2007- LR3 @96K Miles

Thanks for any inputs,
Mai

 

If it were me, I would not be replacing the glass if only the interior layer is cracked. I would just keep the sunscreens closed to kind of hide the crack.

Replacement of roof glass is not easy - the interior roof liner has to be first removed and this in itself is a big task; then there is the job of cutting out the existing and installing the new. I assume the existing glass does not leak in a rain storm; hopefully the new one would not either.

Generally there are three options re glass replacement.

1) Original Land Rover labelled glass made by Pilkington.

2) Pilkington labelled glass made by Pilkington; usually at about half the cost of the Land Rover marked glass.

3) Far East manufactured glass for about 2/3 rds the cost of the Pilkington labelled glass.

If you do the replacement, I suggest not to use option 3 glass.

 

Excellent INFO!!!

 

If you have a Land Rover dealer nearby, you have to find out which local glass shop they send their vehicles to re glass replacement, usually most often windscreens.

Even changing a windscreen out is not routine so there is usually one shop and one guy who specializes in Land Rover. That shop and the worker will most likely also be the guy who does Mercedes, BMW and Audi glass as well. If there is no local LR dealer so to speak, then you find out where Mercedes et all go for glass and try to beg that shop to do yours LR as well.

In short, glass does not come thru BP Utah or the like, it comes thru a vehicle glass installer supply chain.

Once you find the guy, they should have the detailed info. Also do not expect that they will welcome a roof glass job - no one likes doing them.

Once they get the roof liner down, the installer runs into the antenna amplifiers, somewhere between 3 and 5 units minimum, plus side curtain air bags - avoiding that stuff is no fun.

There is also the unlocking receiver/transmitter is up there and if you have the roof mounted DVD player, that is even more stuff to avoid and then get back together.

This is in part why one must think a bit about how necessary new roof glass really is.

 

The moon roof glass, and the actual roof are one in the same. The entire unit is one piece. I know, I had mine replaced, several people have had issues with them cracking. It gradually gets worse and worse. I believe it's an issue with fitting, as I always had a period "creak" in the roof area, 2nd row seats since it was new. Since the replacement, the "creak" has gone away.

They need to order the glass off the VIN so they don't screw it up. Nonetheless they screwed it up, and it ended up taking 2 months to get the glass.

 

My LR3 is an 2007 - the parts sale man is offering a moon roof from 2006 LR3. He stated it is the same size as the 2007??

Anyone know differently??

Thanks in advance,
Mai-Illinois

 

This is where you have to trust the parts guy.

His computers will show that a particular part number is required for a particular VIN number. In other words if the serial number of your 3 is OK for a given part number, then the part fits.

Year of manufacturer is really a marketing inovation rather than a production concern; hence the reliance on VIN for determining if a part is appropriate or not.

 

bbyer, any suggested source for the windscreen, I'm thinking about replacing it, it's old and lots of minor chips, etc. I think also there is some slightly darker down here in the hot areas. (UV) levels? Where are you ordering in CA, perhaps they can suggest a source or installer in the states.

 

There are to my knowledge only about three common sources of windscreen glass for the 3.

These are:

Land Rover branded Pilkington Optikool

Pilkington branded Pilkington Optikool

No Name branded Far East sourced tinted

All are available with and without internal heat wires.


As best I can determine the Land Rover branded and Pilkington branded Optikool windscreens are identical; the only difference being the product path and glass marking.

The off shore product, that can be anywhere from OK to distorted. Ignoring the glass marking differences, the heated variety of off shore glass usually shows the connector tapes near the A pillars - they are not totally hidden by the A pillar plastic whereas on the Pilkington product, even the internal wires are almost hidden now.

I noted that on my new to me Pilkington branded heated windscreen, the wires seem to be less visible than they were on my factory Land Rover glass from nine years ago - progress I guess.

There was at least a five hundred dollar spread between the Land Rover and Pilkington branded glass and I guess that much again re the Off Shore but I do not know for certain as I did not even bother to check it out.

As to installers, all I can suggest is as I did, find out where your local Land Rover dealer gets his windscreens replaced and go there. As usual, there are some unique skills required related to the replacement of the rain sensor bits behind the mirror and also the hookup of the heat wires.

There is also a UK glass manufacturer, Guardian, that makes glass for the 3 but I do not think they retail into North America.

As to degree of tint, there may be a California tint option from Land Rover but of that I know nothing. I was trying to find glass that was Infra Red resistant, (Low Emissivity), but even that does not yet seem available.

I think US manufactured vehicles directed at the California and deep South markets have higher tint levels than for vehicles directed to the northern states, but I do not know for certain.

The jpg is the glass marking re my new screen.

 

guy in our local club had the roof glass replaced he said the glass was $900 + install, this was not at the dealer