Windshield headache

SCHMOUPE · 10-09-2017, 02:10 PM

Went through a crappy 2 week period with the Z but figured before I put everything behind and out of my mind, to give you guys a heads up on 2 issues which you could come across in the future:

Everything for me started when I noticed the liquid membrane had burst and had fluid filling up the rear view mirror. If you did not know, that mirror is made from unicorn dust and costs 500+. Not wanting to spend all that money I was left with only option of removing the mirror and sending it off for repair. This part is well documented in the BMW community and I decided to go with Sybesma based out of Michigan. What you do is to take the mirror off the car and sent it to them and they repair and ship back. Total cost is 108+ your cost to ship the mirror. The turn around time for me was 5 days including a weekend and that was with the cheapest option. I don't think the extra rush cost is worth it at all.

Link

While trying to remove the plastic trims around the base of the mirror to remove it, I managed to accidentally crack the windshield

It was so comical and such a deflating moment when I had one thumb on the trim and next thing I see is a long crack going across the whole glass. So to the fun part. Couple of calls to insurance and dealer, dealer wants 1600 for the job and insurance pretty much won't cover this because to them it is a job that costs 400 bucks (via Safelite) and won't cover above that. At this point I called a glass shop recommended by a bodyshop to find a good quality OE glass. To my surprise and his none of his suppliers had the glass for our cars. I called at least a dozen more glass shops and no one had this glass. At this point my only option was to either go through Safelite and end up with a subpar chinese glass and questionable install or buy from dealer @500 and install via my shop @225 more and deal with logistics nightmare of wasting 2 days trying to order and bring car in and wait for install. On the day before I was going to the dealer to order, glass shop calls me and says he got his hands on a Sekurit glass and can install it for 460. Needless to say after having the car sitting around and idle for 2 weeks I didn't care about the cost and just wanted to get it done and over.

TL;DR notes: If mirror gets liquidy, GL taking it off the car. My windshield was brittle and replacement is not easy to source.

antennahead · 10-09-2017, 02:47 PM

A while back I was cleaning my car and the back side of my hand "popped" the underside of the mirror ........ result? Cracked windshield ..... not just a single run, but a spiderweb of a mess. This is either a very bad design or these things are extremely fragile...... or both.

SCHMOUPE · 10-09-2017, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antennahead

A while back I was cleaning my car and the back side of my hand "popped" the underside of the mirror ........ result? Cracked windshield ..... not just a single run, but a spiderweb of a mess. This is either a very bad design or these things are extremely fragile...... or both.

This echoes my experience as well. I think the windshield has a weak point right where the mirror is attached to it. Smallest amount of pressure exerted to it and boom, you are looking at a cracked glass.

antennahead curious to know what was your experience replacing the windshield?

m5m3mc · 10-09-2017, 04:47 PM

Anyone in a larger metro area should shop the local dealers for a quote. The OE windshield is semi-reasonably priced and a few years back my dealer did a perfect job for about $750 inc tax. They had an in-house glass technician who used factory procedures and materials and insisted on keeping the car overnight inside the shop to ensure that the adhesive cured properly. It was a no-brainer to pay a little more for that level of attention to detail.

Reborn_ · 10-09-2017, 05:42 PM

Wow, much thanks for the heads up on this issue, guys. Will definitely be extra careful when detailing the interior.

86Zed · 10-09-2017, 06:03 PM

Created a small crack in my windshield trying to install new weatherstripping. Turns out my windshield was installed slightly askew (from the factory) causing there to be excess gap on the passenger side and too narrow of a gap on the drivers side. So far the crack has yet to grow...

Following this story to see what prices/routes I can expect.

Finnegan · 10-09-2017, 11:31 PM

Yikes! Thanks for the heads up. Sounds super frustrating.

StickMon · 10-10-2017, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reborn_

Wow, much thanks for the heads up on this issue, guys. Will definitely be extra careful when detailing the interior.

Me too! Wow! Thanks for the heads up.
Now I don't feel so bad about letting the inside of my windshield get so dirty.

Digs · 10-10-2017, 12:53 AM

I cracked mine also while removing the weatherstripping...boy was I angry.
My local windshield guy said he could replace it with "Fy" glass, I looked them up and they are Chinese but he assured me they are quality. Well...it wasn't, it had optical imperfections and made everything look wavy, so I ordered an OEM screen and had that installed. So much better and worth the extra $ imo.

Huz-Z · 10-10-2017, 07:01 AM

I've heard that OEM glass works much better with the rain sensing systems that most of our cars have. I've seen reports from folks who bought after market and had issues where that system wouldn't work properly with the after market windshield.

Sorry to hear of the snafu - let's hope that's it for the car's life!

SCHMOUPE · 10-10-2017, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digs

I cracked mine also while removing the weatherstripping...boy was I angry.
My local windshield guy said he could replace it with "Fy" glass, I looked them up and they are Chinese but he assured me they are quality. Well...it wasn't, it had optical imperfections and made everything look wavy, so I ordered an OEM screen and had that installed. So much better and worth the extra $ imo.

