well I just had my first windshield replaced. with non mini glass. fine. but they broke the black painted piller cover. ok it was a mistake those happen. and the company said they had to order the part. ok fine no problems. then I waited and waited for the part for days. I called the dealer. since they were only 15 min from where I work. yep they have it in stock. seems the lazy company wont just drive by the dealer to pick up the part on the way over they have it shipped out from someplace else, that takes 4 days . well they finally get the part and install it yesterday at my wifes work. when I see it. they crakced that one too . I am so damn mad The guy just left and didn't even notice that he broke it. why can't they get their act together? the guy told my wife everyone that had replaced a mini windshield has broken one. well in my case 2 different windshield installers have broken 2. I am about to have them give me the part and I will install it myself. Not only that the bill was outragious. My insurance won't like it.

1200 bucks to replace a mini windshiled? what have the bills been on your replacements?

by the way if you are in the Nor cal area stear clear of North American Auto Glass. Their customer service sucks.

 

Pat I hate to be the bearer of Bad News but I just bought a Mini windshield last week from BMW. Retal is $80.00 (I have a wholesale account so mine was less). I can scan the bill and send it to you if you want. I have a 2003 MCS without the rain sensor. Yes, I also broke one of the pillar covers. They're screwed, glued and it has the plastic mounting buttons. I think the pillar cover was less the $30.00. I can also post a part numbers if you like. I installed my windshield , it's no big deal. McMaster Carr has the urethane (marine grade) sealer for $8.50 a tube. One 20 oz tube will seal the entire windshield. I can also give step by step instructions if someone needs them.

I'll post some before and after pictures of my ebay totalled MCS.

Mike

 

With all your due respect, Cobra427, the task of installing a car windshield is a job best left to trained professionals. A windshield is serious business because the effectiveness of the front airbags depends on the strenght and support provided by the windshield. An improperly installed windshield can potentially pop out of its frame, thus causing injury to occupants and virtually making the airbags useless.

Also the windshield, provides critical structural support in case of a rollover to prevent the roof from "caving in" into the passenger compartment.

I am sure you have the knowledge to install your own windshield, but sharing this knowledge over a message board so others can do it on thier own is a little bit irresponsible in my book.

Please take no offense. I am just pointing out that installing a car windshield is not a do-it-yourself type of job for amateurs and that an improperly install piece of glass could put your own life at an unecessary risk.

 

With all due respect Cooper4us... I learn (and also teach) every day. If you have a windshield replaced, tell the company you'll pay extra for the urethane. You are correct, the sealer is important and yes the windshield plays an important part of the air-bags. If you want to pay $1,200.00 to get a windshield replaced that's good, sorry I don't. Not for an $80.00 part.

I'm not going to be a Smart-A$$ but there's lots of information on the web. From "How to install a windshield" to How to construct bombs. It's totally up the individual what they do with the info on the web. Are you going to Sue BMW/Mini cause you tried to change your tire and didn't tighten the lug nuts? Maybe they shouldn't put that information in the manual? Sorry if I did take a little offense to your comment. I think one of the reasons you, me and others come here it to Learn about our cars.

Mike

 

427 cobra

you can pm me with that info. I think it is fine. I have restored a vehicle and done alot of stuff. I am very capable. windshields are fairly simple. they are glued in and held in position with clips. heck if some jerk can install a windshield I can. I am one of those guys that hates having someone do it for me. next time I probably will do it myself as I had a 250 deductable anyway.

I just can't believe that they broke the same part twice and can't pick the part up at the dealer. that part baffled me. then I saw the price. OMG

especially when I heard it is only 800 to have one installed at the dealer.

listen to this breakdown

glass 717.25
clip kit. 17.00
urithane kit 98.00
labor for the guys 2 hours 280.00

Now I really belive windshield companies are part of the reason our insurance prices are so high. at first I woundered why there are 2 prices one with insurance one without.

anybody know will insurance pay if they think the price is unreasonable?

