Paint & Body Work Custom Painting | Panel Repairs & Replacement

leaky windshield? need some ideas for a fix.

Old Aug 13, 2012 | 01:57 PM
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Default leaky windshield? need some ideas for a fix.

so i noticed this becuase im replacing my headliner and i currently dont have it in. When i break and it is raining there is a nice stream that comes in right where the weather stripping is on the windshield. It is rusted pretty bad all along the windshield top where it should seal. Now i am sure that it more than likely rusted enough to where the weather stripping around the windshield can do its job. My friend said i would have to get a new windshield and have that section wire wheeled and sanded then have some sheetmetal welded in to replace what the rust ate. I agree this is a premanent solution. however more than like 500 to repair the rust and another 175 for the glass (i know a safelite guy). This is quite costly. Is there a more temporary fix, maybe sand the rust that is visible then fill it with something and paint over it? or maybe i could caulk it and paint it or something like that...never had to do this before. any input would be awesome.
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Old Aug 13, 2012 | 02:57 PM
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anyone? it wont hurt anything to caulk it right untill i can replace the windshield? i would paint it balck to match rest of car????
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Old Aug 14, 2012 | 05:50 AM
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Moving to Paint and Body Work. This would also be better with some pics.
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Old Aug 14, 2012 | 10:52 PM
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Thank you and yea I'll get some pics tomorrow hopefully
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Old Aug 15, 2012 | 01:42 AM
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if i were you i would get it done the right way the first time... you could spend $50 and try and do it cheap and it may work.... for a few weeks... like said first i would do it right the first time... pictures will be good to go off of but more than likely if its rusted through where the seal is than your friend is on the right track
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Old Aug 15, 2012 | 05:02 PM
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bones you are coorrect it is rusted right where the seal is. therefore it is not properly sealed anymore casuing the leak by the windshield. i need a new windshield anyway so i will get this repaired once i get a new windshield. but i wanna drive my car the rest of the summer then do this project over the winter.
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Old Aug 16, 2012 | 12:14 PM
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There is no band-aid fix. Silicone caulk will make the rust worse and urethane adhesive (what the windshield is held in with) wont have anything to adhere to if the rust isn't fixed first... Get it fixed now, while its summer (hot and dry compared to fall or winter) and hopefully the rust isnt as bad as you think.
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Old Oct 17, 2012 | 03:18 PM
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I am searching for info about this and i too would like pictures and compare to my similar problem. I will try and get pictures this weekend if i don't forget.

I think what happened in my case is that i got my windshield replaced a few years ago and they didn't put on the silicone evenly on the window. First i got dirt on the vin number (now covered with dirt) and since i don't take off the t-tops often enought. When i did i noticed a lot of rust at the top driver side.

I am planning on professionally having the front windshield removed and than put back after i fix the rust depending on how much rust and if its on the surface. I have thought about removing the windshield myself doesn't look difficult to do when the pros did it, just need more than one person.

2 month old thread should be ok for a bump.
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Old Oct 17, 2012 | 04:20 PM
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Do you know who did the work the first time? If there is proof of negligence on their end that caused the problem I'd be tempted to at least talk to them about fixing it.
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Old Oct 17, 2012 | 07:12 PM
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If you can get behind the windshield moulding from the outside, you could get a tube of windshield urethane and run a bit in there for a temporary fix, if you cant get in from the outside run a bead of it on the pinchweld to the glass on the inside and push it in with rubber gloves. Be careful with the urethane because it makes a mess!
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Old Oct 18, 2012 | 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by SparkyJJO
Do you know who did the work the first time? If there is proof of negligence on their end that caused the problem I'd be tempted to at least talk to them about fixing it.
Didn't start to leak till 2 years later but i am thinking about showing up to there shop and see if they can at least give me some type of discount to remove the windshield so i can work on the problem. I eventually put some silicon by the vin numbers and that seemed to stop the water and dirt from entering from windshield. I havn't really looked at how bad the rust is at the top but i will get a chance this weekend. So i'll post pic's.

