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Windshield replacement issues

14177 Views 29 Replies 22 Participants Last post by Sean Nelson, 8 mo ago

V7i7c

Discussion Starter · Jun 2, 2017

Windshield replacement also requires a recalibration of the lane assist function?!?!?

The windshield of my wonderful Silver Premier developed a crack two days ago. A couple of things of interest came up.

First, the glass replacement folks told me they have to order replacement glass through the dealer. No major surprise here, but it will add days to the time of its replacement.

Secondly, the car has to be taken to the dealer for a 2-3 hour recalibration of the lane assist functions. Apparently, the wiring goes through the windscreen somehow and unhooking it will unset the functions.
I'm not thrilled about losing my car (and time) to get a simple glass replacement, but what can you do?

Reactions: 1

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3LKTRNZ

· #2 · Jun 2, 2017

Just be prepared for the arrival of the replacement windshield to take longer than you expect. I needed to have mine replaced in mid-April and it took well over a week for the dealer to get a new windshield from the factory in Michigan since there really isn't any extra parts stock to speak of yet.

jagger

· #3 · Jun 3, 2017

Our windshield also developed a crack right at the bottom just under the VIN plate. It progressed up practically in front of the drivers view. Just curious where your crack started and where it spread to. It's been about 5 days since I showed the dealer. I'm waiting for the replacement to come in.

V7i7c

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 3, 2017

jagger said:
Our windshield also developed a crack right at the bottom just under the VIN plate. It progressed up practically in front of the drivers view. Just curious where your crack started and where it spread to. It's been about 5 days since I showed the dealer. I'm waiting for the replacement to come in.

The crack started on the passenger side of the front windshield about 1/3 of the way down. Initially it was about 3 inches long. Now it is about 8 inches long. I was told the glass will arrive in about a week.

Bazinga

· #5 · Jun 3, 2017

How are windshields cracking so often? Is it made of materials that aren't as sturdy as they used to be?

Reactions: 2

V7i7c

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 4, 2017

Bazinga said:
How are windshields cracking so often? Is it made of materials that aren't as sturdy as they used to be?

That's an excellent question. I did not hear or see any rock hit my windshield before it cracked. Initially I thought it might have been a stress fracture, but I have no way of checking that theory out.

Reactions: 1

Dadrick

· #7 · Jun 4, 2017

On my Beetle I had to have 3 windsheilds in 1 yr due to stress cracks. Cars are built to pretty tight tolerances and if off just a fraction when they flex the "wrong" way the windshield is the weakest point and can be the point where the pressure is relieved.

Reactions: 1

NY-Rob

· #8 · Jun 4, 2017

When I installed my all weather mats (the Bolt was a week old at that point) upon removing the driver side OEM carpet mat- I found a 1/4" chunk of safety glass under the carpet mat... it could only have come from the windshield.

Now it makes sense why there is a small cosmetic scratch on the A-Pillar plastic cover... it was removed to replace the broken windshield before delivery. It wasn't done at the dealership- because I picked up the car the day after it arrived there, so probably it happened at the factory.

Electro

· #9 · Jun 5, 2017

That's pretty crazy that you found a chunk of glass under the carpet. So when you got it, there was a scratch on the A-Pillar cover? Did they replace that for you??

NY-Rob

· #10 · Jun 5, 2017

^ I didn't even notice the scratch in the plastic until I detailed the interior about two weeks after picking up the Bolt.
I couldn't really figure out why/how it got there... but as soon as I found that small 1/4" chunk of safety glass under the carpet mat... I instantly knew it got scratched while replacing the windshield. It's really pretty minor- you actually have to look at it to see to see the scratch, not really worth a dealer visit IMO.

I plan to bring the Bolt in for a Infotainment System software update (when one becomes available) as I have a small issue that may be software related. At that time I'll see if they'll replace the A-Pillar cover for me.

Reactions: 1

Bazinga

· #11 · Jun 6, 2017

How can one avoid flexing their car the wrong way? I've never had a cracked windshield before aside from a small scratch made by myself years ago, so this is all new to me.

ChiBolt

· #12 · Jun 7, 2017

V7i7c said:
That's an excellent question. I did not hear or see any rock hit my windshield before it cracked. Initially I thought it might have been a stress fracture, but I have no way of checking that theory out.

I have had my Bolt for 3-1/2 weeks now and I have a crack in my windshield. it was definitely from a flying projectile (probably a rock) but no other cars were near me on a country road. I have a glass guy scheduled to fill the crack. A second rock hit my windshield yesterday and left a tiny dot on my windshield. Probably not worth fixing.

My 2-1/2 year old Chevy Volt currently has 3 small cracks and now one large crack in the windshield. The windshield needs to be replaced. It is a rock magnet.

Is it possible that the low wind resistance on these cars makes it less likely that small rocks will get diverted enough by wind turbulence to crack the windshield?

I personally think it is pissed off aliens messing with us and our cool new Tech.

Reactions: 1

Cardyin

· #13 · Jun 8, 2017

I had my windshield chipped then repaired. The chip was a little bit smaller than a quarter, and they did a pretty descent job of the repair, but I now see a small imperfection in the window, albeit, quite small.

At first, I thought it was just some kind of small rock on the freeway, but later, I found an deep but small, round indent just below my driver side mirror. I'm guessing some punk kid was shooting BB or AirSoft guns at cars driving along the freeway... or it could possibly be the same aliens?

