05-04-2018, 05:02 PM | #1 |
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First time having a cracked windshield
I signed up for a 1 day M school in Greer that I went to last week and decided to make it a road trip out there in my M2. Somewhere on the first day or two I remember hearing something hit over by the right A pillar but never saw a crack so I didn't think much of it.
Unfortunately, I picked up a nail in a rear tire that I discovered at my dad's place in Charlotte late Saturday afternoon. I had to rent a car to drive to Greer from there while my dad called the Charlotte BMW dealer to get the last two rear tires they had and he got BMW roadside to flatbed it out there. On the plus side, I got the tire hazard coverage this time around. The rear tire wear was at the point where I was likely to get them replaced soon after I got back. So at least one tire only cost $50 for the deductible. I picked it up on a pretty rainy evening and didn't notice anything, but the next morning as we were getting ready to leave my wife noticed a 6" crack on the passenger side of the windshield. I was about to start calling the tow service and the dealership when I remembered hearing the hit I mentioned earlier. I guess maybe the process of loading or unloading it on the flatbed might have put enough torque on the A pillar to get the crack started from that impact site. As it is the crack grew about a foot on the trip from Charlotte to Birmingham (about 4" of that happened while it was just sitting in the parking lot of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum). I got a rain-x windshield repair kit hoping I could at least seal up the crack enough to stop it from growing. That did seem to do the job. It was still worth the road trip, but now I have to get the windshield replaced. I'm inclined to get it done by the dealership (I guess it would maybe be their body shop). I've seen others say that Safelite actually worked well for them. Aside from giving them the VIN to make sure whoever I go with gets the right glass, any recommendations on things to test after I get the job done (to verify the install was done right and didn't break anything)? Also, any thoughts on other national repair shops or ones in the north DFW area? Others have mentioned in other posts asking my dealer who they use so I'll do that as well. After driving for over 30 years and doing my fair share of road trips, I'm actually amazed this is the first time I've gotten a broken windshield. I can't be too annoyed. |
05-04-2018, 05:13 PM | #2 |
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SC roads suck. I had to replace the windshield in my M235. Went through a local glass company, insurance paid and it matched the OEM one completely without being an actual OEM windshield.
How'd you enjoy the school? Their track is awesome. I'm lucky that I'm only an hour from there.
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05-04-2018, 05:19 PM | #3 |
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First cracked windshield in 30 years?
You lucky bastard... I can't even remember how many windshields I've replaced; always get the glass insurance. Had a Dakota pickup in the 90s that went thru 7 of them. |
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05-04-2018, 09:49 PM | #5 |
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That was a design issue on those Dodges I believe the chassis was flexing and causing the windshields to crack. I had a friend that replaced 3 on his.
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05-05-2018, 03:50 AM | #6 |
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Check your insurance policy and your carrier. If you don't have "full glass" coverage you will have to pay the difference between your deductible and what the installation costs.
I would insist on BMW glass installation at your dealer. I am currently going through this exact process with my new M2 which has a foot long crack in the windshield, also on the passenger side. In my case I have Safeco insurance with full glass coverage. I had to go through this exact same process 2 years ago with my 135is convertible, bought slightly used, and with a windshield also broken almost immediately after purchase. My carrier uses Safelite as their sub-contractor for glass repairs and payments. They try like all get-out to convince you to use their cheap glass and their installers, but if you keep refusing and keep insisting on having the work done at a BMW dealer, they ultimately relent. Then the process is to get the repair done at the dealer, to pay for it, then to send them a scan or a fax of the bill from the dealer, and they mail you a check (in my case has been for the full amount) about a week later. Out of pocket cost in my case was $0 for the 135is 2 years ago, and from what they have told me it will be the same on the M2 when I have the replacement done in a week and a half, when back home from my current overseas trip. You do need to contact your insurance company and have them open a file on your car before you get the work done, if you expect to get reimbursed for at least part of your cost.
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05-05-2018, 04:46 PM | #8 | |
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NOT
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05-05-2018, 08:36 PM | #9 |
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Sounds like the perfect time for a CF roof install!!
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05-05-2018, 08:39 PM | #10 |
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05-05-2018, 08:51 PM | #11 | |
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05-06-2018, 04:02 AM | #12 | |
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Of course, we are talking one-off experiences and can't really predict what any given person will experience with their replacement. Here's another thread detailing what *might* be the sort of problems you or a future owner might have, with a replaced windshield: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1491217
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05-06-2018, 10:17 PM | #13 | |
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Thank you everyone on the advice. Sounds like I will stick with the original plan of going to the dealer. Probably the safest play. (Unfortunately I do not have glass coverage, though, so it will be out of pocket). |
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05-07-2018, 02:03 AM | #14 | |
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05-07-2018, 01:12 PM | #15 |
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I've had decent experience with Safelite, but a couple of times even though I told them I expected factory glass, they showed up with something else (OEM glass). They ended up rescheduling and got the right glass and I was fine. The cynic in me says they bring the non-factory hoping the customer says screw it and get the repair done with the other glass.
