Windshield Leak

[steelvulture]

Over a year ago, I got my windshield replaced (there was a huge crack). A few days after the replacement, it began to rain hard here and there was a leak around the area of the the rear view mirror. The headliner would woak up water around that area and the plastic trin around the rear view mirror would hold water so that when the car moved, some water would fall down. I think the molding was not sealed completely there and resulted in a leak. Well, after a few weeks the leak seem to disappear even with rain coming down. But recently, it began to rain hard again in Houston. The leak reappeared resulting in the headliner being soaked around the rear view mirror. It wasn't as bad as before though because there wasn't as much water and there wasn't water being held by the platic trim.

How should I go about sealing the leak? The service manual says to apply primer first and then sealant. This doesn't make much sense to me (well, I just don't understand what is means by primer and then sealant). Also, what should I use? What sealant (and maybe primer) should be used and where could I buy some?

On a side note, what could be used to seal threaded plugs and bolts to be water tight yet it wouldn't bond the parts permanently? I'm thinking about some sort of liquid sealant or compound of some sort. Teflon tape would be a last option. Maybe some sort of antiseizing compounds? Where could I possibly buy some?

Thanks.

[Q45tech]

When a windshield is replaced a premium shop will acquire a new suround molding [from dealer] and not reuse the old molding.Non oem glass may be thinner /and or softer/have more defects / distortions than oem glass.

A $250/$350/ even $500 replacement job rarely has new seal molding.

[tc02]

I've been wondering if my 95 Q45 might develop such a leak. The windshield molding gasket has started coming out from under the metal molding at top center near the mirror (see http://www.geocities.com/drtc01/SomePics.html).

Mine is not leaking so far so I would imagine that your leak is due to incomplete sealant adhesion at the windshield body joint. Does it leak if you don't drive in the rain - just let it sit in the rain ?

[steelvulture]

Well, by the time I'm driving the car, I can't tell because generally it always begins raining before I start driving. But all the times the leak is noticeable, it has been sitting in the rain.

Um, Q45tech, how is that suppose to help my situation? I just want to know how to go about sealing it and what to use in the procedure. It's not the molding but the seal. I know they used new molding because this was actually the second attempt. The first time around, they completely botched it up, using the old molding and having a field day with the sealant (it was extremely visible - on the glass beyond the molding at some points - the whole thing was ugly). So they redid the whole thing with new molding, but I guess they just didn't seal it correctly. The leak only occurs at the same spot, around the rear view mirror.

[steelvulture]

Update: Rained again today here in Houston. Have yet to seal the leak. This time, the plastic trim did retain water and even more than when it used to do that. Come on, anybody have any tips on how to seal it? Somebody help me please.

[maxnix]

I think the answer is obvious: it wasn't installed competently the first time. It is very difficult to remedy a poor installation without removing the windshield and installing it correctly.

Sometimes there is no magic wand to make everything OK.

[tc02]

I used some black colored (matches rubber window trim gasket) silicone sealant to fix a window problem in another case. You have to find where the water is getting in and plug it - preferrably, on the outermost side of the gap. This silicone stuff also works great for sealing bolt holes and most any metal/metal/glass/(some plastics) junction.

I would think that as long as the windshield is securely attached there is no need to remove and reseal the whole thing. However, if you can't find the place where the sealant gap is you may have to have the whole windshield removed and reinstalled with a proper sealant job.

Don't you have a guaranty/warranty for the windshield install job ?

[Q451990]

Did you take it back to the installer last year? If not you may have some trouble getting them to fix it, but either way - I'd try. If it was done as part of an insurance claim, your insurance company may be able to help.

If you don't have any other options, try a black windshield sealer from your local auto parts store. Smear it around the seal, and then wipe off the excess with paint thinner. It may or may not work, but that's the best first try...

Heath