Funny you say that because my glass guy really was pushing me towards FY saying it's a glass made in Ohio and costs 400 installed but it turns out the quality on these is lacking. Glad I didn't go that route.

NickyC · 10-10-2017, 09:27 AM

Wow, thanks for the heads up on this. Whoever could have expected this to happen?

Good luck!

antennahead · 10-10-2017, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCHMOUPE

This echoes my experience as well. I think the windshield has a weak point right where the mirror is attached to it. Smallest amount of pressure exerted to it and boom, you are looking at a cracked glass.

antennahead curious to know what was your experience replacing the windshield?

We have a local glass shop here that is part of a chain that does a lot of high end vehicles and BMWs. They replaced it and the finished result was perfect.

SaltyNC · 10-10-2017, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antennahead

We have a local glass shop here that is part of a chain that does a lot of high end vehicles and BMWs. They replaced it and the finished result was perfect.

We love Charleston, and it's only a 3 hr drive. I guess if I crack my windshield, it's a drive to Charleston for some glass and lowcountry eats.

Salty

antennahead · 10-11-2017, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaltyNC

We love Charleston, and it's only a 3 hr drive. I guess if I crack my windshield, it's a drive to Charleston for some glass and lowcountry eats.

Salty

LOL, yes, the food here is some of the best anywhere for sure. Let me know the next time you guys are down here and I'll meet you somewhere

John

SaltyNC · 10-11-2017, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antennahead

LOL, yes, the food here is some of the best anywhere for sure. Let me know the next time you guys are down here and I'll meet you somewhere

John

Will do, John. It would be great to meet in person, and we shouldn't have any trouble remembering our names.

John

inTgr8r · 10-11-2017, 07:56 AM

Great info here guys!

kaybat · 10-14-2017, 01:21 PM

the rear view "twists" on and off
https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...8d&action=view

I couldn't stand the oem mirrow(too small) and bought this off ebay(325i):

wdb · 10-14-2017, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaybat

I couldn't stand the oem mirrow(too small) and bought this off ebay(325i):

You must have a roadster.

gds52 · 10-16-2017, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCHMOUPE

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digs

I cracked mine also while removing the weatherstripping...boy was I angry.
My local windshield guy said he could replace it with "Fy" glass, I looked them up and they are Chinese but he assured me they are quality. Well...it wasn't, it had optical imperfections and made everything look wavy, so I ordered an OEM screen and had that installed. So much better and worth the extra $ imo.

Funny you say that because my glass guy really was pushing me towards FY saying it's a glass made in Ohio and costs 400 installed but it turns out the quality on these is lacking. Glad I didn't go that route.

Which glass did you go for?
I got my windshield cracked. Bmw quote $1100+.
Local windshield shop( good reputation) quoted $750 BMW OEM glass with labor. They told me there is no after market windshield for the Z4 (rain sensor)...so my insurance paid for OEM. I always get low comprehensive deductible which covers Windshield.

Rear view mirror - I had that issue too lol.
Got it fixed from Texas shop...radarmirror.
$100 for 1 yr warranty.
$120 for lifetime...I went With lifetime warranty...flawless job.

chickdr · 10-17-2017, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaybat

the rear view "twists" on and off
https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...8d&action=view

I couldn't stand the oem mirrow(too small) and bought this off ebay(325i):

Is the Z4 mount the same? Ours looks much wider than what was shown in the video. Even with the casing removed there is more heft that that. I really like how easily that one came off.

3GFX · 10-17-2017, 01:34 PM

Great info, unfortunately on a rotten bit of luck. Thank you though.

