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Darn leaky windshield!!

29K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  gottagofast 
#1 ·
Out of all the issues Ive encountered with this truck this is the worst. It should be an easy fix, alas it is NOT. Ive got three good,reputable glass companies in the area that Ive used before. For some reason they dont want anything to do with a windshield reseal on a superduty. "They are hard to reseal, especially if there is rust." "We could break the glass taking it out and we're not liable for that."

Ive been past the point of caring about warnings and what could happen since I lost the first starter due to water leakage. My truck went 245k miles and 10 years on the stocker and now since that got replaced Ive been thru two more due to the leaky windshield shorting out the gem and the truck tries to start itself. What a friggin nightmare!! Friday it rained off and on here. As a precaution, I put a 4x6 tarp and bungees on the truck to seal the windshield. I went out Friday night to close garage doors and turn off lights on my shop and I smelled that familiar, acrid burnt smell. The fuggin thing burned itself up AGAIN! Sorry for the rambling rant.

I called around and of course everybody is closed but one place called me today and asked if I needed help still. Same rebuttals as before"We probably will break the glass taking it out." I said OK..thats fine..have an extra with you in case. "if there is rust where the glass needs to sit you'll need a body shop to fix it first or we WILL NOT put the glass back in." The bodyshop is the same one that Im waiting for a call from to paint my truck. They are slammed and apparently dont return calls in light of that fact. Im stuck here and Im about ready to burn the damn truck to the ground to be rid of the problems. I know the truck is older and has miles on it but why cant I get this damn thing fixed? Ive been calling these glass places and just cant get the problem fixed. Is it that big of a pita to put glass in these trucks?

Since I cant get any esteemed glass shop to do it for me could I get some black OSI Quad and just caulk around the trim rubber? As a temp fix? ANybody done this? I cant afford,with good sense anyway, to keep putting starters in the darn truck and then have em burn up. Its really kind of a reliability issue as well. Its getting to the point where if it rains I dont wanna take the thing anywhere.

Is it doable to take a shield out and replace it yourself?

Any help is appreciated!
 
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#3 ·
I had the same problem , and man was it a pain. I paid to replace my windshield and it stopped. I must have gone through 4 starters in that time frame .... i will say this much tho ..... its best to go to napa and buy the 400 new starter with the lifetime warranty. I only payed for 1 and replaced 3 more on that warranty. I feel your pain.
 
#4 ·
just had a 99 gasser, and the same problem
was the fuse box itself, not the gem.

had safelite put a window in my 03 was llike 200 installed.
they also did a few others form me and some friends, no problems with them, ever
 
#5 ·
I just might call them. Everybody that I thought was 'good' says safelite isnt but then again the 'good' guys wont fix my windshield because they are too busy or it'll cost me too much. Its already cost me about 900 dollars worth of starters. Thats too much.

The guy above who asked how a starter and windshield are connected, the water leaks into the cab around the windshield and then gets into the fuse panel/gem and shorts a circuit out causing the starter to crank until it is smoked, interior/exterior lights to come on, radio is on even with no key in the truck, fan blows without the key in the truck, truck will shift into and out of 4wd until the little electric motor burns up. Oh and it can smoke the circuit to your vacuum pump and then tons of #### doesnt work. Like the controls for your hvac.

Its a royal pita! I hiope you never get to experience it.
 
#6 ·
Same problem here (fuse box) , what it does to my truck is turn all the interior and exterior lights on and off and if my truck is running it won't shut off... As of now it doesn't matter because I don't have an engine in it but it pisses me off too.
 
#7 ·
Has anybody fixed this with caulk temporarily? I bought some black GE silicone tonight and am probably gonna use it unless someone says "DO NOT DO THAT".

I know the windshield guys use polyurethane caulk not silicone but I can only get whats available.

I cant imagine getting this fixed and being able to put dome lights, rear cargo lights and other accesory lighting back in service. Oh what a joy!
 
#9 ·
I was toying with the idea of making something out of rigid plastic to keep it all dry but I really just dont want the water coming in.

Anybody on the caulk? Ive got black GE Silicone and Im going to put a nice 1/4" bead on both sides of the trim piece to fix it until I can get a glass repair specialist to commit to replacing my windshield. Is this a good or bad idea?
 
#10 ·
When my windshield was leaking I had a guy come to the house and remove it (was chipped anyway) I then sanded wire brushed primed and painted the rust myself and then he came back and put the new glass in.... grand total $125

Actually 250 because he did my wrangler at the same time. I had to do the same repair to it.

As far as who is good or bad.... A monkey can put a windshield in... the good or bad is in removing one and in cleanup and prep...
 
#11 ·
I have my local safelite guy's do all my classic cars in the shop..They have taken out glass from a few 60's camaros for me without breaking them, they do break occasionally but hey it's 40 plus year old windshield , i really expect them all to break and they dont.I have nothing bad to say about the guys in my area but you know how that goes in each region..
 
#12 ·
@ggf-I can put the darn thing in. We have the poly glue/caulk that the guys use. We use it to glue window together until we can get them mulled properly. I dont really want to spend a whole day doin what those guys can do in an hour or two. The hard part is removal and cleaning up the mess, I know. Im not sure I wanna try tackling it in the winter.

I am going to call the safelite auto guy tomorrow and get his opinion. I just would rather keep the body shop out of it if I can. If it has to go into body shop and then the glass guy, its gonna be 'spensive. Then again it already has been. ha ha...
 
#13 ·
I had the same problem, thought it was my windshield but when I had it replaced due to a crack they said it was not the windshield. I had my truck in a shop at the time I was haveing it replaced so the shop started to looking and found my cab lights were leaking, I hate cab lights. The shop resealed my cab lights and no problem now for over a year.
 
#14 ·
I checked all mine and even took the headliner down and watched them in the rain. Nothing. Its gotta be my ws or somewhere in the cowl. Maybe a sheetmetal seam. Im still leaning toward the windshield however.
 
#16 ·
I got ya! I wasnt trying to jump your $hit man. If you thought that, I apologize.

I hear ya on makin sure its all done right. I dont really wanna screw with it this time of the year though either. Might have to pay it done.

We'll see.
 
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