the glass.

Using carpet knife with sharp adjustable-depth blade and long handle, plus thick gloves, slice out the remaining glass still glued around the perimeter. This is the tricky part: Fillet slice through the rubbber seal, cutting PARALLEL to the metal, so as to leave a smooth and uniformly ~1/16" thick layer of rubber still glued to the metal car body, and being careful not to scratch the paint.

Once all of the old glass is out, clean this seal with a solvent to assure a good bond with the new glass. Carefully remove the shower curtain with all glass remnants and then vacuum with shop vac.

Carefully clean the inside surface of the new glass, especially around the perimeter where it contacts the seal, because any fingerprints here will inhibit a good chemical bond with the new sealant.

Apply 3M Window Weld or suitable glass sealant to the seal, and with the help of an assistant, lower the new glass into place. Note that there are three irregular-shaped (six sided) nylon spacers along the bottom of the seal, which can be rotated (cam-like) to adjust the seating position of the glass, but all three nylon spacers should be set in similar fashion. This positions the glass so that it has a concentric & symmetric setting in the body, i.e., so the gap is the same all around the perimeter. Press down on the edges of the glass to seat it on the sealant. Install the bottom rubber molding piece, which has a tongue-in-groove shape on its bottom. Snap the upper trim molding pieces into position.

Before driving, let the sealant cure and harden according to the instructions on the container. As different sealants have different chemical make-up, be sure to use sealants and solvents/cleaners that are compatible, i.e., 3M products that work well together. A good car parts or glass shop can advise you on this.

When driving for the first time or two, drive with the sunroof open a crack, as this draws air out and induces negative pressure in the cabin, pushing IN on the glass and assuring a good seal. (Otherwise, if cabin pressure is positive, it pushes out on the glass, a big NO-NO if the sealant has not cured.)

Plan B: Use plastic money and have a glass shop do this job. Read car magazines for ~1 hour while ogling the receptionist. Easier. More fun. No blood.

[632 Regal]

why do you "have" to break the old glass out?

[Unregistered]

Well, the baseball got me off to a very good start--went right through like a mortar round. The safety glass seems like a different sort than used in the windshield, was TOTALLY crazed, with no bit of the rear window more than 1/3" wide and no transparency whatever. When I drove home from the ball field most of the window fell onto the back shelf. Crumbling the rest out was a matter of tapping on it, and the only part that stayed in was that adhering to the perimeter glue line.

[632 Regal]

x

[rickm]

Ah, the Curse of the Unregistered. :D

[Unregistered]

If this website would allow me to log in and paste a picture, I would, so you could see what a little league ball does to a Bimmer. But, all I get is a goofy loop that won't allow any pasting of pics, even after loggin in, so I'm gonna remain accursedly unregistered.

[rickm]

If you want some assistance logging on drop me an email at rick.miale @ nc.gov and I'll help. (remove the spaces from before and after the @)