My windshield is now toast from a 2 litre bottle of coke. Is there a way I can change the window myself? Any way do-able?


-Matt

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1982 300DT *4-speed*// proper 617 donor for conversion // W126 big brakes // front wagon swaybar // european lights & bumpers // rear headrests // lumbar support // warning triangle // overdrive water pump pulley & 9 blade fan // Too many more to list Dark blue/ Palomino.

1983 300D euro no longer a 4 speed. . swap/parts carr

How did that happen? If you have insurance, why don't you let them have a windshield guy come out and do it for you? If you're a novice and break something, it's on you. But if they break it, it's on them.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I want to hear more about how a Coke® busted your windscreen....


John

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John Hughes, was in Landstuhl, Germany but currently in San Antonio, TX


1978 280CE Astral Silver now 59,xxx miles and counting "Silber-Kugel"
1986 300E Black Pearl Metallic 143,xxx miles 5-spd daily driver w/ blk leather "Schwarz-Schönheit"
1989 190E 2.6 (euro) 5-spd Desert Taupe 112,xxx kms Had to leave behind in Germany!!! "Helga"
1983 300D Pastel Beige now 312,xxx + miles SOLD

OBK#24

my friends were playing football in the street with a bottle of Diet coke and mentos, if you dont know already, this pressurizes the bottle. On a bounce, the bottle came up, and got my windshield...I wasnt too happy, but atleast everyone is ok, and the bottle didnt explode

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1982 300DT *4-speed*// proper 617 donor for conversion // W126 big brakes // front wagon swaybar // european lights & bumpers // rear headrests // lumbar support // warning triangle // overdrive water pump pulley & 9 blade fan // Too many more to list Dark blue/ Palomino.

1983 300D euro no longer a 4 speed. . swap/parts carr

Why does this just scream of a college level game of "hot potato" lol.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

find a parts car, push out the window near the seal from the inside. I would practice with a sheet on your dash covering all the way to your seats to catch the chunks of glass. see how it comes out.
do not remove the trim first! it all comes out together, and the seal/trim goes on the window before you put it in the car.
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Based upon my experience it is not worth doing it yourself. There are installers that will come to your place and professionally install a new windshield for not much more than the cost of parts, sometimes less! I have the windshield in my E300 done for around $225 and I just had a BMW windshield replaced for $185. I don't think it's worth your time, trouble and the possibility of leaks for savings of maybe $50, at most. I use a company called Binswanger which is part of glass doctor I think...do some google searches and see what you can find. I found them because they do the glass work for my local MB dealer.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

I went to a place this morning, found out the a new glass, and labor and what not, comes out to $259. It seems reasonable. If I could have saved my friend some $ but it seems like a lot of aggravation. I did the rear window myself, and that was a pain. It took about 3 hours, and 2 lbs of melted butter...made me want popcorn..

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1982 300DT *4-speed*// proper 617 donor for conversion // W126 big brakes // front wagon swaybar // european lights & bumpers // rear headrests // lumbar support // warning triangle // overdrive water pump pulley & 9 blade fan // Too many more to list Dark blue/ Palomino.

1983 300D euro no longer a 4 speed. . swap/parts carr

Did you use a small rope to pull the lip of the gasket over the lip of the steel? It makes it much easier. Instead of using butter, just use silicone spray. I had my windshield replaced by one of the national chains through my insurance and they did a crappy job. Since all windshields are glue in now, no one knows how to deal with a real gasket with metal trim. Just another excuse to not let anyone touch my car.

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Doug

1987 300TD x 3
2005 E320CDI

I too have to replace my windshiled, been spidered since I bought it. Sounds like a real PITA. I think I will go with vstechs sugg this weekend at pull a part. Just push out on the glass you say?

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

If your existing windshield gasket is good, then don't worry about the one in the parts car. The gasket will often be enough of a pain to remove on your first try, that you'll crack the glass. The edge of the steel in the car is serrated to keep the windshield from popping out in an accident.

Cut the gasket with a sharp razor knife, easier if you spray the gasket with silicone spray or equivalent, around the perimeter just inside of the windshield. At least the top 1/2 or so, whatever you can reach.

Put even pressure on it as you tip it outward, and pull up and out of the bottom of the gasket. Save trim as you need it.

Removing the glass from your car is easy also. First cover the dash with a sheet or mover's blanket, whatever is convenient. I hate it when a piece of broken glass goes into the defroster vent, ...

Try working your way around the top of the gasket, peeling it away from the headliner/interior as you go around. Start at one top corner and work back and forth across the top, it helps to have a smooth hooked item to work back and forth, I have a screwdriver that has the end bent at 90* that I use. Work back and forth and down both sides, keep even pressure on the windshield top as you go. A helper can do the pressure part.

If you break the windshield getting it out, no problem, just try to avoid nicking/cutting the gasket with the broken edge, and the cover will keep the glass in place.

Once removed, you might find that the steel channel has rust, repair repair repair. I don't know on your model, there might be drains in the bottom corners of the channels, if so make sure they're clear.

After cleaning and repairing, you're ready to re-install. I prefer to put a small bead of black urethene in the glass groove of the seal, then install over the glass.

To install the windshield (or back window) into the car, you'll need a strong cord around the seal in the groove. Tie it in the lower corner. You can lubricate first if you wish, Dawn dish detergent mixed 1:1 with water is my preference.

Slide the windshield into the frame at the bottom, and lay it into the top of the frame. Begin to pull the string/cord out of the bottom, and evenly up both sides (alternate if you're doing it yourself). Best is to have a helper do one side and coordinate with one hand keeping pressure down on the glass, the other pulling out the cord. When you get to the top remember that there is no easy way to go back, so don't let the cord slip out of the groove. Make sure the windshield is slid down into the bottom groove completely before getting too much of the sides in or the top won't go.

It is a bit tricky, but with a used windshield you don't have as much to lose.

Ironically I found a very hard to find windshield used for one of my older cars, felt that I didn't want to risk putting it in myself even though I have installed rubber-seal windshields in a few of my German cars over the years. I took it to an auto-glass place. When I showed up to pick up my car, I found it with a cracked windshield, ... and was told that it must have had a flaw. Professionals don't understand rubber-seal windshields anymore, I should have done it myself.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I've recently done the front and back glass on my '76 300D. Just got the back glass in yesterday. Couple of things I learned/do: Unless the old one is fairly fresh and plyable, I like to use a new seal. I tried wire pulling twine with the front glass and line trimmer line with the back glass. The back was easier.
Something I did not think of until too late: Lay the glass in the opening without the seal and center it left/right. Put some masking tape on the glass and on the car at top and bottom. With the glass centered, draw a straight line down from above the glass, down the glass and onto the tape on the body below the window area. When you put the glass in with the seal attached, line everything up by those lines. Took me two tries (second WITH lines) to get the glass centered so as to get the seal to fit right on both sides. An assistant sure makes the job much easier. me inside pulling line and assistant outside pushing on glass/seal.
So today I am back to driving Shrek (that's the color!), without worrying about the back window blowing out at speed (well 55 anyway).

Last time I had my W123 windshield replaced it was around $200 at a place in denver.