10-09-2017, 02:10 PM	#1
SCHMOUPE Lieutenant Colonel 127 Rep 1,772 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4M Coupe Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NJ iTrader: (7) Garage List 2007 Z4M Coupe [0.00]	Windshield headache Went through a crappy 2 week period with the Z but figured before I put everything behind and out of my mind, to give you guys a heads up on 2 issues which you could come across in the future: Everything for me started when I noticed the liquid membrane had burst and had fluid filling up the rear view mirror. If you did not know, that mirror is made from unicorn dust and costs 500+. Not wanting to spend all that money I was left with only option of removing the mirror and sending it off for repair. This part is well documented in the BMW community and I decided to go with Sybesma based out of Michigan. What you do is to take the mirror off the car and sent it to them and they repair and ship back. Total cost is 108+ your cost to ship the mirror. The turn around time for me was 5 days including a weekend and that was with the cheapest option. I don't think the extra rush cost is worth it at all. Link While trying to remove the plastic trims around the base of the mirror to remove it, I managed to accidentally crack the windshield It was so comical and such a deflating moment when I had one thumb on the trim and next thing I see is a long crack going across the whole glass. So to the fun part. Couple of calls to insurance and dealer, dealer wants 1600 for the job and insurance pretty much won't cover this because to them it is a job that costs 400 bucks (via Safelite) and won't cover above that. At this point I called a glass shop recommended by a bodyshop to find a good quality OE glass. To my surprise and his none of his suppliers had the glass for our cars. I called at least a dozen more glass shops and no one had this glass. At this point my only option was to either go through Safelite and end up with a subpar chinese glass and questionable install or buy from dealer @500 and install via my shop @225 more and deal with logistics nightmare of wasting 2 days trying to order and bring car in and wait for install. On the day before I was going to the dealer to order, glass shop calls me and says he got his hands on a Sekurit glass and can install it for 460. Needless to say after having the car sitting around and idle for 2 weeks I didn't care about the cost and just wanted to get it done and over. TL;DR notes: If mirror gets liquidy, GL taking it off the car. My windshield was brittle and replacement is not easy to source. __________________ Gruppe M CAI / Euro Headers / Rogue Engineering X-pipe / RE Diablo Exhaust
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10-09-2017, 02:47 PM	#2
antennahead Captain 73 Rep 820 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MR silver grey Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Charleston, South Carolina iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 M Roadster [5.00]	A while back I was cleaning my car and the back side of my hand "popped" the underside of the mirror ........ result? Cracked windshield ..... not just a single run, but a spiderweb of a mess. This is either a very bad design or these things are extremely fragile...... or both.
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10-09-2017, 04:47 PM	#4
m5m3mc Private First Class 15 Rep 114 Posts Drives: M-B C63 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North America iTrader: (0)	Anyone in a larger metro area should shop the local dealers for a quote. The OE windshield is semi-reasonably priced and a few years back my dealer did a perfect job for about $750 inc tax. They had an in-house glass technician who used factory procedures and materials and insisted on keeping the car overnight inside the shop to ensure that the adhesive cured properly. It was a no-brainer to pay a little more for that level of attention to detail.
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10-09-2017, 05:42 PM	#5
Reborn_ Lieutenant 295 Rep 410 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW Z4MC Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: SoCal iTrader: (7)	Wow, much thanks for the heads up on this issue, guys. Will definitely be extra careful when detailing the interior.
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10-09-2017, 06:03 PM	#6
86Zed Get off my lawn 932 Rep 1,158 Posts Drives: 6MT Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: USA iTrader: (7) Garage List 2023 GR Corolla [0.00] 2022 BMW X3 M40i [10.00] 2007 BMW Z4M Coupe [0.00] 2002 BMW 325xiT [0.00] 1991 BMW 318is [0.00]	Created a small crack in my windshield trying to install new weatherstripping. Turns out my windshield was installed slightly askew (from the factory) causing there to be excess gap on the passenger side and too narrow of a gap on the drivers side. So far the crack has yet to grow... Following this story to see what prices/routes I can expect.
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10-09-2017, 11:31 PM	#7
Finnegan Dog Listener 701 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	Yikes! Thanks for the heads up. Sounds super frustrating.
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10-10-2017, 12:53 AM	#9
Digs Second Lieutenant 133 Rep 274 Posts Drives: Z4M Coupe Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Perth, WA iTrader: (0)	I cracked mine also while removing the weatherstripping...boy was I angry. My local windshield guy said he could replace it with "Fy" glass, I looked them up and they are Chinese but he assured me they are quality. Well...it wasn't, it had optical imperfections and made everything look wavy, so I ordered an OEM screen and had that installed. So much better and worth the extra $ imo.
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10-10-2017, 07:01 AM	#10
Huz-Z Brigadier General 848 Rep 4,057 Posts Drives: Z4 3.0si, 328 XDrive, X5 35i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	I've heard that OEM glass works much better with the rain sensing systems that most of our cars have. I've seen reports from folks who bought after market and had issues where that system wouldn't work properly with the after market windshield. Sorry to hear of the snafu - let's hope that's it for the car's life! __________________ Huz-Z BMW Z4 3.0si Roadster. Montego Blue Metallic. Premium and Sport Package.
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10-10-2017, 09:27 AM	#12
NickyC Lieutenant General 17448 Rep 10,648 Posts Drives: M4 CS. Former G82, x2 F82, F80 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Jacked out of my mind iTrader: (23)	Wow, thanks for the heads up on this. Whoever could have expected this to happen? Good luck!
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10-11-2017, 07:56 AM	#17
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2426 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	Great info here guys! __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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10-14-2017, 01:21 PM	#18
kaybat First Lieutenant 126 Rep 355 Posts Drives: '06 Z4MR, '14 Cayman S Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Ormond Beach,Fl iTrader: (1) Garage List '06 Z4M [0.00]	the rear view "twists" on and off https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...8d&action=view I couldn't stand the oem mirrow(too small) and bought this off ebay(325i): Attached Images __________________ Ken B.(BMWCCA/PCA/ZSCCA/SCCA)
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10-17-2017, 01:34 PM	#22
3GFX Captain 723 Rep 912 Posts Drives: 2003 BMW Z4 3.0i Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Great info, unfortunately on a rotten bit of luck. Thank you though.
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