Originally Posted by 95stro
If you can get behind the windshield moulding from the outside, you could get a tube of windshield urethane and run a bit in there for a temporary fix, if you cant get in from the outside run a bead of it on the pinchweld to the glass on the inside and push it in with rubber gloves. Be careful with the urethane because it makes a mess!

I used silicone and it worked great thanks. Wish i had done this as soon as i started seeing my vin numbers get full of dirt.
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Old Oct 18, 2012 | 09:00 PM
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Have the windshield removed and clean everything up - remove all the rust and repaint. Then have it reinstalled with new glue and seal.
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Old Oct 19, 2012 | 09:41 PM
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do NOT use silicone caulk - it is corrosive, will only speed up the rust and slowly dissolve whatever urethane adhesive is left. It will keep water out for a few weeks, if that, but will eventually make your problem worse. Take the car to a professional and have it fixed correctly

-Former Auto Glass Shop Manager (2yrs)
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Old Oct 20, 2012 | 04:12 AM
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Originally Posted by VinR1
do NOT use silicone caulk - it is corrosive, will only speed up the rust and slowly dissolve whatever urethane adhesive is left. It will keep water out for a few weeks, if that, but will eventually make your problem worse. Take the car to a professional and have it fixed correctly

-Former Auto Glass Shop Manager (2yrs)
Was unaware of the silicone making rust worse, thanks for the info. I will have pictures this weekend so show the problem.
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Old Oct 22, 2012 | 02:20 AM
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Here are the pictures. Looks like the rust just removed the paint, doesn't look like the rust got to the metal. I'll just have the shop remove the glass than put it back and i'll just do the work on the car once the window is removed. Wont be able to get to this untill a couple weeks, but here are the pictures of where the rust is and i picked at the rust which is why there is a hole in the paint bubbled. This happened only after i got my windshield replaced.





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Old Oct 22, 2012 | 09:21 AM
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Paint doesn't rust. The metal does. What it looks like is the metal rusted and bubbled up the paint. Although it doesn't take much to bubble the paint, so it very well could just be a little surface rust.
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Old Oct 22, 2012 | 09:56 AM
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Originally Posted by 98boxer
Here are the pictures. Looks like the rust just removed the paint, doesn't look like the rust got to the metal. I'll just have the shop remove the glass than put it back and i'll just do the work on the car once the window is removed. Wont be able to get to this untill a couple weeks, but here are the pictures of where the rust is and i picked at the rust which is why there is a hole in the paint bubbled. This happened only after i got my windshield replaced.
take it back to that shop. When they cut out the old windshield, they obviously cut too deep and scratched through the paint into the metal (it happens often) however, they didnt (should have) prime the area where they scratched through. Its a very simple 30sec step that so many shops skip and I have yet to figure out why.
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Old Oct 29, 2012 | 09:43 AM
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hey guys just an update to my issue, I got it fixed by my friends dad. cost me 500 for new windshield and rust repair and re paint. It looks 1 million times better and does not leak. only real fix for this if ound was to get it done right!
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Old Oct 29, 2012 | 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted by tjwashow
hey guys just an update to my issue, I got it fixed by my friends dad. cost me 500 for new windshield and rust repair and re paint. It looks 1 million times better and does not leak. only real fix for this if ound was to get it done right!
Did you even attemp to fix this yourself?

I am in the same boat as you can see the pics i posted and i was thinking of doing this myself, just havn't had the time with baby and work. But, 500 with new windshield and paint work done by shop doesn't sound that bad to me.

Do you have any before and after pictures?
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Old Oct 29, 2012 | 02:25 PM
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Originally Posted by VinR1
take it back to that shop. When they cut out the old windshield, they obviously cut too deep and scratched through the paint into the metal (it happens often) however, they didnt (should have) prime the area where they scratched through. Its a very simple 30sec step that so many shops skip and I have yet to figure out why.
Hate to admit this but it was a low end shop, i had them replace a windshield on a previous car and one from my brothers car and we had no problems. But they definetly messed up on my camaro. I might just have to talk to them and see what they tell me about there mistake, i would not have guessed it was because they cut into the paint untill mentioned here so thanks. Just got to get to it sooner rather than later.
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