windshield replacement
 

Hi guys,

today I was replacing my windshield wipers and some how the passenger side arm hit the windshield and cracked the hole thing..
I called my inurance but I have to pay deductible also if they can get aftermarket they will get it not oem, thats what the insurance agent told me,also my S.A told me to be carefull, because they can send the car to the dealer, but they get the bodyshop to do the work and subcontract another company to do it and do aftermarket, my deductible is $750 windshield at dealership is at around $1,100 but I don't fa rm is willing to pay for it using my deductible.
the agent told me to do safelite and the cost is $410 installed..
but next to my bussines is a glass shop so I called them and they can get aftermarket glass for $210 and dealer installation would be $250

what you guys recommend I know getting the oe, but at that price ouch, here in TX we have to pay full deductible, I don't mind but I think its stupid to pay and get aftermarket, what is a good aftermarket brand for bmw winshields? are they good, is it going to mess up my rain sensor, problems with the climate control, etc etc
I have an x5 07 any help please :)

thanks again

Where are you in TX?

Dallas Ryder

if I go aftermarket, what brand is good? maybe ppg, I'm just concerned with the rain sensor and ligths, talked to my agent and they told me to do safelite, also windshield is cheaper so no need for deductible, agent told me they won't pay for oe windshield if they can get aftermarket

"agent told me they won't pay for oe windshield if they can get aftermarket"

Make sure you see this disclosed as such in the agreement you had with the insurance company.... if not this guy is running circles around you.

Go oem...the insurance company can't dictate to you which one to get........Phil

thanks guy, agent keeps telling me same thing, I ask him what about my other cars if I get in an accident would you put an aftermarket BUMPER in my 911 and he said " if there is aftermarket insurance will" :0
so don't know how to do it, just put the claim and make sure BMW puts oe on the windshield and if not, have a fight or what LoL

Look in the documentation that they sent once you are covered under their policy.

Keep talking to the same person will not change what he's going to tell you.

Let me guess.. State Farm?

When we had to replace the windshield in our 2001 E53 insurance wanted to replace it with aftermarket, I told them it was a rain sensing windshield (what do they know) so they sent me to dealer instead.

State Farm btw.

farmers ins.. another friend from farmers told me to do the oem, they can't tell me what company.. so I'll check if the dealer can file the claim and send the estimate..

I did a safelite replacement through Geico and had no problems at all..
no deductible either...

I think my coverage allows for one replacement per year...

safelite did a home visit and realized it wasn't an ordinary windshield and immediately placed an order for the right replacement.

Not sure where it came from (BMW, third-party, etc)

I waited a few days for them to get it and they swapped it out in less than 2 hours that saturday..

they were very professional and iI can't tell the difference... they even transferred all stickers perfectly...

these guys are pros.

and no out of pocket cost.

thank you Geico...

So this thread prompts me to ask what a windshield for a 2011 x5 with rain sensing PLUS HUD would costs to replace.

No issues yet but I live in CO and this place is notorious for cracked windshields

Anyone with a newer model get one replaced and if so what did it run?

isn't the HUD built into the dash area and not on the windshield?

i thought it only projected the image...

anyway.. check with your insurance carrier... they usually have it included with your coverage.. (some with deductibles, some without)

you may also be able to upgrade your plan to cover this... and it's probably a minimal cost upgrade option...

don't know why people are paying so much for these windshield replacements...

the agent call safelite , price for the aftermarket is $410 including installation, Can't imagine what kind of windshield they want to install , but if there is a good aftermarket windshield brand that can perform the same please let me know, if not I'll just fight with the insurance for the OE replacement

1. Why such a high deductible on your comprehensive/glass?!?!?! Look into lowering it, people are SHOCKED at how little they save with Comp. I have 100 Comp, 500 Collision and it costs a few hundred more per year than 1000/1000. I do 3 windows a year on 5 cars. And it seems a deer every 3 years. :(

2. Telling them it is a HUD, or other window MAY work- but make sure the shop isn't dicky...they will often pull the VIN and order based on that, if the word gets back to the insurer, uh oh.

3. Safelite is horrendous. Not only do they use the cheapest glass, they simply carve out the old and glue in the new. I actually got into it with Safelite and asked that they prove that not just the glass and the adhesive they use is 'approved', but that the specific METHODS they use will result in a car (ie car with glass installed) that meets mfg certifications. They could not. Unless you follow the mfgs actual procedure, the resulting installation is untested. I got a factory glass.

my 2 cents

thanks you are right on that, my mom handle the deductibles, I'll check that maybe I'll switch insurance co. too.

is it an option to get oem from a glass vendor like a saint gobain windshield and just had my dealer do the installation, my S.A mentioned that they have a tech just for windshields..

what about the rain sensors, do I have to buy new sensors?

Have ONE place do it all... they can order what they need. You start ordering parts and sourcing crap, you are asking for a CF. Also, you dont call up saint gobain and buy a glass! Let the shop source the BMW glass....

Not that dealers lie or anything, but did he mean 'we have one outside guy that does all our windshields' or is it a dealership employee?

Many dealers just have a glass guy roll around to the back door and do all their installs.... same as with tint, clear bra, detailing, etc.

thanks, I think he said an employee, labor $250 tomorrow I'll call and ask again. just to make sure, regarding the glass, is it possible to have the dealer source the oem,you know they are lazy too and they probably tell me they only get OE ... the shop next to my business sell windshields, I was thinking asking them if they can get the oem for me .. sucks to be sourcing crap, but I don't want to spend more then $750 .. next week I have schedule for brakes so thats another 1k

1k for brakes?

