I just had my windshield replaced on my jeep cherokee and noticed there were some openings/gaps with the new molding installed by the window glass company. Is this common for new windshield replacement jobs and will this be an issue with water seeping through the gaps?







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it depends...the seal should wrap around the glass, and that bonds to a thick bead of silicone..my guy used 2 tubes

there is a light gap, but not as bad as you have

imo you dont want water to pool anywhere under the rubber, as it can rust the metal pinchweld

the main thing is whether the whole ting is watertight...hosing it is the best way to find out...if it leaks from hosing, job needs doing again

did you personally inspect the condition of the pinchweld?...there must be NO rust

 

To me it looks like the windshield is not in all the way , or that is the wrong molding .

 

I'm planning to have mine replaced because it looks like that. So I'd say that's not normal.

 

It's definitely not normal and definitely not good. That job needs to be completely re-done. The ONLY way to cure that is to remove the windshield completely. Don't let them string you along. Demand that it be redone. Do NOT let them add some sealer of any kind. It must be removed and replaced properly.

 

The rubber molding is not the true seal and it' mostly cosmetic The true seal is the urethane adhesive between the frame and the glass. If it's sitting up, then they didn't push the molding in before the urethane cured or the glass isn't pushed all the way flat.

 

There is no reason it should not lay flat.
I had my glass guy do my windshield to deal with a leak I had coming from it awhile back.
That being said betting, like lawsoncl said, mostly cosmetic.
Has it been like that from the very beginning?
I ask cause one of the things my glass guy told me was to leave the windows cracked and
not slam the doors for a few days. Thinking the pressure of air moving around in there when you do.
Also I wonder if that could be a result of aftermarket windshield molding not being manufactured just so.
I got a Mopar one for my guy to use. Thinking it would be better. And it was in a sense.
Thing he mentioned though cause it was new but been around for awhile it was stiffer and tougher to work with.
But he is a pro and did a good job IMO.
Another reason to stay away from those big chain glass companies if you ask me.
Give some kid 10 minutes worth of training and throw him in the deep end. LOL.

 

It will probably be hella loud once you reach about 60mph as well.
I'd take it back, get it done right or get your money back and find someone better.

 

Yep, the molding turned out looking like that right after they finished. I noticed another gap at the top of the molding as well. They did not leave the window open and said to only make sure I do not wet the car for a week.

 

I was wondering if it was fine when they did the job and worked its way into that position after a bit.
You need to contact them and complain like Morat said.
My guess was that my glass guy told me what he did to give the gunk some time to cure.

 

Pphan3, did you watch the windshield replacement? I'm only curious because the molding appears to be made from a universal stock just looking at the corner joints. Glass is what I do for a living and that looks like a very poor job you have there. It may not leak, depending on the quality of the urethane bead run but I doubt very seriously that the molding is going to stay on the glass very long. As mentioned by others here, the molding is simply cosmetic but we still want it to look good as we pay hard earned dollars for the repair.

I use Precision or Gold Group moldings for my replacements and have not had any issues to date. I have been setting glass since 1977 if that attests to my experience so.....Yes, whoever did your replacement should be willing to correct the issue at no charge. That being said, don't be offended if the cut-out and replacement can't be done for 2-3 weeks. Reason being, while the urethane has cured sufficiently enough to allow you to drive the vehicle, the urethane has not cured all the way through the entire bead and if they attempt to cut it out right away, you will have black gooey crap all over your paint and interior. What a mess...

Happy Jeepin'
TexasTaz38

 

The other evidence of poor craftsmanship is the fact that they didn't even clean around the outside of the window frame. That area that is normally hidden under the rubber molding. Any decent installer would have cleaned it up before installing the glass.

 

Did you buy the molding from quadratec? I had the same problem with the molding they sent.

 

The molding is a good 1/4 inch shorter all the way around.

 

I laid mine out in the sun for along time and used the hair drier on it before my installer turned up, as it was of very stiff consistency

glad I did this, as fit on the edges was a bit marginal

the seller I got mine off claimed it was NOS (original new/old stock)

The installation in the photos shows evidence of this issue, poor fit, or both