Windshield adhesive

I took my car to have ceramic tint applied to the windshield today in hopes of reducing some of the heat that is cancelling out my AC. They called me shortly after I left and asked if I’d had the glass replaced recently bc it appeared the glue hadn’t dried. To my knowledge the windshield is original, but even if not it hasn’t been changed during my ownership. They showed me what they were referring to, which was basically overrun of the adhesive that would make it difficult to get a clean edge for the tint (pics below). I’ve noticed this before, but assumed it was just a side effect of being a hand-built car. Now I have my doubts. Is anyone else’s original windshield like this or is it more likely a PO did a sloppy job replacing the windshield at some point? I think my options from least to most expensive are 1) try to trim or press back the excess glue with a scraper tool, 2) have a local glas company attempt to remove and reinstall the glass properly before tinting or 3) buy a new pre-treated windshield from DMC. At $1,000 the last option isn’t really an option, at least not while my current windshield is in one piece.

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Mine doesn't look like that. I've really never seen one that looks like that. That honestly looks like the PO did a sloppy job when trying to install the glass by themselves.

Would it be possible to remove the "A" pillar post trim and take something like an Exacto knife and clean up the excess adhesive?

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Originally Posted by bfloyd

Would it be possible to remove the "A" pillar post trim and take something like an Exacto knife and clean up the excess adhesive?

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I'm going to take a closer look today. It looks like the glue might be spilled over to the trim, so I'll have to see if it will damage the trim to try to pull it back.

I was afraid it might be PO work. I've noticed that the door on the passenger side is a lot closer to the windshield at the top than at the bottom. The seal is good, but it's not uniform all the way down the A pillar.

Attachment 57255

Now I see why the tint shop thought the glue was fresh.

I picked at it with a putty knife and it pulled away with the consistency of uncured weatherstripping sealant. I was careful not to get it on any of the trim, but it got all over my hands and wouldn't come off with water or hand cleaner. WD-40 broke it down instantly so it wipe right off. That may be an option if things get messy trying to clean it up inside the car, but I'm afraid to use it directly on the excess if this stuff is what's holding my windshield on.

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Originally Posted by CriticalB

Attachment 57255

Now I see why the tint shop thought the glue was fresh.

I picked at it with a putty knife and it pulled away with the consistency of uncured weatherstripping sealant. I was careful not to get it on any of the trim, but it got all over my hands and wouldn't come off with water or hand cleaner. WD-40 broke it down instantly so it wipe right off. That may be an option if things get messy trying to clean it up inside the car, but I'm afraid to use it directly on the excess if this stuff is what's holding my windshield on.

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It is held in either by butyl tape or some flexible windshield resealant meant for plugging small leaks or some other bad combination of sealants. I can assure you that neither of the former was ever used at the factory. This is a botched aftermarket install that compromises the structural integrity of the body and crash safety of the car and should be removed by a professional glass shop,completely cleaned of old sealant, and properly rebonded with windshield grade urethane adhesive (3M Windoweld 08609 or equivalent). Don't be too surprised if the windshield breaks on removal but either way you don't have any other correct choice of repair. Good luck!
Rob

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Originally Posted by PJ Grady Inc.

It is held in either by butyl tape or some flexible windshield resealant meant for plugging small leaks or some other bad combination of sealants. I can assure you that neither of the former was ever used at the factory. This is a botched aftermarket install that compromises the structural integrity of the body and crash safety of the car and should be removed by a professional glass shop,completely cleaned of old sealant, and properly rebonded with windshield grade urethane adhesive (3M Windoweld 08609 or equivalent). Don't be too surprised if the windshield breaks on removal but either way you don't have any other correct choice of repair. Good luck!
Rob

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That's what I was afraid of. My original plan was to just call up a local windshield shop and have them remove and re-set it correctly, but I've read about how important the windshield is to the structural integrity and didn't want to risk doing more damage. I've read that just keeping the doors close eliminates the risk of roof sag, but is there anything else I'd need to be cautious about? Ultimately I think I'll just have to decide whether I want to spend the time it would take to drive it to a vendor for repair vs the (likely) insane cost of shipping a new windshield if it were to break.