Reactions: 1

DaV8or

· #14 · Jun 8, 2017

NY-Rob said:
When I installed my all weather mats (the Bolt was a week old at that point) upon removing the driver side OEM carpet mat- I found a 1/4" chunk of safety glass under the carpet mat... it could only have come from the windshield.

Now it makes sense why there is a small cosmetic scratch on the A-Pillar plastic cover... it was removed to replace the broken windshield before delivery. It wasn't done at the dealership- because I picked up the car the day after it arrived there, so probably it happened at the factory.

If the glass you found under the mat was a small cube, it wasn't from the windshield. Windshields are federally mandated to be laminated glass, hence why they crack and not just fall to bits. Only in the case of a violent accident, or horrific impact will a windshield leave any bits behind. The side and rear windows are tempered glass and when they break, they explode and fall into those tiny cubes.

Reactions: 1

eops

· #15 · Jun 8, 2017

This might be a good time to consider whatever windshield protectors are out there even if it means making the car slightly ugly. I would personally get a bug/rock deflector and look into some coating or extra laminate for the windshield. That alone should better your chances.

Reactions: 1

NY-Rob

· #16 · Jun 8, 2017

^ when removing a broken windshield- many times the techs will smash it with a plastic/rubber mallet to finish geting it out.... invariably a few small chunks will dislodge from the main sheet of glass and fall inside the car. I work across the parking lot from a SafeLite install center... I see them removing windshields all the time.... they do smash some of them to remove them. We always cringe when we see them breaking apart the windshields like that.

The chunk was way too thick to be from anywhere other then the double pane windshield.. and the A-pillar cover has obviously been removed/scratched and placed back in service as it was never replaced back in it's proper position- I can see a gap between it and the dash material (which is not evident on the passenger side A-pillar). The right side A-pillar cover had some dirty finger prints on it when I got the car too.

So, both the left and right A-pillar covers had been removed and replaced and I found a chunk of thick glass under the carpet mat... seems reasonable to assume the windshield was replaced before the car arrived at the dealership.

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ChiBolt

· #17 · Jun 8, 2017

NY-Rob said:
^ when removing a broken windshield- many times the techs will smash it with a plastic/rubber mallet to finish geting it out.... invariably a few small chunks will dislodge from the main sheet of glass and fall inside the car. I work across the parking lot from a SafeLite install center... I see them removing windshields all the time.... they do smash some of them to remove them. We always cringe when we see them breaking apart the windshields like that.

The chunk was way too thick to be from anywhere other then the double pane windshield.. and the A-pillar cover has obviously been removed/scratched and placed back in service as it was never replaced back in it's proper position- I can see a gap between it and the dash material (which is not evident on the passenger side A-pillar). The right side A-pillar cover had some dirty finger prints on it when I got the car too.

So, both the left and right A-pillar covers had been removed and replaced and I found a chunk of thick glass under the carpet mat... seems reasonable to assume the windshield was replaced before the car arrived at the dealership.

There is a good chance that sometime in the future you will find more small chunks of glass somewhere. When my wife broke the rear window of our Toyota 4Runner, I thoroughly cleaned/vacuumed everything up even after the window tech replaced the window and cleaned everything. For the next 10 years we would occasionally find a small chunk of glass that worked its way loose from a nook or cranny.

Cardyin said:
I had my windshield chipped then repaired. The chip was a little bit smaller than a quarter, and they did a pretty descent job of the repair, but I now see a small imperfection in the window, albeit, quite small.

At first, I thought it was just some kind of small rock on the freeway, but later, I found an deep but small, round indent just below my driver side mirror. I'm guessing some punk kid was shooting BB or AirSoft guns at cars driving along the freeway... or it could possibly be the same aliens?

Hmmm....Maybe the aliens have AirSoft guns....

Reactions: 1

PhilipT

· #18 · Sep 19, 2017

Hi everyone - I also hit something on the freeway last week and a hairline crack has developed and is starting to grow :/
Don't see aftermarket windshields available for the Bolt yet.

What are you folks paying for the dealer installed one?

Reactions: 1

LeeMarkus

· #19 · Nov 4, 2017

Bazinga said:
How can one avoid flexing their car the wrong way? I've never had a cracked windshield before aside from a small scratch made by myself years ago, so this is all new to me.

You won't haven't it that doesn't mean such incident will not happen to anyone.My friend have a crack on the car's windshield while driving , a small rock hit and have made a spider like scratch on the windshield.Even auto glass repair experts won't flex their car in wrong way but it can accidentally happen to all.

Reactions: 1

drdiesel1

· #20 · Nov 4, 2017

NY-Rob said:
^ I didn't even notice the scratch in the plastic until I detailed the interior about two weeks after picking up the Bolt.
I couldn't really figure out why/how it got there... but as soon as I found that small 1/4" chunk of safety glass under the carpet mat... I instantly knew it got scratched while replacing the windshield. It's really pretty minor- you actually have to look at it to see to see the scratch, not really worth a dealer visit IMO.

I plan to bring the Bolt in for a Infotainment System software update (when one becomes available) as I have a small issue that may be software related. At that time I'll see if they'll replace the A-Pillar cover for me.

What is the issue ?

Reactions: 1

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