Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-13-2008, 02:49 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicagoland area
Posts: 159
w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!

Hello all,
What a horror story I have. My ‘near perfect’ (no rust or p.o. halfassed repairs) 87 300SDL had a cracked windshield replaced in Sept 08 by safelite auto glass. A few weeks ago when going thru the car wash I noticed 2 nice dripping leaks at the top of the windshield so I called safelite and had them come out for a warranty repair yesterday, what a disaster. I requested the tech to come early between 8-10am as they said, no such luck shows up at 11, made me late for work as a result… at first his hello his comment was about how cold it was outside and how he’s trying to keep warm. Demanded my original paperwork which I didn’t have as I didn’t know I’d need it. Then on how he can’t do the repair as he can “see” the rust in the pinch weld (interesting he must have xray vison) he based that of 2 pin head size rust spots on the roof top near window. Told me it would have to be done at the “shop” again commented on how cold it was about 20 degrees. I’m like I called safelite for a reason u come to my house or place of business if I wanted to bring it in I would have dropped it off at the stealership. So I get his managers name and phone call him and get the same bs I got from the tech. and how I should bring it in, I’m like no, you come to my house so he does meanwhile the tech calls back and says he’s downstairs. The tech pulls the windshield out for the managers inspection, then the manager and some corporate trainer run to home depot to get a wire wheel to grind the “extensive rust” they’re telling me as there grinding how there other location never should have done the job this was wrong isn’t safe due to rust in the pinch weld (note, not that much as there is none whatsoever on the car as it was a Georgia car). It needs to go to a body shop to have the rust cut out and repaired or they can’t warrantee it or reinstall the window. This took about 10 mins of him talking to me like I was an idiot who didn’t understand the concept of rust. I responded telling them that seeing as though there office that installed the window didn’t disclose this or document it on the work order, how they just said over and over again how this should have never been done that way or at all and how they are the professionals who gave a lifetime warranty this is their problem and not mine and that they are liable to correct it.
Se we go back and forth, they say there taking it to a body shop, getting me a rental, and agree that im right. Call their corporate claims center that calls original shop and gets a ‘copy’ of the w/o which has clearly been altered as now I found mine and no rust was documented or anything mentioned about it not having a warranty. The 2 guy's (the manager and trainer) are dumb founded and clearly pissed and know what I know that I’m right and the other affiliate shop of theirs is lying to cover themselves. But their hands are tied as they can’t authorize body work and so forth and in the end it seems like they were on my side and did what they could. The customer service girl on the phone kept giving them and me the runaround, told me that they were going to try and get my insurance co to help then pay to fix my car, was promised a call back. It’s now about 230 pm
Next issue what about my car w/o a window? So about 7 that night the manager calls me back, says his 2 techs just installed the window so I can drive it and I will have to take it up with corporate and on Monday he will ask them how “safe” they feel about the install and how he knows that the rust will come back. I then ask how if he was so dead set on how unsafe it was how now it was ok and he said if I want it done ‘the right way” (weld in new metal) deal with corporate but he’s sure his 2 best techs did a great job. So I get in late last night and go out this morning to look at the job, holy ***** what a crappy job, I would have been better letting some high school auto shop kids try it, or caulking myself like I wanted to do but didn’t as I didn’t want to void the safelite warranty. None of the chrome trim lines up, nor does the cowl gasket, the cowl is damaged so is the chrome trim, the body color painted pieces and the pillars are no longer secure and are all chipped, the inside of the car is filthy, there is a nice gap all around the top of the windows, one of the buttons is missing off my seat switch (that I just rebuilt mind you)

So heres where you all come in, I need to know if any of you have done this job yourself or can link a thread where repair or replacement of these items is covered as I have searched and searched and not come up with much good info, also I need some replacement park number and sources, hopefully fastlane, so when i call the window company Monday I can know what im talking about and get them to replace the parts they ruined as well as detail the rust dust out of my car.

Pictures to follow!
So:
-chrome/aluminum windshield trim
-OEM windshield gasket
-cowl, complete with molding and gaskets
-any clips or special fasteners
-drivers side seat switch
-body painted pillar pieces (looks like mine are bent)
-anything else?

