Windshield Repair Forum

We did take a look at this one. We found it interesting that the technician did not even bother to remove the wipers and cowel panel for the news feed. He just installs it by sliding the glass down on the adhesive.

I guess some technicians have been taking short cuts for so long that it all becomes normal practice after a while.

I didn't notice that until you pointed it out.
Anyway, every time it rains here, someone calls me and says they have a leaky windshield.
This video may help explain why.

MichaelSmedley wrote:We did take a look at this one. We found it interesting that the technician did not even bother to remove the wipers and cowel panel for the news feed. He just installs it by sliding the glass down on the adhesive.

I guess some technicians have been taking short cuts for so long that it all becomes normal practice after a while.

Agreed. Pretty disturbing the practice that continues to this day by so many techs who claim they know what they are doing. Dip and dive leads to smeared glue and stress breaks. Sad sad sad.

How windshields are made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2IyN6Mjxi0

Dempsterglass wrote:

MichaelSmedley wrote:We did take a look at this one. We found it interesting that the technician did not even bother to remove the wipers and cowel panel for the news feed. He just installs it by sliding the glass down on the adhesive.

I guess some technicians have been taking short cuts for so long that it all becomes normal practice after a while.

Agreed. Pretty disturbing the practice that continues to this day by so many techs who claim they know what they are doing. Dip and dive leads to smeared glue and stress breaks. Sad sad sad.

how do you like how AGRSS or whatever it is called today commented on this and never seen the video. I would rather them zip it than comment on something they did not see.

Sirs u can always tell that there is a rust problem on a vehicle when there are rust bubbles on top were the windshield meets the frame at the top the problem is that some glass shops take a short cut and do not prime the body before installing the windshield .some of the larger glass shops advise the glass technicians that they have 4 example do 6 installation a day but u get an extra $bonus if u install more than six in a day so of course the windshield technician do a crap job on the windshield installation and the insured suffers

Although it is odd that the technician did'n't take it all apart for the new show, it doesn't mean that he does it this way most of the time. There are a few older models out there that have quite a high gap between the lower pinch weld and the cowel, as much as 3/4 inch. It is perfectly possible to slide the windshield over top of the bead and then let it lay straight down flat on to it. He looked like an installer that knows enough to not just slide the shield into the bead and smear it. It is a lazy practice though and does look like you are in a hurry so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone. I started back in 1990 and the guys at Safelite actually trained me this way. I never repeated it after I went out on my own.

The trouble today is with the many autos that have no trim. The beads are adhered to the back wall just below where you can see it from factory, however to remove you have to let the blade touch the metal which is sloped and so the blade will necessarily flex and slide upward to where you may see a scratch showing past where the new bead is placed. You can't prime without it showing. The only fix when it happens is to prime and ad an underside moulding to an auto that wasn't designed for one and hope no one really notices or cares that it isn't exactly the same as new. This is yet another example of no accountability and how the manufacturer couldn't care less about their car after the purchase. After all it doesn't take any skill to install over a newly prepared seface compared to hacking one out first. But the heck with us.