These cars aren't old enough to really have sandblasted windshields, but you'll still notice how much nicer a brand new windshield looks. When I had it replaced on my E46 the difference was huge. Finally, if you're in Florida....zero cost windshield service is mandatory for all policies which is nice. I suspect with no car inspection down here, people would drive out with some truly bad windshields. I also keep an eye on cars WITH a broken windshield thinking they may not have insurance.
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05-07-2018, 01:51 PM | #16 |
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Get your windshield protected by PPF.
It does prevent most of the damage unless you have life-threatening huge rock or object hitting the windshield. Small rocks and stones that will give crack and chipping can be prevented with PPF + you can prolong the life of the windshield that could wear over general usage as well (simply change the film once in 5 years or something) |
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05-17-2018, 11:02 AM | #17 |
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I finally did have my M2's windshield replaced at the dealer earlier this week, obviously with BMW glass. It took a couple of hours. I had it done in the same visit as the 1200 mile inspection/fluid change.
Total cost was $1016.xx, which is less than their estimate was by more than $100. I will be getting 100% reimbursement from my insurance company by check. Other than for convenience and cost reasons, I can't see any reason to have this done by anyone other than the dealer. Some of the aftermarket glass companies will come out to your location and replace the glass there, which would obviously save time. I got a loaner car from the dealer so it wasn't really very much of an inconvenience, plus I had the 1200 mile service done at the same time, so that would have been necessary even without the windshield replacement.
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05-17-2018, 05:21 PM | #18 |
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I feel your pain... I am now on visit number three to safelite still waiting for them to order the Oem glass. First two visits they had aftermarket despite having told me they had ordered oem.
I spoke to one of the installers who was a car guy and loved the M2. He was extremely helpful and says he would not recommend anything besides OEM for this car, he let me in on a tip, right now ‘16 ‘17 and ‘18 cars are the years most likely to be approved for oem replacement through insurance. Same year cars are usually guaranteed to be approved. You can always submit a request but older models are less likely to be approved. So if I were any of us keep pushing for OEM since we have the highest odds of getting it. Quote to do it through the dealer without insurance is in the $1,500 range. Here in Florida it is $0 through insurance as mentioned above.
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05-18-2018, 09:52 AM | #19 |
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I had the windshield replaced on my 2004 M3 about 3 years back. They replaced it with factory glass (that's what was on the car). I insisted and they did it without too much hassle. It would think it matters what insurance company you have, not who does the work. I have Allstate.
Maybe it's automatic on a car for the first couple of years, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen on a much older car.
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05-22-2018, 12:58 PM | #20 |
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I did call my insurance company and have gotten things set up to get this taken care of. My insurance redirected me to Safelight to manage the claim, but the representative said I could get the glass repaired at any place. They even went so far as to explain that they could not handle recalibration of the forward facing camera, so if I did have it repaired by Safelight, I would still need to go to BMW to have that taken care of. Given that I said I would just have the dealership do it and they forward the claim on to them.
I got a call from the collision center for my dealership and he outlined the cost for me. One thing that was interesting is that he explained that they would need to replace the rain sensor as part of the windshield replacement. I didn't quite expect that. So even though the glass itself is just over $400, the rain sensor adds $247. Add in ~$450 in labor and assorted materials and it bumps it up to the price range most people mentioned here. I have a $50 deductible on the insurance, though, so at the end of the day that shouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately they also said they have to keep the car overnight to let the adhesive cure so I'll have to rent something for a day. A little bit more involved than I expected. Two things that did surprise me a little are that he said the replacements don't have the same warranty as the vehicle, but that having the repair done by an certified repair center does bump the parts from 1 year to 2 years. So I guess I lose a half year on the rain sensor if anything happens to that. He also said the rain sensor not being properly calibrated affects the DSC since it's used to detect "wet" conditions. I had never thought about the rain sensor being linked into that. |
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05-23-2018, 08:03 AM | #21 |
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That’s also interesting. Any windshield on a rain sensor car I’ve had replaced, has had the sensor already mounted to the windshield out of the factory. I’ve had this one on a bmw and a Mercedes. Maybe it’s different on our cars? Curious.
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05-23-2018, 12:43 PM | #22 | |
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