Comfort Glass situation

[TiAgX5]

I would be HIGHLY suspect of any non-BMW certified shop claiming to have this glass.

In the spring of '15, a national search of the BMW parts network showed a total of one unit in the US. There were three due to be shipped to N America.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

I would be HIGHLY suspect of any non-BMW certified shop claiming to have this glass.

In the spring of '15, a national search of the BMW parts network showed a total of one unit in the US. There were three due to be shipped to N America.

^I believe it may be more easily found nowadays - the poster earlier in the thread has an OE (with roundel) comfort glass made by PGW which is US made - and e30cabrio in the link I posted had an OE with roundel glass installed and that was also made by PGW which is also in Pittsburgh -

Perhaps they are more readily available because of the switch in suppliers for the OE glass?

PropellerHead - who is the OE manufacturer on your recently installed glass? PGW, Sekurit, PPG?

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

PropellerHead - who is the OE manufacturer on your recently installed glass? PGW, Sekurit, PPG?

It says PGW under the Roundel.

Also, I saw the little film cut out at the bottom center of the windshield. I hadn't noticed it before.

[Ricky Bobby]

^^Great news - now we are getting somewhere - looks like the OE manufacturer is indeed now PGW which is why on the part sticker it says Made in USA

I'll double check my OE windshield again from 2003 but I believe it is Saint-Gobain (Sekurit) - would be interesting to see if Sekurit is still the OE for the regular green glass, or if PGW is the OE for all glass on the E53 now

Yeah I think that cutout is for radar detector or EZ pass - although it would be nice to know if the EZPass works without it -

[TiAgX5]

RB, good to know this glass is more available now.

If I ever need to replace mine, it will be done with Comfort glass.

[X53Jay4.8is]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

RB, good to know this glass is more available now.

If I ever need to replace mine, it will be done with Comfort glass.

Yes I think RB is right about this one because, my body shop just ordered the windshield from BMW and they confirmed with the body shop that it will arrive at the shop in 10 days. That would lead me to believe that it is here somewhere in the United States.

[X53Jay4.8is]

So a follow-up to my dilemma. Its been determined that the glass in the X5 is not the comfort glass although it is a nice Sekurit tinted with solar shield green banding and rain-sensing. Since this was not the glass that I wanted and because I provided the part number, the shop has ordered real comfort windshield from BMW. So I am going to get what I originally was expecting. Now whats interesting I went to local safelite glass distributor and gave them the comfort glass part number that we are all aware of and low and behold they indicated that "oh we got it at our warehouse". I asked them to confirm the part number and once you give them the BMW part number it shows them some National Automotive Glass part no. for my vehicle. So as curiosity would have it I said okay lets see if the glass is correct and I told the manager that I would like to see the glass first to verify if its correct. He said no problem I'll have it sent over from the warehouse but it wont be here until tomorrow. So this morning I go over to the safelite installation facility, they pull out the glass and it had no IR shielding/film within the glass and this one is made by pinkleton. I even asked is there is a PG branded glass that relates to the BMW comfort glass part number? Doing the check nothing showed up within their system. Even when a call was made from the facility to their warehouse distribution center about the PW branded glass there was nothing they could identify. So the moral of the story is if you want comfort glass just get it through the dealer and be done with it.

[bhennrich]

Originally Posted by X53Jay4.8is

So a follow-up to my dilemma. Its been determined that the glass in the X5 is not the comfort glass although it is a nice Sekurit tinted with solar shield green banding and rain-sensing. Since this was not the glass that I wanted and because I provided the part number, the shop has ordered real comfort windshield from BMW. So I am going to get what I originally was expecting. Now whats interesting I went to local safelite glass distributor and gave them the comfort glass part number that we are all aware of and low and behold they indicated that "oh we got it at our warehouse". I asked them to confirm the part number and once you give them the BMW part number it shows them some National Automotive Glass part no. for my vehicle. So as curiosity would have it I said okay lets see if the glass is correct and I told the manager that I would like to see the glass first to verify if its correct. He said no problem I'll have it sent over from the warehouse but it wont be here until tomorrow. So this morning I go over to the safelite installation facility, they pull out the glass and it had no IR shielding/film within the glass and this one is made by pinkleton. I even asked is there is a PG branded glass that relates to the BMW comfort glass part number? Doing the check nothing showed up within their system. Even when a call was made from the facility to their warehouse distribution center about the PW branded glass there was nothing they could identify. So the moral of the story is if you want comfort glass just get it through the dealer and be done with it.

As I said earlier, I do have a friend who installs for Safelite, and he told me that my windshield is the ONLY comfort X5 glass he has ever installed. He said he normally installs only the "Green with rain sensor" glass. But as you can see BMW offers MANY options on the front glass. Hope this helps someone.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by X53Jay4.8is

So a follow-up to my dilemma. Its been determined that the glass in the X5 is not the comfort glass although it is a nice Sekurit tinted with solar shield green banding and rain-sensing. Since this was not the glass that I wanted and because I provided the part number, the shop has ordered real comfort windshield from BMW. So I am going to get what I originally was expecting. Now whats interesting I went to local safelite glass distributor and gave them the comfort glass part number that we are all aware of and low and behold they indicated that "oh we got it at our warehouse". I asked them to confirm the part number and once you give them the BMW part number it shows them some National Automotive Glass part no. for my vehicle. So as curiosity would have it I said okay lets see if the glass is correct and I told the manager that I would like to see the glass first to verify if its correct. He said no problem I'll have it sent over from the warehouse but it wont be here until tomorrow. So this morning I go over to the safelite installation facility, they pull out the glass and it had no IR shielding/film within the glass and this one is made by pinkleton. I even asked is there is a PG branded glass that relates to the BMW comfort glass part number? Doing the check nothing showed up within their system. Even when a call was made from the facility to their warehouse distribution center about the PW branded glass there was nothing they could identify. So the moral of the story is if you want comfort glass just get it through the dealer and be done with it.

Wow Jay, hope you get it sorted - I think you mean Pilkington?

Well since we KNOW now the OE with roundel comfort glass is made by PGW - all one needs to do is provide the Safelite (or other) glass shop with the PGW glass part number (assuming you have rain sensor) that is on both the OE comfort glass and the PGW branded comfort glass and you will get the same glass! I doubt very much that the non-roundel PGW glass is any different if the same part #

See my links on post #4 - the PGW part number evidenced on OE and PGW brand glass is-

43R-00029 - you should be able to take that part number to your glass shop or Safelite and get either the original BMW glass or the PGW branded - again, I don't believe there is going to be a huge difference besides BMW logo - similar to getting Genuine BMW axle replacements and the GKN Loebro branded ones, Lemforder suspension parts vs. "Genuine" both are made by Lemforder, etc.

As a follow up, I went out to check my 9/2003 manufactured OE windshield which has a roundel - the OE manufacturer of my glass in 2003 was actually PPG! So BMW seems to have done a few switches over the years.

[TiAgX5]

I guess the takeaway for those wanting comfort glass is, the green band is a dead giveaway that it's non-comfort glass.

Glass installers need to be told, if it has the green band, DO NOT INSTALL.