Hey all,

Recently, my windscreen has been letting a little bit of water through.
I've noticed after I wash the car, or after heavy rain, there is a couple of beads of water than run down the inside of the screen on the drivers side.
Is this a windscreen out job? I've read the the V50 windscreen is almost impossible to get out and re-seal without smashing it, which means it is a new windscreen job.
Can anyone verify?
First question... water in the footwells?

What year?

Known issue for the c30/s40/v50 that Volvo had the glue gun miscalibrated at the factory for a few years and so the glue adhesion to the car frame fails after 5-10 years

Push on the windscreen and if it flexes at all it's failed glue

Good luck getting Volvo to fix it under stat warranty as every time I have tried they have just argued that it must have been a failed repair by someone else using genuine glass

Otherwise it's the sunroof drain tubes
+1 for sunroof drain tubes. The little rubber valves at the bottom in the plenum blocked on my C30 causing a wet footwell. Luckily it only happened once as the car was parked on a slope in heavy rain...seat and carpet out to dry next day and unblocked the tubes and haven't had a problem since. Fiddly job to get at the drain tube rubber ends though! Course it could be windscreen too.
No sunroof. The window flexes a tiny bit when pushed.
Philia_Bear;135009 wrotewater in the footwells?
None.

So I'm guessing there's no hope of going to a glass joint and getting the window removed, re-glued and put back in without having to break the glass?

Is there a dodgy fix? Such as running a bead of silicone along the top of the glass? Is that possible without making it look shit?
Windscreen guys should be able to cut it out and reseal it. I've had many XC60's done but be prepared to have to buy one. Check your insurance policy as if it includes a free windscreen, it's possible a branch can fall on it and crack it.

Regards,

Michael
cubic25;135048 wroteNo sunroof. The window flexes a tiny bit when pushed.
Philia_Bear;135009 wrotewater in the footwells?
None.

So I'm guessing there's no hope of going to a glass joint and getting the window removed, re-glued and put back in without having to break the glass?

Is there a dodgy fix? Such as running a bead of silicone along the top of the glass? Is that possible without making it look shit?
No safe dodgy fixes on this sadly
The issue for most of the glass guys is that don't know exactly what glue was used by the factory, so getting the old windshield out isn't an issue... its getting the old gunk off and prepping it in such a way that the new glue will stick and hold and seal properly is the real issue as it gets expensive for the owner if they have to go back multiple times

my recent quotes on my 07 S40... $1150 with genuine glass or $400 with aftermarket glass, Mine is slightly more expensive as I have the rain sensor

as above... lots of policies have no excess on windshield claims...

cubic25;8628 wroteHey all,

Recently, my windscreen has been letting a little bit of water through.
I've noticed after I wash the car, or after heavy rain, there is a couple of beads of water than run down the inside of the screen on the drivers side.
Is this a windscreen out job? I've read the the V50 windscreen is almost impossible to get out and re-seal without smashing it, which means it is a new windscreen job.
Can anyone verify?
I only had the windscreen replaced on my C30 six months ago for the exact same problem. Started with a couple of droplets coming in on the driver’s side just to the right of the rear-view mirror and gradually got worse. Unfortunately, this this is a common problem and even though I pointed it out to the local dealer here in Newcastle with the car still in the last few months of extended warranty they wanted nothing to do with it and neither did Volvo. Funny thing is after doing some research on it Volvo has been replacing some out of warranty for free in the US. Guess bigger market with more angry customers.
Think it was $1100 for a new one fitted by the dealer and can’t be resealed but I told them they could shove it and ended up just getting it done under insurance after pushing for it. The windscreen guy said he’s done three Volvo’s for the same thing. Said it should be a recall because as the windscreen is an integral part of the cars structure and safety including how even airbags deploy. A potentially faulty loose windscreen obviously isn’t great as it could pop out in an accident.
It basically fell out when he did it and looked terrible. No way you could reuse it. All the black lining on the inside of the outer glass was stuffed.
Awesome. Just what I didn't want to hear.
I'll organise a fix ASAP.
Will national windscreens be adequate? They've always been the cheapest in the past. I don't have rain sensing wipers, so I'll save money there.
I had O'Brien replace the screen in my C30 due to a stone breakage...they used aftermarket screen and rubber seal and I wasn't really happy with how the seal had a gap in the mitred corner at the top. Note this is a raw edge glass on the C30 (I assume V50 is same but not sure) so the seal sort of sits down in the gap underflush to the windscreen. I know the rubber seal is probably more of a filler to prevent junk getting down there rather than a weather seal as that's done by the urethane, but IMHO having a gap in the upper corners of the rubber seal can allow water to get down between the urethane bead and rubber seal easier than the original design where the mitred corner seemed to be bonded together at least...I asked Shannons whether they'd spring for a genuine screen and of course they said no but I didn't push it. I have requested genuine screen in the 240 a couple times and they did pay for it...I bought the screen thru Volvo dealer and Shannons reimbursed me for it and paid the glass place to come out and install it. FWIW! :)
cubic25;135100 wroteAwesome. Just what I didn't want to hear.
I'll organise a fix ASAP.
Will national windscreens be adequate? They've always been the cheapest in the past. I don't have rain sensing wipers, so I'll save money there.
Whom ever is reputable in your local area's

