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Windshield replacement

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ecarfan

Well-Known Member
Moderator
I searched the Roadster forums for "windshield" but did not find any threads on this subject. Today my windshield took a hit from a small stone (it was so loud it sounded like a pistol shot, but am certain no one fired at my car, I was on the 280 in the SF Bay Area) and it took a tiny chunk out of the outer layer of glass while also creating a tiny 3-4mm crack in the inner layer of glass. I expect it may start growing.

So is the Roadster windshield the same as a Lotus Elise?

The VIN sticker is attached to the inner surface of the windshield. It will have to be peeled off and attached to the replacement windshield. Don't know what kind of adhesive will work to re-attach it. Any suggestions?

Hoping some of you have replaced the windshield and can offer some advice. I have not yet called Tesla or a local windshield company.
 
I heard (not confirmed) that there is a difference in the glass between Tesla and the Elise. While it will fit the cut-out for the VIN does not properly line up. So I would double check that. Also if you get it replaced please let us know the cost. I too have a rock scrape but no crack so I am just living with it, easy to do in my case.
 
Most insurance will "repair" a small crack, especially the chips, for free. "If it fits under a dollar bill", I think was the criteria... They send out a truck to wherever you are.

I've never had the fortune to have a crack that small (by the time I get to it, mine - non-Roadster - have grown long tails), so I don't know how well the repairs hold up.
 
We took a similar stone hit on our recent road trip, resulting in a pit on the outside about 3mm across and cracks emanating 3-4 mm from the center in 2 or 3 directions. I asked the Sunnyvale SC for windshield repair recommendations, and they referred me to Mike Cordoni at Glass Fusion, 408-472-9675. His cards says South Bay, but might include San Mateo. He comes to your location to repair the damage with acrylic. The repair is not invisible, but it reduces the chance of the cracks spreading. My repair was $75. I did not bother with insurance.

On a separate note, the windshield on our car has been removed and replaced (put back) because there was a water leak near the sun visor mount on the driver's side as evidenced by that mount being a little bit loose. It was very hard to demonstrate artificially, but a heavy rain was able to find its way in. I believe that the SC staff (in Menlo Park at that time) did the work themselves.
 
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The VIN is actually on a plate that is attached to the windshield frame, it is just flush against the glass, so you won't need to do anything with that. The windshields are the same between the Lotus and the Tesla, but there are differences with the tint available. I just looked at the four windshields I have (1.5,2.0, 2.5 and Lotus), and they are all the same with no cutout for the VIN. My guess is that the early cars either had a shorter VIN plate or used a windshield with more blacked-out area on the bottom (more likely) and required a cutout for the VIN. There is no aftermarket supplier that I know of, so you will need to go to the dealer. I installed a Lexan one from Sector 111 in my lotus when I got a price of $1200 for a glass one. It is $600 and is virtually indestructible. It would have been broken twice since then had I used a glass one, so I'm already $3000 ahead.
 
I had some issues with replacing the windshield on my 2.0 a couple of years ago. I believe the shape and contours across Roadsters are identical but there are differences in tint and VIN cutouts.

My original configuration was with the Solar Guard option, which I'm honestly not sure actually is. Anyway, I guess there is a Solar Guard vs. Non-solar guard windshield option for every Roadster. My windshield with Solar Guard has some black dots along the edges and a tinted or blacked out area behind the rear view mirror. There is a also a VIN cutout in the lower corner on the driver's side.

The local service center here ordered in the replacement window and when I saw it, it was clearly the wrong part. There was a blue tint running along the top of the windshield and no blacked out section behind the rear view mirror. There were no black dots along the edges. The VIN was obstructed.

I expressed those concerns to the service center and they had it replaced at no cost with the proper windshield.

I have no idea if the one with the blue tint was a Lotus windshield, a non-solar guard one, or a 1.5 or 2.5 one, but be careful. This replacement apparently confused the parts manager at my local service center.