Here's a challenge:

do your own brakes. It may seem daunting, but there are 100 DIYs, and the funny think about car work is that once you get just a few things under your belt, you will all of a sudden be free of that paralyzing trap of "I know I am getting screwed, but I have no choice"

Finally, talk to the best glass shop in town, explain the situation- tell them the options you have and you want two prices: best out of pocket with OEM, and best out of pocket with OE. Often times they can lower the deductible-

Remember, YOU don't car what the overall price is! All you care is your part...if the shop looks at it and says 'we can make a case for OE with his rain sensor (actually more common it is that there is no OEM glass made for that model yet) then they might be able to get the insurance to cover an 1100 bill...and maybe they are making enough at that price to turn around and say "we can drop your deductible to $650"

And you should know that you need the glass, trim kit, install kit.

Wiendshield replaced.
 

I had my windshield replaced 2 week ago, with an non BMW badged windshield. The mecanic told med that both the origianal BMW and "non original" wiendshields where exactly the same, and are made at the same factory...He even showed me the blank place, where it should have stood..BMW..if it was orignal... Thats the difference.

I'm on the phone with safelite, lady don't have a clue about oem and oe thinks is the same thing she asked the person that handles the buying and they agree both oem and oe is the same, I just said ok fine, tell me if you can get the same brand glass without logo... OMG

oem makes oe; oem is a company and oe is the stuff they make to supply auto manufacturers; so they are technically not the same.

Just went thru the same process over the weekend. Ice off an 18 wheeler shatter the whole windshield. Went thru statefarm, which reffered me to glass max. I talked to them and without running my vin., says there are a bunch of aftermarket windshields for the x5. So I do my research and decide I want to go with BMW oe glass.
Insurance only wanted to pay for aftermarket glass ($450 installed @ glass max). After a day of phones calls going back and forth with the claims dept. I get lucky and speak to a claims rep that looks up and vin. and approves OE glass for my truck, I ask her to write it in the notes that it has been approved for OE glass replacement. I could have just went with OE glass and install at a glass place but wanted to get everything at the dealer. At the end of day, went with the dealer and paid $200 out of pocket for the peace of mind of getting it done the right way. If u search the foru
there are a few posts about aftermarket glass and the fitment issues and wavy glass. Ar can probably chime in on this, but I remember reading that BMW uses a different install process (assuming they don't use 3rd party). I just feel more confident with the factory install tolerances compared to a mobile service that rips out the old glass and just slaps adhesive and wait an hour and it's done.

just talked to a guy, he says he can get pilkington or ppg for winshield he is going to call back checking for the saint gobain..
let see what happens

E70x5 its just waste of time to get the insurance involved man, Im thinking of switching farmers and get another insurance co. I have 4 vehicles and my home with them and my agent to be telling me that all parts need to be aftermarket is crap..

my deductible is high I don't mind paying, but year you are right installation does worry me ..
I'll ask this guy whats the installation process when he does a bmw .. but for now I'm not in a hurry so I'll keep doing my homework.. maybe I'll go with insurance pay deductible and try to get oe.

When I replaced the windshield on my 650i, not only did I get OE glass from the dealer, but the installer from the dealership came to my house and did the work. State Farm suggested I get the BMW glass..................Phil

I should start getting quotes from state farm, I'm not happy with farmers anymore..lol

expensive i had mine replaced for 200 part and labor, aftermarket of course

what brand is the aftermarket, any problems so far, windnoise or with the rain sensor?

didnt have any labels but looks exactly like oem, no problems over a year already.

rain sensor wasnt replaced it was just moved from one to another, new windshield comes with a round bracket for it

thats good to know. did you waited 12hrs before moving your car or you hired one of those guys that go on site and you can be driving around in 2 hrs?

i did it close to my house so the drive was very brief. i did wait around an hour. he taped it up but after i got home i didnt move it for 24 hours.

when u going to do it, make sure whoever is doing it has dum dum tape to seal it and the top plastic piece (its a one time use once removed cant be reused) - this will save u some time, i had to go to 2 dealers because the guy didnt realize that top piece wasnt reusable

thanks so much for letting me know, good help

glad to help! good luck!

talked to the windshield guy, he said that windshield brand is pilkington and also the bmw new gasket, that you can drive after install, not very convinced about that.. price is in the $300+ what do you guys think

YES. Finally someone else who gets this!!!

The whole concept of "OEM" has been corrupted via misuse to the point that it is useless.

Back in the old day, it meant 'the company that made the part for the OE is not making the same part available under their own name'...cool. Delco, Mann, etc, etc.

But then two things happened- people (buyers) began to think "OEM means BMW" (or ford or others) and sellers began to claim "anyone that every made an OE part is an OEM, therefore everything they make we can call OEM'

As a result, the label "OEM" has no value whatsoever. (Look at wheels on ebay- replica, copy, aftermarket, etc...a great many incorporate "OEM" as a descriptor and nobody blinks.) (ie a copy of a BMW rim, only made by bmw in 18" is called '19" OEM Style'

Now, interestingly, for this thread- this is one of the few parts where OEM and OE is nicely understood, and all OEs use OEMs to make the OE part..and all OEMs make the glass available as true "OEM glass".

ALTHOUGH, there are cars for which the specs on the glass thickness, imperfections, etc, may vary between what ets the BMW label and what gets no label.

got a quote from a guy that does BMW windshields and his quote is for $750 but he is saying that the condensation sensor needs to be replaced and I can't remember what else, plus all the seals .. winshield brand is PPG.. I was quoted like 450 at another shop for same brand of glass and I think the seals, I know this guy is good since he only does bmw's but I think is a bit expensive
what you guys think?