Complete glass replacement — windshield, side windows and rear glass

What does a complete replacement involve?

When a car window is too damaged to repair, it has to be replaced — and the process is far more involved than people think. We perform full replacement of the windshield, every side window, the rear glass and the panoramic roof. This includes removing interior trim and A-pillar covers, cutting the old adhesive, lifting out the old glass without damaging the bodywork, thoroughly cleaning the pinch weld, applying primer and urethane adhesive, and precisely fitting the new glass. Finally all interior trim is reinstalled, and the car is ready for delivery once the adhesive has cured sufficiently.

The process — from damage to finished

On arrival we remove wiper arms, rain sensor cover, A-pillar trim and any roof moulding. With specialty tools (typically piano wire or an oscillating blade) the old urethane is cut all the way around the glass. The old window is lifted out, ideally in one piece. The pinch weld is cleaned of adhesive residue down to a roughly 1 mm remaining layer — this matters because new urethane bonds best to existing urethane, not bare metal which requires a full primer system. The pinch weld is cleaned, any rust is treated, and a specialty primer is applied. The new glass is pre-treated on the rear bonding surface with matching primer. Urethane is laid as an even bead all the way around the edge, and the glass is placed with vacuum lifters for precision. Pressure is adjusted and the glass is centred in the body.

Time estimate and curing

The work itself takes 1–2 hours for most passenger cars. We recommend letting the urethane cure for at least 1 hour at summer temperatures or 2–3 hours in cold weather before driving. The adhesive needs 24–48 hours to reach full strength, and during that window you should avoid hard driving, high-pressure washing and strong vibration. We mark the car clearly if it is drive-ready but not yet fully cured so you can adjust usage.

OE versus aftermarket glass

We offer original (OE/OEM) glass from Pilkington, Saint-Gobain Sekurit, AGC and Carlex who supply car makers — these are identical to factory-fitted glass in optics, sound dampening, IR filtration and ADAS compatibility. We also offer quality aftermarket glass from the same manufacturers (without brand logo, often 20–40 % cheaper). On cars with complex ADAS or specialty features (heating elements, antennas, head-up display) we always recommend OE to avoid functional issues. We always walk through the options before ordering.

After replacement — what to know

After a glass change there are a few points to be aware of: do not slam the doors the first 24 hours (pressure equalisation can stress fresh adhesive), avoid high-pressure washing for 48 hours, and if the windshield was replaced you will normally return (or stay with us) for ADAS calibration — see the separate sub-service. We give a 5-year warranty against leakage and a 1-year warranty on the glass itself against manufacturing defects.

Book windshield service online or call us on 41 17 32 24.