# Loose winshield seal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 24, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980 "2015-08-24T21:54:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/1 "2015-08-24T21:54:04Z")
Honda Civic 2008. Daughter sends att’d photo of passenger side, lower portion. (I will not see the real thing until Wednesday evening.) Does this need fixed, or can we just snip it off? (I can hope, can’t I?). Who fixes it, glass shop or body shop? Would comprehensive insurance cover this, like they do glass repair? Is this a typical failure, or should we be concerned about vandalism or other malice? (What could they have been trying to get at? But the sharp bends look unnatural.) ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/2 "2015-08-24T22:13:56Z")
I think I’d just swing by a glass shop and have them take a look at it. Obviously the seal is coming apart, so they may need to reseal the windshield which may just mean a new windshield. Certainly not the end of the world. I had two done at the same time in my garage and took them about an hour. The thing is these days, windshields are an integral part of the body structure and needed for crash worthiness. So a problem with the windshield seal may affect the way the body behaves in a crash. Anything with windshields needs to be corrected these days. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/3 "2015-08-24T22:17:22Z")
+1 - what Bing said. Glass shop is your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/4 "2015-08-24T23:31:24Z")
That looks like the wire from an add on satellite radio antenna. Where does the other end go to? ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/5 "2015-08-25T03:20:39Z")
Thanks, all. Will check w/ insurance in case they determine that it was vandalism. (“I can hope, can’t I?”) Then run by a glass shop. Have not had a chance to trace “other end” yet, nor to see if it’s all rubber or a wire; bought car used 5 yrs ago, and suspect that previous owner did not have satellite radio. But we shall see. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/6 "2015-08-26T04:09:43Z")
My first impression was the same as Nevada. It looks like a wire to something aftermarket that should have been run under the A pillar trim… but wasn’t. Perhaps one of her friends was bored during a ride and dug the wire out. Kids do strange things. My daughter’s BF of a long time ago ripped the VIN label off her dashboard. He was a trouble-making jerk. I had to ban him from my property. She outgrew him years ago, thank God. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/7 "2015-08-26T12:58:15Z")
Ah! TSMB, N\_545 – now I get it. I thought the photo was from outside, with passenger-side A-pillar on left of photo. You seem to think photo is interior. I’ll ask her about that, and I expect to see the car this evening. She was also making appointment w/ insurance adjustor. Thanks, again. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/8 "2015-08-26T15:59:00Z")
Looks like a bent up coat hanger to me, why it would be there who knows, let us know! ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/9 "2015-08-26T19:16:26Z")
Art, the photo is from outside… but it looks to me like the loose whatever-it-is is inside, being photographed through the glass. It’ll be interesting to find out what it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/10 "2015-08-28T21:17:56Z")
That rubber string is from a gasket that runs in the joint between the roof and the side, starting at the bottom corner of the windshield. The joint also has some decorative trim along the edge of the roof. By the time I saw it Wednesday evening the rubber string had peeled back to just behind the front door. Thursday morning the insurance adjustor, who works out of a side office at a dealership chains’ “collision center” said it’s probably OK as is, but watch in next heavy rain to see if anything leaks. The adjustor trimmed off the loose part. ---
**Author:** ![chaissos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/chaissos/32/2347_2.png) [@chaissos](https://community.cartalk.com/u/chaissos)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/11 "2015-08-28T23:34:47Z")
Not sure I’d trust that adjuster to know whether or not the windshield is secure, and would still seek advice from someone who knows what they’re doing. The last adjuster I talked to knew zero about maintenance and/or repair. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/12 "2015-08-29T00:09:52Z")
Would like to know the insurance company, I would not consider an adjuster cutting off a loose seal and saying watch in the next heavy rain for leaks proper protocol. The potential of water damage to my car including electronics.and carpet is a liability they have now incurred maybe! I would be calling corporate to see if that is what they consider a reasonable solution to your issue! So lets say it leaks, screws up some electrical components and saturates the carpet, and say it sat for a week before you went back in the car and it is now moldy and electronics have gremlins, are you covered? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/13 "2015-08-29T11:56:45Z")
I don’t think insurance is going to pay for a windshield seal anyway, whether it leaks or not. I had a leaky one and insurance replaced the windshield but it was due to sandblasting of the glass creating a vision problem. If the glass is otherwise ok, I think resealing or replacement is on the OP so insurance is off the hook. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/14 "2015-08-30T18:29:08Z")
My thoughts, exactly. I deliberately did not express them, just to see what the experts would say. The insurance adjustor had been schedule when – based on the photo – I thought/hoped the damage was from vandalism, and maybe covered under comprehensive. (I’ve encountered some adjustors who actually knew about body work; more hope.) Next stop is at a “real” body shop. Since this gasket runs all the way back along the roof, I think it’s not windshield. Again, we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/15 "2015-09-03T19:03:32Z")
Daughter got the car to a trusted body shop this morning. They said the gasket (or whatever it is) does not need to be replaced. If she wants to replace it, it will cost $100. That’s the most reliable advice I’ve gotten since two roofing companies, when asked for estimates, said “You don’t need a new roof.” ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/16 "2015-09-04T02:26:48Z")
Your money, right? If so, have the shop just stuff the gasket back where it belongs. Unless that also costs $100. Then go whole hog. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/17 "2015-09-04T06:32:01Z")
Do you have a steady enough hand to run a small bead of black silicone silastic in the groove before stuffing the loose whatever-it-is back in there? ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 7:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/18 "2015-09-04T07:22:15Z")
" said it’s probably OK as is, but watch in next heavy rain to see if anything leaks. The adjustor trimmed off the loose part. " As stated previously this is just plain outright wrong, customer no service to the nth degree! ---
**Author:** ![old\_544](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@old\_544](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_544)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/loose-winshield-seal/90980/19 "2015-09-06T02:20:49Z")
difficult to tell what the object is, but…how about wire for hands free mic for added on phone system?