I expected a price to be between 5~600 bucks since I was quoted 800 at the dealer.

oh one more thing. they got some of the sealer over my vin number. now you can't read the whole thing. could that cause a problem with some future overzealous dmv employee?

this is the exact reason why I like to do my own work on everything. You can't trust someone else to do as good a job as you as they don't care about your stuff. overall I find it hard to trust any company I have to pay for labor. be it a mechanic or yard work. One reason I love old cars is I can do 100% everything myself. Modern cars I have to pay for someone else to diagnose the car or in this case replace a windshield and it grates my bones. everytime I try to trust private companies the reinforce my beliefs that my labor is cheaper, better quality, any my own service to myself is impecable.

 

The Mini windshields do not come packed in boxes... if you go to buy one... my dealer won't ship it. The MINI/BMW part number for the Non-Rain sensor Windscreen is 51-31-7-146-544 Retail is $83.00. (My cost was $70.55 just in case you're wondering.) I'm thinking the after market glass costs More.

The Urethane sealer at McMaster-Carr (on line) part no. 75005 A95 $8.57. I ordered two calking gun tubes (I was wrong above it's 10.3 Oz.) One tube laid a 3/8" bead all the way around and there was some left over.

Pat I'll send you an email with the details.

Mike

 

me too mike, any money savings is welcome in my project

 

Had my windshield replaced.....idiot broke the pillar.....tried to deny it told him there was no possible way it was broken before he touched it. He said he would fix it......several days later the part was loose. I called the company that replaced the windshield......she said someone would look at the car between the hours of 12 to 5 pm So I waited the day of the appt......he shows up at 5pm looks at the part all of 30 sec's. Says it will take 4-5 days to get the part and replace. It is easy to replace so I called the company the next day and said I will get the part and install it myself and have them reimburse me. Got the part and did it myself.........This is one of my biggest peeves..........people who work on your car and screw it up even more........

 

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums...postid=1992810

Pat check the link above. It's a 5 series install. The only differences are the trim.

1. Remove the wipers
2. Open the doors (lower windows).
3. Remove the pillar covers (pull the door seal rubber back, there's 4 screws behind the rubber. You'll have to pull on the covers to get them to come loose. They have a piece of foam with tape thats going to be stuck. Pull carefully and steady. They pop off (too much and the'll break!)
Remove the screws that hold the lower windshield trim on. Look kinda inside the door jam. The lower trim comes in 2 pieces and the screws are hidden in the door jam area. Once you get one trim clip loose, look at how they latch. I used a pocket knife to release the clips. (Also note the 5 Series pillar clips. The Mini has the same clips)
4. Don't try and remove the top rubber seal. The odds are it's Stuck to the top of the windshield.
5. Take a extendable box knife. The kind the blade breaks off to expose a new edge. You can cut some of the windshield sealer loose from the outside of the car. The rest will have to be cut from inside. You'll have to extend the blade and hold it close to being flat aganist the glass to Not cut the headliner and inside pillar covers. Once you get one side loose stick something under the windshield and keep cutting it loose. (PLEASE use safety glasses. THe glass will break easily.)
6. Once it's out carefully remove the top rubber.
7. Cut most all of the old sealer off the body. It's not necessary to clean all the old sealer off. It will give you a guide of where to put the new sealer!
8. Stick the Top Seal rubber on the new windshield. It will set the distance or how high to place the glass. I used hotmelt in about 5 places to stick the rubber. It doesn't seal, only fills the top crack.
9. Look for 3 small rubber feet (looks like black bumpers that are stuck in side the body area of the windshield. Yours could be missing. They set the distance for the windshied. You don't want the glass to touch the body (metal) areas. If they're missing the bumpers are about 5mm in height and about 10mm round. Lowes or Home Depot has them or you could use a couple pieces of the old urethane seal you cut out.
10. Squirt a Good size bead 3/8" or 10mm in dia. of the urethane sealer around the body opening.
11. Close the doors.
12. Get some 3" paper tape and tear off 6 strips of 2" long. (I hope you cleaned the New Glass! It has Oil on it.)
13. Carefully place the glass in the opening, (don't try it without 2 people!) Never let the ege of the glass bumb or hit metal. It will Crack! Lower the windshield in the opening & push it up. One hand inside the car and one out.
14. Tape the windshield up to hold it in place. Make sure it's centered and let it dry.
Reinstall the trim & your done!

