New Off-Brand Windshield And It Leaks!
 

My 1979 W116 300SD had a cracked windshield.

I got a good deal on a new Chinese Fuyao Glass Industry windshield and a new Thai Mygrant Glass Company (DNK) seal; $30 for both from a glass shop that was liquidating its inventory.

I had a reputable glass shop install them, but they leaked really badly. I have had them back twice and each time they squirt more sealer into the seal, but it is still leaking and I'm sure they don't want to come back again (the installers said in their whole careers that this is the most difficult windshield any of them has ever done, and they kept accidentally stabbing each other with their picks).

I am starting to wonder if maybe the windshield and seal just don't fit the car well enough to seal properly. The new seal is torn up in several places from them trying to install it. Sadly, the next week I got a crack and about 10 rock chips (a new one almost every day). I am also wondering if the glass quality is poor because it is already pitted like someone sandblasted it. It chips really easily.

Maybe I need to save up some money and buy a proper Mercedes-Benz windshield and seal. Has anyone else experienced this problem with aftermarket glass?

I went to my local autoglass place for the 300SD. It had a bad leak from the windshield seal. For under $200.00 they replaced the seal and the windshield. The seal was so tough that they had to break out the old glass. I never had a leakage problem after that.

I would ask the glass place how much to replace the whole thing again. It must be really bad glass if it is already all chipped up.

Yeah, I'm unhappy with this new windshield. There is no reason why a brand new installation with new parts should leak so much. I didn't even have any rust in the sill when the old glass was removed, so they had a perfect surface to work with.

The leakage is with the seal, not the windshield.

I only will use the OE Mercedes window seals, years of experience and observation have proven this is only way to go.

Jim

I used nothing but aftermarket seals on all my W123s and they were fine. I tried 2 different ones (the first was a Meyle) on the W116 and both were way off. I have an APA in there now and I still have to seal it. I would say use a factory seal on the W116.

Rick

The cheapest windshield you can buy is the most expensive windshield you can use.

Is that a Chinese proverb?

Just had a windshield replaced in my 96 e300d, by a company called safelite that is a nationwide operation. I know that your model is different, but I was highly satisfied with the work they did. Cost was $235, and they stand behind their work as long as you own the car. To look at the car after the work was done, it looked like it was never touched, but there sat a brand new windshield. Inside and outside was spotless, and they even transfered the original mercedes sticker over to the new glass. Top notch company to say the least!!!

Maybe I need to invest in an OEM seal and watch the wrecking yards to see if a perfect OEM windshield comes in on one of the cars before they stack a few more on the roof.

You've got a glue in windshield, the original poster uses a rubber gasket.

Windshield installers are a lot like painters, the individual is critical to getting a good job, not so much the shop.

Ask around, get a reference.

I've had some real butchers from national shops rip up my cars.

Jim

This company was recommended to me by the local Mercedes shop, and the installers were very nice, but they struggled for over 2 hours on what should have been an easy installation (not to mention all the times they stabbed each other). They said the seal had a curve to it, so maybe the seal was to blame. It ended up getting torn in a few places in an effort to get it to seat correctly. They were happy to come back a few times, but I could tell they were frustrated. Maybe they will give me a discounted rate if I buy a new OEM seal. Since my windshield glass is already cracked and chipped I might as well either buy a new windshield or an unblemished used one.

To my knowledge, the last vehicle to have a "classic" rubber seal was the Jeep Cherokee ca. 1990. Its a dying art to fix one of these. I would try to find an old timer and get an OEM seal in this case. As I said, I got mine in, but it is going to leak without a lot of goo. I have installed about 10 of these and this was by far the worst.

A poor quality Chinese-made windshield? Who ever heard of such a thing?! They are probably like Japanese transistor radios from the fifties. In a few years they'll probably be as good as anybody's.

There was a gap on the upper corner on the passenger side that was so big I could actually see daylight through, and another gap up top in the middle. The glass shop worked some bedding compound in there and worked it in a little more.

Also, the seal is not laying over the molding like it should, so water is pooling up in the corners and leaking through. The water fills up in the seal, goes under the glass, up and out the other side and fills my rear floor boards.

It's been raining constantly here and shows no signs of stopping for another week or so, so all the water in the car is becoming a pain.

I might get some black RTV and try to run it inside the seal if it ever stops raining. But I think a new seal and glass are in order, and I think that this time I will do it all myself. I've found that no matter how hard something is to do, that it is always better to do it myself because I care about what I'm doing and not in a rush.

When the new windshield was installed there were still chunks of sealant and old seal on the body. I will clean almost every bit out. Then when I put the seal on the glass I will fill it with sealant on both sides of the glass lip to prevent any leakage. Then lots of sealant will go on the body when I put the assembly in. Then I will have to work the windshield and seal into place and get them to seat right.

I'm sure a combination of parts of the old seal not being removed from the body and a cheap winshield and seal made it difficult for the installers. I think I can do the same thing they did if I have a helper. The labor is just so expensive!

If I do have a new windshield and seal installed by a glass shop, I will remove every bit of old seal and sealant before they install them. Then I will make sure that they have the entire inside of the seal track filled with sealant and that the molding is positioned properly so that the edge of the seal does not give a place for water to pool up.

I only make $1,000 a month, so what I paid for the labor alone on the windshield install was took me 2 months to earn (I have $50 free spending money each paycheck if I'm lucky).

After my mint W116 dashboard sells on eBay I might have Safelite install a new windshield and seal. I will buy an MB seal and sealant from the dealer unless the ones Safelite provides are adequate. I am hoping they will supply a quality brand windshield as I don't want to have to deal with a cheap Chinese windshield that does not fit properly and chips and cracks easily.