2011 Nissan Sentra

© 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 FW02729

Helpful tools or supplies: Ford fork mirror tool or a small pocket slot screwdriver for rearview mirror removal; new top molding; might also require new clips

Watch for: The eight A-pillar molding clips on the underside of the cowl panel can break in cold weather.

*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 FW0279.

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. Rearview mirror removal is the same as that of Ford vehicles. Insert either the Ford fork mirror tool or a small pocket slot screwdriver into the slot in the base of the mirror at a slight angle, and wiggle the mirror off the pad.

4. Remove the windshield-wiper nut covers.

5. Remove the windshield-wiper nuts using a 14-millimeter wrench or socket.

6. With the hood closed, use a tack puller tool to remove the push-in style retainers located in the top two corners, slightly under the corners of the hood.

7. Open the hood.

8. To remove the cowl panel, remove the four expansion-type retainers along the front leading edge. Pull the panel out from under the lower glass edge.

9. The A-pillar molding extends from the fender to the back glass. It is clipped down with a two-clip system: one clip attached to the body and one inserted into the molding.

10. There are two ways to release the molding from the vehicle:

1. Pry out the molding clip from the body clip. To do so, place the tip of a molding tool or door-pad pry tool above the body clip. Press down and push the tool under the molding clip. Pry upwards to release the four clips along the pillar. Then, use a plastic pry tool or your gloved fingers to lift up on the roof clips, one at a time, to the back of the trim piece.
2. Slide the molding from the clips. This method might prevent damage to the clips. Start by lifting up and releasing the roof clips.
   
   
   Then, grasp the molding and slide it off the side molding clips. Use a small pocket screwdriver to pry outward on the body-clip grip, and release the molding clip from the body clip. Immediately reinstall the molding clip to the appropriate position on the molding.

11. The top molding is a vinyl-coated metal top molding that must be replaced with every installation. To remove, pry out a portion in one of the corners. Grasp and pull from the top glass edge. If it is firmly adhered and breaks several times during removal, cut it off and pull out the rest.

12. 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

13. Make sure cutting blades are sufficiently sharp.

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

15. Use a cold knife to remove the glass from the adhesive bead on the three sides. Use a long-handled utility knife or power tool to cut the bottom, as it is recessed.

16. 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

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

18. Attach the top molding to the new glass edge.

19. There are no gravity stops on this vehicle, nor is there a firewall to allow for installation of a temporary stop. Make adjustments to deal with the lack of gravity stops.

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

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

22. Set the windshield onto the old urethane.

23. 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.

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

25. 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.

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

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

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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.

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

33. 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.

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

35. 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.

36. 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.