This message is marked as Important.

Subject: Pictures of new windshield installation process Author: davidc (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 10060 posts Posted on: 2003-12-27 23:21:08

It took about an hour and, as quoted, the total bill was $477 including labor. Though the installer said it was ok to drive the vehicle, I'm going to wait until tomorrow just to be safe.

Also, I took a video of the installation process. I'll upload the move to www.e38.org as soon as it's edited. Maybe it will be useful for anyone who's interested in the process or inclined to tackle it as a DIY project.


B&B Autoglass installed the new windshield in my driveway.


The first step was to remove the windshield wipers and the plastic trim and rubber across the bottom of the windshield. The plastic trim is held in place by little rectangular clips that just pop out.


After remove the plastic edge guides along either side of the windshield, the installer used a short knife to cut the glue beneath the perimeter of the entire windshield. A second pass was made using a longer blade.


The glue beneath the bottom edge of the windshield was evidently more difficult to cut. You can see where the old glass cracked during the process.


After the glass was removed, another knife was used to remove what remained of the polyurethane sealant, then a primer was applied to the metal to cover any scratches that were made during the cutting process. The surface will be completely concealed by the new glass.


After 10 minutes of drying, a battery-powered injection device was used to apply the new glue/sealant (something called Sika). The sealant had been pre-heated to 180 degrees so it was hot. The applicator tip was V-shaped.


Next, the new glass was cleaned then set in place using suction grips.


Once aligned, the glass was secured using tape across the top to prevent it from slipping downward while the glue/sealant set up, which took about 30 minutes.

www.e38.org has links for everything about your BMW 7-series automobile

• Pictures of new windshield installation process (pic) (url) - davidc 2003-12-27 23:21:08 (14938 views)