Obrian near me is by far the best (local to me), mainly because shop near me is a franchise training shop so the instructors there are quite ruthless in ensuring a good job as done by the trainee's
carnut222;135102 wroteI had O'Brien replace the screen in my C30 due to a stone breakage...they used aftermarket screen and rubber seal and I wasn't really happy with how the seal had a gap in the mitred corner at the top. Note this is a raw edge glass on the C30 (I assume V50 is same but not sure) so the seal sort of sits down in the gap underflush to the windscreen. I know the rubber seal is probably more of a filler to prevent junk getting down there rather than a weather seal as that's done by the urethane, but IMHO having a gap in the upper corners of the rubber seal can allow water to get down between the urethane bead and rubber seal easier than the original design where the mitred corner seemed to be bonded together at least...I asked Shannons whether they'd spring for a genuine screen and of course they said no but I didn't push it. I have requested genuine screen in the 240 a couple times and they did pay for it...I bought the screen thru Volvo dealer and Shannons reimbursed me for it and paid the glass place to come out and install it. FWIW! :)
I just checked my S40 with factory glass and it has a gap its sort of a funny setup
This is what the gap looks like in upper corner on my aftermarket C30 windscreen seal...

carnut222;135115 wroteThis is what the gap looks like in upper corner on my aftermarket C30 windscreen seal...
Thats just a bad job
So why do the aftermarket ones have a seal, and the factory one does not?
cubic25;135117 wroteSo why do the aftermarket ones have a seal, and the factory one does not?
My original C30 factory windscreen did have a seal...it's just that the mitred corner was bonded together so it had no gap like what's shown in my photo of the replacement seal. Are you referring to the edge of the glass being visible? This is called raw edge glass and it's done for appearance by car manufacturers. It looks more streamlined with the glass appearing to almost butt up to the painted body panel with no obviously visible seal on the surface of the interface.
National Windscreen only want $350 for non genuine. He said $750 for genuine.
My car doesn't have auto wipers, so I suppose that is why it is a fair bit cheaper.

Has anyone ever noticed a difference between genuine and aftermarket? I asked the guy at National, and he said it is all the same shit......but of course he'd say that.

Just waiting to hear back from someone else before I book it in.
cubic25;135196 wroteNational Windscreen only want $350 for non genuine. He said $750 for genuine.
My car doesn't have auto wipers, so I suppose that is why it is a fair bit cheaper.

Has anyone ever noticed a difference between genuine and aftermarket? I asked the guy at National, and he said it is all the same shit......but of course he'd say that.

Just waiting to hear back from someone else before I book it in.
Depends on how thick the aftermarket glass is
some of it can be pretty thin which lets in more road noise
Also can be lower quality glass which means it hazes easier

I generally would not blink on using aftermarket glass as you care more about the quality of install job over the quality of the glass
Just heard back from another guy.
$240 and he is going to come to my house to do the job.

I'll let you guys know how the job goes. If he's good, I'll post details here in case anyone needs a glass guy.
4 months later
Any update on this, did it go well?

I've got an 09 V50 with failed adhesion along entire upper part of screen. Regardless of age this IS and always will be Volvo's responsibility.

I've found some info on the net that this factory issue seems to include XC60's (I'll never own one of those but it's still interesting for others) through till around 2013 as well (there is also mention that there was a class action in the USA). Does anyone have a source of info on which models and years are affected?

Seems to be the Genuine factory fitted Chinese made Fuyao brand screens starting 2009.

Some on what I could find on the net discussed that there was a factory error whereby the screens were never prepared properly with a primer prior to the adhesive. There is also mention that 9/10 times the screen can be successfully removed and can be reused properly.

My 07 V50 has an original Swedish made screen with no issue. 09 C30 had a non genuine Fuyao screen that was replaced for unknown reasons and no issue. 2011 V50 believed to not have this issue but warrants further investigation.

This deserves pressure on Volvo via the appropriate consumer channels. The least they can do is provide the screen FOC, it's us that spends hours dismantling the interior and days drying it. Even the occasional car is written off due water damage and again it is us that pay via our premiums.
Volvo Australia don't acknowledge the majority of faults subject to recall in the US here. They deserve a moment in the spotlight and some "shock and Orr" next to the banks for this behaviour.

Not just Volvo, Mercedes and others. As much as I dislike Japanese cars, really really dislike, it does seem they are a little better at acknowledgement of an error and trying to put it right.

Volvo try really hard to make a great product and for the most part they get it right, lying though when they get it wrong (like the windscreen which should be a safety recall) just wipes a shade of poo over everything good they do.
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