2011 Buick Regal

© 2011 National Glass Association. All rights reserved. Visit GlassMagazine.com for glass removal and replacement instructions for more than 450 vehicles. To sign up to receive the For Technicians Only e-bulletin, email FTO@glass.org.

Vehicle type: Four-door sedan

NAGS numbers*: Windshield part number DW1852 solar, third visor, accessory bracket, underside molding, lower cowl retainer

Helpful tools or supplies: There is plenty of room to use a cold knife to cut out the windshield; however, due to the U-shaped molding, it is recommended that a power tool not be used for interior cutout.

Watch for: The lower cowl retainer is a little tight, so take care during removal to avoid damaging the cowl flange. Also, check the molding on the new windshield. The molding on the new part used for this installation was pulling away from the glass and had to be repaired and reattached.

*With permission from National Auto Glass Specifications. Call NAGS at 800/551-4012 or visit http://glass.mitchell.com/.

A. Windshield

Preparation

1. Cover the front seats, floorboards, dash and steering wheel with a clean drop cloth or disposable plastic covers. Note: Always wear eye and hand protection when working with glass. Make sure you have the right glass and moldings and that the urethane systems you are about to use are current. Windshield part number is DW1852.

2. Drape the fender with a fender cover and tape up any vulnerable areas on the vehicle to protect against possible damage. Tape up the defroster vents to prevent debris from falling into the openings.

3. Remove the rearview mirror by first removing the accessory bracket cover. Depress the two push-in retainers on the lower underside of the bracket cover, and pull off the bracket. There is a condensation pad under the cover that attaches to the bracket via two clips. Release the clips and let the sensor hang. To release the mirror, loosen the 25T Torx set screw and slide the mirror off the mirror bracket.

4. Remove the windshield-wiper nut covers.

5. Remove the windshield-wiper nuts using a 15-millimeter wrench or socket.

6. To remove the cowl panel, first remove the four push-in retainers from the front leading edge of the panel. You do not need to remove the two plastic nuts at the bottom of the A pillar, or the corner pieces that the cowl panel corners are tucked under, in order to remove the panel.

7. Start in a corner, and pry upwards on the panel to release the locking flange from the lower cowl retainer mounted on the lower glass edge. This is a little tight, so take care during removal to avoid damaging the cowl flange.

8. The top and side moldings are underside moldings that come on the new glass. Before beginning windshield removal, verify the new windshield is the correct one and the urethanes and primers are current. Never use outdated products as this could jeopardize the structural integrity of the vehicle and the safety of its passengers.

Removal

9. Make sure cutting blades are sufficiently sharp.

10. Before cutting out the windshield, remove contaminants from the glass and pinchweld to prevent contact with the urethane.

11. There is plenty of room to use a cold knife to cut out the windshield; however, due to the U-shaped molding, it is recommended that a power tool not be used for interior cutout. Remove the glass from the adhesive bead. The bead is not very wide, so cutout should be easy.

12. Take the windshield out of the opening using vacuum cups. Make sure the vacuum cups do not overlap a crack in the glass. Lift the glass and place it on a windshield stand or suitable workstation.

Installation

13. After cutting the windshield out, remove contaminants such as dirt, moisture and debris from the pinchweld. Clean the dashboard.

14. Dry fit the new glass to the opening. Mark your glass using a grease pencil or retention molding tape.

15. Place your vacuum cups on the new windshield in the appropriate location.

16. Set the windshield onto the old urethane.

17. Adjust both sides to the correct setting, marking the passenger side, then the driver side. Lift the glass and place it on a windshield stand or suitable workstation.

18. Follow the urethane manufacturer's recommendations for installation.

19. Clean the inside of the windshield using a urethane manufacturer-recommended product. Do not touch the bonding area of the windshield after cleaning, prepping or priming it.

20. Wear powder-free Nitrile gloves to protect against harsh chemicals.

21. Apply the glass prep and primer following the urethane manufacturer's recommendations.

22. Using the tool of your choice, remove the original urethane bead, leaving 1 mm-2 mm of existing urethane on the pinchweld. Make sure there are no contaminants and do not touch the pinchweld after you have prepped the area.

23. Apply the pinchweld primer only to the areas where needed, and follow the urethane manufacturer's recommendations. Allow preps and primers to dry as recommended by the urethane manufacturer.

24. Apply a triangular bead of urethane to the same path as the freshly cut urethane on the pinchweld. Before cutting your V-notch, cut the tip off of your nozzle with a nozzle-cutter. With the cut nozzle, measure to the top of the roofline, and at 1/16-inch higher than the roofline, make a mark on the nozzle with a pen or marker. Notch the nozzle up to the marked line; this will give you the appropriate triangular bead.

25. Lift the windshield from the windshield stand or workstation using vacuum cups. Set the windshield on the urethane at the mark you made during your dry fit. Lower the driver's side of the windshield onto the urethane and line it up with the dry-fit mark; it is now in place.

26. The windshield is now ready to be decked. Press firmly to ensure a good seal.

27. Before re-installing the parts, check for leaks. Use a leak detector to go over the perimeter of the windshield. If you find a leak, apply more pressure or add more urethane to the spot and ensure that the glass makes contact with the wet urethane.

28. Re-install the removed parts in reverse order.

29. Allow the urethane to cure according to the urethane manufacturer's recommended cure time before returning the vehicle to the customer. Warning: Disregarding the safe drive-away time that your urethane manufacturer recommends could jeopardize the structural integrity of the vehicle and the safety of its passengers.

30. You have completed the removal and replacement of the windshield. 

© 2011 National Glass Association. All rights reserved. Visit GlassMagazine.com for glass removal and replacement instructions for more than 450 vehicles. To sign up to receive the For Technicians Only e-bulletin, email FTO@glass.org.