Windshield Adhesive

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George T

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Hi,



My front windshield seems like it is not being held in place by the adhesive and it is squeaking and rattling every time i go over a bump or pothole. I was wondering if I can do anything about it? I dont want to take off the windshield, because it will probably crack or break in the process. Calling a pro to fix it is going to cost about 100 bucks and there is still a risk of the windshield breaking in the process...so i dont want to go with that option. Getting a new windshield will be about 200...and i currently dont see the reason since the windshield is good with no cracks (knock on wood)(please, please, please no cracks) and here in Colorado rocks can fly up and hit it basically at any moment. So i was wondering if i can just put some adhesive at the edges(between windshield and the pillars?? i dont know what the things are called on the sides)? I dont know what else I can do? If i can use some adhesive, can i get it at NAPA, Advance, Checkers, or Auto Zone?



Any advice?

Thank you so much,

George T.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Get this fixed soon. The windshield performs important structural and accident injury reduction duties.



Agree with Bill- have a windsheild shop pull it and reinstall. Should not be that big of a deal.
 
I would make sure 100% it is the glass.....



I have only seen this one time and it was from a replacement, I never saw this on an OEM install...



Remove the pillars and look in there..... USE tape or something to pad the edges of the windshield now and see if the rattle goes away...



My guess is it is not the glass, BUT some wiring in the pillars or headliner making the noise....



Todd Z
 
Todd, Im almost certain that it is the glass because i can literally push the glass away and it will move. I doubt that it would be something else.

I actually had it reglued and they put the adhesive there. This was about a year back and he said that it would not hold for long and that next time he will have to take off the windshield. So I guess i have to do it now.



Bill and Gavin, I will see someone about it as soon as i can.



Thank you, George T.

If anyone else has possibilities or stories, i would be interested in hearing them
 
Do you have glass coverage on the truck ???? Can the insurance fix it ??



If it is that loose it should be leaking too..... I wounder if you could yank it out, put a NEW glass in there and save your old one ??



Todd Z
 
No, no glass coverage and i doubt the insurance will fix it.

It has never leaked(thankfully, knock on wood), or not that ive seen. I hope to just get it pulled out and either replace it or put the old one back in there. But the chance is that it will probably crack when it will be taken out.

Do me it seems just the left side(left upper and left corner and the whole left side) is loose. But i think if the left side shakes, then it will shake the right side as well.



Thanks for all the help,

George T.
 
Yea, they are cheap if you have a job. There might be something on the horizon for me this week. So hopefully that works out, keeping my fingers crossed and ill be able to get the windshield without worrying about the cost.



Thanks again everyone

George T.
 
It almost sounds like it was replaced and sealed with buytl adhesive instead of urethene. Some hacks still use the buytl. The reason I say this is because if it was urethene sealer, the glass would not move at all. And the fact that you say it doesn't leak means it is sealed with something. Are you sure the glass isn't touching the pillar trim on either side? I'm talking about the inside. I've seen this happen before, and it does make it squeak. The only cure for that is to remove the trim and sand or trim off a little, or the proper fix is to replace it. If the glass is in good shape, without alot of chips and such, a good glass guy can reseal it without breaking, but I doubt anyone would guarantee that. Bottom line is that if you can move the glass, it's not in there right. Urethene is solid when it dries, and like was said above, it needs to be in there right for structural and safety reasons. I've put in alot of glass in my time, so if you have other questions, just ask.



Brad
 
Brad, thanks a lot. It could have been replaced, i got the car about 6k miles ago, so i dont know the history. But when I got it, it was wrecked, but the windshield wasnt touched. Could it have came undone or something because of the jerk of the wreck. It has the Ford logo on the windshield, but I dont think that means anything.

When you talk about the pillar trim, can it be far deep where i cant see it, that it could be rubbing or would i be able to see it? And would i need to replace the trim or the windshield?

Yea, i agree something is not right. I mean if im sitting inside, i can push the windshield toward the outside and it moves out a little bit. And sometimes, when going over bumps or potholes, the windshield slides a little bit from left to right and right to left, and thus creates like a squeaking, and i would say rattling but a sound that i cant really explain. Its mostly the squeaking though.

I know this maybe silly, but Im not sure and want to know...what does the windshield do structurally? besides the safety and blocking all the weather elements?





Thanks so much for your help
 
Any interior trim that surrounds the windshield can come in contact with it if the glass is set too low in the opening. The thickness of the adhesive should keep it from touching, but not always. Even the dash can cause a problem where it meets the glass. The side pillar trim is c shaped to cover the pillar. What I would suggest is to take a piece of paper and slide it around the inside perimeter of the glass. It should have clearance all the way around. It may only go in behind the trim a quarter inch or so, but it should tell you if the glass is touching the trim. The pillar trim can be removed and trimmed/sanded to get the clearance, but that's not the real problem if it's touching. The only proper solution is to have the glass removed and reset or replaced. And I highly doubt that the glass is moving from side to side. It may be an optical illusion. Not calling you a liar, but if the glass is moving it would be leaking. Put a piece of masking tape near the side edge a quarter inch from the pillar trim and see if you can see adifference in the gap next time you hit a bump. If so, the glass is definately moving and needs attention. It could also be leaking and the water is running down behind the dash where you can't see it. An easy way to check this is to pull up the carpet/floormat and look under it. I once worked on a car that was full of water under the back seat!



As far as the structural part, it may sound stupid because after all, it's glass. The windshield does add strength to the cab, but only from side to side mainly. It will add some strength otherwise, just because it is laminated with the plastic sandwiched between the inner/outer plate. But it will have no structural strength without the urethene adhesive. The urethene also keeps the glass in the opening in the event of a crash. The older gasket types would just pop out in a bad crash, and if you're not belted in, out you go. The buytl adhesive I mentioned before is a good sealer, but it won't keep the glass from coming out in a bad crash.



Brad
 
What makes you so sure it is actually the windshield that is squeaking? That is very, very rare. since the windshield is never in touch with any metal parts and is imbedded in butyl rubber sealant. If it was the windshield it would have probably cracked or broken by now. and it certainly would have leaked water...a lot of water!!



I suspect that you have a squeak from the dashboard area or perhaps the cowl.



If you can confirm that it is the windshield (probably not) I would suspect that it would be a major safety defect that Ford might repair under the warranty even after the warranty had expired....but then again, probably not.



...Rich



 
Brad,

Thanks a lot for your help. It might be an illusion, im not sure, so I dont know if it is moving side to side. But I gotta check it and see. I will try all the tests and find out the problem. I will also call the windshield guy, a friend of ours. Im almost certain I will have to pull it out and replace it probably



Rich,

I dont know, im almost certain that it is. I dont think it is rubbing against the metal...maybe it is the pillar trim like Brad said. I actually thought it was the dashboard as well..I guess ill check that again as well.

And Ford wont do anything since it has a salvage title....so all the warantys have been void and they wont touch it.



Thanks a lot everyone,

I will try to let you know after I figure this out

George T.
 

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