Windshield Replacement

1of40

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2017
244
58
Va
I need to file an insurance claim for a cracked windshield on an LR4. Can I safely assume a dealership is my vendor of choice? Or, should I not be too bothered and assume the Safelite’s of today are as good or better than whomever a dealership might be farming these repairs out to.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
I always ask the vendor (Safelite or equivalent) that my insurance company refers me to to use only OEM glass and they comply. A problem I recently had was that I did NOT want the heated windshield replaced - I wanted a regular OEM Land Rover LR4 windshield. This took a little extra work to get insurance and the vendor in agreement.
 

1of40

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2017
244
58
Va
I always ask the vendor (Safelite or equivalent) that my insurance company refers me to to use only OEM glass and they comply. A problem I recently had was that I did NOT want the heated windshield replaced - I wanted a regular OEM Land Rover LR4 windshield. This took a little extra work to get insurance and the vendor in agreement.
Makes sense. Why'd you go non-heated? I've had the same thought just given the damn cost and that alone being a drag on my rate
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
The little squiggly heating element lines fucked with my head. I live in AZ so no need for it.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
In the south why would you need a heated screen? I’m with you on the lines bugging me. People way up nort keep turning those back on to melt a sheet of ice off the car. That melts the fuse box at those 2 fuses. The fuse box under hood is part of a massive harness that takes days to install.
No heated screen is fine by me
 
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Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
561
Seattle
In the Pacific northwest the heated windscreen is a great option. I use it frequently, but not to excess. It clears condensation faster than the air of the defrost and is helpful for reducing snow/ice buildup on the glass and wipers when driving in the mountains in the winter. It's rare that I run it more than two consecutive cycles, it works that well. A downside for me is when individual elements stop working you get strips of condensation along them that don't clear. A new windshield solved that issue, but it took a direct hit from a wayward pebble from gravel truck to justify it. And now the replacement windshield leaks, so one problem replaces another.
 
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Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
It never fails….new replacement windshield results in a rock strike or two. I have 3 in my new windshield already.
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
That sucks. I hate that shit. The windshield on my shitbox Cruze has several cracks running thru it from various stones. I’m getting close to putting one in the thing and I got another rock last week.
 

1of40

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2017
244
58
Va
It never fails….new replacement windshield results in a rock strike or two. I have 3 in my new windshield already.
Ha! We've had a crack in ours for almost a year. I'm intentionally waiting until I have to replace it for safety inspection bc im sure it'll get hit again eventually.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
I have full glass coverage like most people do nowadays, but getting the windshield replaced is a pain in the ass. The slow children that design and build Land Rovers have never managed to make an A-pillar cover that doesn't break when removed. So the A-pillar covers are always held on with globs of glue. Just 2 days ago I globbed on more gorilla glue to keep my damn passenger side A-pillar cover in place. I have it duct-taped down at the top. Classy. I can't tell you how much money I wasted on my D2's old A-pillar covers. Trying to fit those annoying little metal replacement clips, then saying fuck it and buying another whole new one, just to have it all break in no time.
 

1of40

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2017
244
58
Va
Time for our state safety inspection so we had safelite do the windshield replacement. They were able to get OEM seals and OE Pinkerton glass. Problem I noticed today is the lower cowl is not sealing against the glass as it should. For those that have replaced their glass was this an issue for you as well? Need to speak to Safelite this week and assume they are going to push back.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
Time for our state safety inspection so we had safelite do the windshield replacement. They were able to get OEM seals and OE Pinkerton glass. Problem I noticed today is the lower cowl is not sealing against the glass as it should. For those that have replaced their glass was this an issue for you as well? Need to speak to Safelite this week and assume they are going to push back.
You need to get that fixed. It might need a new plenum cover or it’s just not secured. That gap between the glass and the plenum cover will bring a shit ton of water into the truck.
 
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1of40

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2017
244
58
Va
Safe lite probably damaged it
They missed two appointments and finally showed up yesterday with the wrong part. Big corporate providers are sad and woefully inefficient. I offered to send them a link to RN's site that depicts the part that needs to be replaced but of course, the person on the phone knows zilch, so here we are. At least they are going to replace the cowl eventually.
 

1of40

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2017
244
58
Va
Safelite, finally figured their way out of a wet paper bag. The tech they sent today knew what he was doing and brought the right OEM cowl. Turns out that where the cowl was slightly separating from the glass the initial tech had broken bolts and tried to just ignore it. I didnt see the bolts but this is what the tech told me today. Had it not been for this post I probably would not have noticed, so thanks everyone.