Attached Thumbnails
w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-005.jpg   w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-008.jpg   w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-010.jpg   w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-025.jpg   w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-026.jpg  


Last edited by rsieracki; 12-14-2008 at 12:45 AM. Reason: typo
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-13-2008, 03:31 PM
81300sd's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Spokane WA
Posts: 312
I asked a buddy of mine recently who he would recommend installing a rear window in my SD(his father owns a glass company) He told me anyone but safelite. None of those damaged parts are difficult to remove and reinstall. Not sure how they screwed them up being pro's.
__________________
81 300SD daily driver/project
86 420SEL (sold)
85 380SE(in the graveyard)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-13-2008, 06:29 PM
blackestate's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Washington State
Posts: 948
ouch! no info, just..... WOW, I guess I am glad they did not do mine. Still needs to be done, but not by them.... Get estimates, and take them to cout for complete repair. First install should have noted any issues on the reciept...
__________________
83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-13-2008, 10:17 PM
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Blue Point, NY
Posts: 25,396
I agree. Clearly, you're going to small claims court to get your original cost returned.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-13-2008, 11:17 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicagoland area
Posts: 159
Well here's the problem, my auto ins paid the first time and now io have a half assed job that surely will leak I'm almost scared to bring it thru the car wash to check. And now I want the glass co to pay to replace the parts and have it done by someone else. Did you see the pics of bent up cowl, looks like he ran the wrench into it removing the wipers. Where can I find a new cowl I have come up empty online
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-13-2008, 11:25 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Milford, CT
Posts: 19,318
Have a good shop fix the damage, sue Safelight or however they spell their crappy companies name in small cliams.
__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-13-2008, 11:43 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: DFW area (north side)
Posts: 1,288
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
Have a good shop fix the damage, sue Safelight or however they spell their crappy companies name in small cliams.
Did the insurance company recommend Safelight and pay the bill direct?
Have you considered getting your insurance company involved? They would have more leverage by removing Safelight from a preferred vendor list.
__________________
Charles
1983 300D, bought new, 215k+ miles, donated to Purple Hearts veterans charity but I have parts for sale: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=296386
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-14-2008, 12:41 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicagoland area
Posts: 159
yes, state farm recommended them, and was direct bill, was thinking of trying that i just want some imput before i start raising hell come monday morning. i think the saddest part for me is had i just spent $5 on caulk from home depot and sealed the gap myself it would have been fine. but seeing as the car is vertually flawless and the window was 2 months old with a warrenty i thought i'd have them do it. now i have a car that was once a nice 21 yr old perfect car thats now with mangled trim and looks like crap and im sure is leaking and collecting water causing more damage as we speak
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-14-2008, 02:26 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 783
Moral of the story? Don't let anyone other than a specialist TOUCH your car

Im sorry to hear about your problems.

I learned a long time ago that I don't let anybody near my cars unless they specialize in them. The average "corporate" auto repair shop are experts at screwing their customers and getting away with it.

I had this point driven home recently by bringing my 1988 Volvo 240 to a Goodyear service center because it would not start. After "rigging" the wiring and charging me $543 in repairs the car still was not fixed and required another $800 worth of repairs at the Volvo specialist to fix everything that they destroyed in the process of "repairing" my car.

There are body shops and auto glass places that are smaller and specialize in higher end cars. Cut your losses now and find one of these places and pay to have the repairs done. Unless your ready to sue Safelite I would just let them keep the your money and know better next time to never patronize their business again. Even more than their "skills" in replacing windshields is their skills of using the blame game to screw over their customers.

My 126 has an original Mercedes windsheld. Woe be unto the insurance company that has to replace that with another original MB windshield using a speciality shop.

P.S. Attached some images of the work I got from Goodyear. My Mechanic indicated if that "live wire" behind the alternator had touched anything there was the possibility of a fire.
Attached Thumbnails
w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-dscn0002.jpg   w126 windshield replacement mishap, pls help!-dscn0006.jpg  

Last edited by rchase; 12-14-2008 at 04:41 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-14-2008, 01:38 PM
Diesel911's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Long Beach,CA
Posts: 51,038
Didn’t they use any sealant the 1st time they did the job?