 

Jonauto, You Are One Bad Cat! Just checked out your site.

Mike

 

Pat, you got ripped off. I just looked at my bill from a year ago and the total was $343, including parts and labor, to install a new windshield. And I have the rain sensor! My insurance company uses Safelite, so that's who did the work. They didn't damage the pillar covers either... the only issue I had with it was a small spot at the top of the passenger side would occasionally leak ever so slightly; they came right out and fixed it when I called about it.

 

That's about what mine cost, my deductible was 250.... so 250 for a new windshield of better quality than the crap that was on it.... btw... they also broke my pillar cover... lol.... took them 5weeks to get a new one... they received it and forgot who it belonged to... luckily i called them to find out where it was... sheesh....

 

Rasmussen MINI in Portland will put in a rain sensor windshield for $250. I don't understand why some dealers charge so much, unless they are just looking to rip people off.

 

Yep, you guys are right. A "Real" installer should be able to do the Mini in less than 2 hours. That would put it in the $235.00 up price range. I'd like to install 3 a week at $1,200.00. OUCH!

Mike

 

Well I had my windshield replaced by Safelite almost exactly one month ago -- to the day. Everything seemed to go fine with nothing appearing to be broken during the install..... but this morning on my ride to work.. cruising on the highway about 70mph, when... crack......crack....... Fwooshh.... ... there goes my passenger side pillar cover... Lucky it didn't hit the car behind me... I guess it had already been broken or not installed right?

FWIW.. I also paid about $320.. well my insurance did.. (0$ deductible in CT)

 

I'm on my 4th windscreen...

I've had the windscreen replaced once at the dealer -- no broken pillars, but they did charge my insurance almost $900 for the job Praise Buddha for a $100 glass deductable.

The 2 subsequent replacements (with one repair in between) were done at the glass place that my dealership contracts for windshield work. Again, never broke a pillar.
They're full of poo if they tell you that all MINI pillars brake with a replacement -- and while $1200 is excessively, well, excessive, it is about in line with what my dealership wanted to charge me. I wholeheartedly suggest that you lower your glass deductable. Driving a car shaped roughly like a brick, you tend to accumulate chips and fractures -- even with the PPG glass, which I've had ever since the OEM windscreen went.

 

WELL GUESS WHAT THEY BROKE #2

the guy installed the part at my wifes work last thursday. he didn't install the part right. first thing I noticed when I saw the car was a verticle crack. Called them right up that night to report it. The guy came out and tried to contest it. Then finally addmitted fault. I talked with a guy that worked at a body shop and sait there is a game within the Glass companies and the insurance. They charge alot. But that is not what the insurance pays. the Adjuster works out the price until it in in a reasonable range. kinda like when you go to mexico everything in negotable.

Well I learned my lesson. if anything the insurance can't charge me more than my deductable. Unfortunatly they don't have a seperate deductable for windshields. Humm maybe I go shoping for better insurance.

 

What kind of insurance you have is more dependent on which state you live in than the insurance company. Some states have separate deductible for glass, some states cover glass 100%, some states have neither. California has neither, so I've got my comprehensive at a low deductible to cover things like glass, and collision at a higher deductible to offset the low comp.

 

why didnt you just take it to the dealer?? They are WAY cheaper than anyone else, and know better because them/the company they get to do it, do it on a daily basis. How much more experience could you ask for?

Oh and Long Beach Mini and Nick Alexander MINI can replace windshields for about 240-300 bucks fitted.

 

In my instance, having the windscreen replaced AT my dealership BY Company A cost almost 900 smackaroos.

Having it done directly at Company A cost less than half.

Apparently, my dealership had to charge me over $400 to make a phone call to Company A and tell them to bring over some glass and install it -- but not right away. In fact, I had to bring the car back the following Tuesday, as that is when Company A did work for the dealership.

AT Company A, I waited an hour each time and my insurance apparently had a much better starting point from which to dicker with Company A.

 

I know they all have to make a profit to stay in business but... $900 to $1,200.00 is a totall rip-off.

Mike