Even with rust if they had used a sealant it should have prevented a leak.
__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-14-2008, 08:56 PM
Squiggle Dog's Avatar
https://fintail.org
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Surprise, AZ, USA
Posts: 3,777
Ah yes, Safelite... good for most cars, but not for vintage vehicles, especially Mercedes. I just went through the same ordeal in my 1979 W116. I had to go back about 5 times because of leaks and ended up buying the 3M sealant and sealing it all myself--which actually worked! Next time I will do the windshield replacement myself. The glass won't break if all surfaces are clean and it is installed with precision and care (and a helper). See my Safelite ordeal here (starts on second page): http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=230973&highlight=aftermarket+windshield+leaks&page=2
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-14-2008, 09:31 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: West of Ft. Worth. TX
Posts: 4,186
I would first call local indys, and maybe even the dealer, for referrals for a glass shop, then contact your insurance company. They would probably be glad to go with one of the recommended referrals and ask them to document, photos, etc. any damage and needed repairs.

Also, after watching the replacement on mine, I would recommend you do it indoors and in a well heated environment. The reason is that the adhesive is non-hardening and will give you a considerably better, non-leaking, seal if the surfaces are warm. (I had mine facing into the Texas summer sun for a couple of hours and the installer commented on the better sealing with heat. The installer was recommended by a local independent who uses them exclusively.)

Also, I can tell by the damage that your local Safelite installer didn't have a clue about how to change your windshield. Those side cowlings are easily removed. Run a phillips screwdriver along between the rubber and the glass and there are three screws to remove. Then the cowling slides up about 3/8", being held at the upper end by a stud in a slotted eye. Then the aluminum trim is gently pried up with a trim removal tool, working from the sides and toward the upper middle, where the little slide piece covers the gap. Once the trim is off, they apply heat to the adhesive areas with a heat gun and push up. I was surprised at how easy it is on the W126.
__________________
Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-14-2008, 09:45 PM
compu_85's Avatar
Cruisin on Electric Ave.
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: La Conner, WA
Posts: 5,234
I don't know if this is a problem on the Mercedes as much, but on my VW the windshield is glued in and the level it sits at is very important. About 2 years ago I had a terrible time getting a glass shop to install a new windshield properly, they couldn't seem to get all the old glue out and the glass seated at the correct level... it sat too far out and made a tremendous wind racket. That looser shop cut my headliner (which is now falling down) and scratched the paint in a couple places... and also tried to tell me glass with the tint strip at the top wasn't available anymore (nevermind they are still selling that model new with said glass), then the guy claimed to be an expert in VWs because he once owned a 78 Rabbit and said the wind noise was normal They ended up installing 3 different windshields before I said enough was enough.

When my benz needs a new piece of glass I won't be taking it to that shop...

-J
__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-14-2008, 09:50 PM
symbolic95's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Orlando,Fl
Posts: 87
You are not the only one who got screwed by them ,they broke my window regulator and just left it like that.
Check what they did to this poor guy w140
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w140-s-class/1359163-promised-pictures-damage-during-windshield-replacement.html
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 01-16-2009, 12:00 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicagoland area
Posts: 159
Update

So after weeks and weeks of phone tag they admitted fault and agreed to fix my car, just get an estimate. they told me the man who had handlled my claim said he tld me that weeks ago, BS! anyways wanna guess at the estimate for paint, metal welding and replacement window trim and assorted goodies?.... $2100 or so plus rental car, plus FULL detail as they left my car filthy, plus the power seat switch they busted. i just faxed in estimate, im awaiting a call

__________________
1987 300SDL "Rudolf" 239k 8/10


Gone but not forgotten
-1980 F250 4X4 351C Snowplow "The Beast"
-1976 Caddy Eldo Convertible, in triple red. "Red headed Slut"
-2002 Honda Accord EX-V6 loaded 107k, My first brand new car!


*IM A HORRIBLE SPELLER*
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page