Rear windscreen glass temporarily NLA (summer 2020)

[nocfn]

Pilkington is no longer the supplier of back glass or door glass replacements. PGW does the laminated and door glass as well as the front screen going forward. I left that part off of the earlier post. Bob did call local Pilkington to get the rear replacement, they said they were told to get rid of all the inventory. I asked, destroy... he said no get it back to a centralized regional place... or something like that. So technically, one manufacturer will do the glass I am told and that is PGW for all replacements.

I am the messenger of information relayed to me. I wish it was not the information I got, but it is. The E420/400 glass is also NLA for the same reason. It will not always be the case I am told.

 

[JC220]

I have asked my local MB parts manager to check what the story is with this glass. He agrees with me that a "supplier change" as suggested by others appears highly unlikely

I spoke to my dealer today after they checked this out. As we know they say no stock in Germany or europe for the 500E rear glass. He says you can place an order but it may not be produced again or would at the very least take weeks or months.

There are NO notes regarding supplier change he can find. Basically zero stock but not hard NLA yet but could go that way I guess

 

[JC220]

Always buckle up for safety

£525 gbp for future reference

 

[gerryvz]

Generally, if the intent is no longer to ever produce the part, there will be a note in the Paragon system to that effect. Sort of a "Final NLA" type of note.

 

[nocfn]

So a funny Email I got today from PGW: We are a wholesale distribution outfit and do not manufacture any glass at all. We only deliver aftermarket glass to glass shops.

So there you have it from Pittsburgh Glass, we are not going to make it but we will distribute it.

 

[JC220]

Pilkington is no longer the supplier of back glass or door glass replacements. PGW does the laminated and door glass as well as the front screen going forward. I left that part off of the earlier post. Bob did call local Pilkington to get the rear replacement, they said they were told to get rid of all the inventory. I asked, destroy... he said no get it back to a centralized regional place... or something like that. So technically, one manufacturer will do the glass I am told and that is PGW for all replacements.

I am the messenger of information relayed to me. I wish it was not the information I got, but it is. The E420/400 glass is also NLA for the same reason. It will not always be the case I am told.

So a funny Email I got today from PGW: We are a wholesale distribution outfit and do not manufacture any glass at all. We only deliver aftermarket glass to glass shops.

So there you have it from Pittsburgh Glass, we are not going to make it but we will distribute it.

I thought it sounded highly improbable that after 25+ years MB would decided to change suppliers for glass screens of a w124. When I mentioned this to my local parts manager he said this is unheard of.

I believe and hope that if enough people place an order now with their dealer then MB will instruct another batch from Pilkington and we will see them become available in a few weeks / months.

If not enough people place an order then who knows could go NLA for good. It is after all a rear screen specific to a 500E and they have already NLAd alot of 500E specific parts so it is really that surprising?

Again, people can place an order now for a screen. If you want one - do it. The more folks place an order now the more likely MB will have more produced.

 

[alibo70]

Encountered the same response. Zero inventory anywhere. Placed an order, hopefully enough can do the same for Pilkington to make another batch.

 

[Whitemamba23]

I really hope they produce them again. I put in an order yesterday at my local dealer. My rear glass cracked this weekend.

 

[jaymanek]

Guys good news!

Well the pilkington glass I ordered is lost in transit, they are still trying to locate and no more stock in Europe. Showing as delivered to my local glass fitter but they havent got it!

But in the meantime, the genuine dealer glass arrived today!

They are back in stock!

woohoo.

 

[jaymanek]

Nice surprise eh!

 

[gsxr]

If only the price would come down. These are expensive to hoard and difficult to store safely...

 

[gerryvz]

I'm going to be going into MB Annapolis later today. I'll have them check Parts-B-Gon to see if there are any in the US, or in Germany...

 

[JC220]

I predict no stock again in a few days as members buy em up

 

[jaymanek]

Ive ordered another... I want to have two spares. One will be used soon so one will be spare across my 2 cars.

 

[JC220]

I would also hazard a guess that as much as 80% of members 500Es on here could benefit from a new rear screen. They all degrade and delaminate with age.

Ask yourself:

Do all of the fine heater bars function in winter?
Is there any white or clear delamination starting at the edges?
Or other chips or cracks.

Be honest now!

 

[Jlaa]

I would also hazard a guess that as much as 80% of members 500Es on here could benefit from a new rear screen. They all degrade and delaminate with age.

Ask yourself:

Do all of the fine heater bars function in winter?
Is there any white or clear delamination starting at the edges?
Or other chips or cracks.

Be honest now!

Yes mine had started to degrade, but, the good news is that is that if you store your car in a dry enough climate (i.e. not Atlantis), the rear windscreen can start to heal itself. The pictures below represent (1) October 2016 and (2) March 2020.

During 3.5 year period between the pictures, the car has not seen precipitation, nor has it been washed with water.

 

[Whitemamba23]

I'm going to be going into MB Annapolis later today. I'll have them check Parts-B-Gon to see if there are any in the US, or in Germany...

Any word on stock?

 

[nocfn]

Just an experiment I had back several years ago when I replaced my C126 backglass. The replaced glass was tinted and had substantial delam. When I practiced with a wall paper steamer removing the tint, the heat from the steam on both sides of the glass actually helped to "minimize" the appearance of delam. So I have no scientific or recorded video or pics, but the heat of the steam did show some promise on the "glue" between the glass by minimizing the whiteness of the glue.

 

[JC220]

Just an experiment I had back several years ago when I replaced my C126 backglass. The replaced glass was tinted and had substantial delam. When I practiced with a wall paper steamer removing the tint, the heat from the steam on both sides of the glass actually helped to "minimize" the appearance of delam. So I have no scientific or recorded video or pics, but the heat of the steam did show some promise on the "glue" between the glass by minimizing the whiteness of the glue.

Hmmm I have a parts car C124 with delam. (Same laminated rear screen type as the E500E)

If you guys think of a test regime here I'm willing to try it out on that cadaver! Heat gun?

 

[nocfn]

I also found that a common element to delam is the mositure that sat in the window seal (c126 floats in rubber). The materials used back in the 80's (production ended in 91) was like pipe dope that was pressed on to the sheet metal, rubber seal went around the glass, the glass was placed in the opening. The pipe dope dried out over the years, moisture set in the seal, and the structural channel causing rust. I noticed on mine that the metal wires of the defroster were rusting as well. Again (C126 and W124 are differing designs) So when I put in the NOS backglass for the C126, I also ran a bead of silicone (safe for auto class) to coat the bottom corners 12" and the bottom, forming a U since the C126 design basically has the glass sitting in moist conditions for the life of the car.

 

[nocfn]

Jedi, I used the steam when the glass was out of the car, might be interesting on the cadaver with a heat gun. Is there any way you can compress the two halves of the glass together (wear gloves) so that the heated glass and glue fuse together? That is how it seemed to minimize in my example.

 

[JC220]

Jedi, I used the steam when the glass was out of the car, might be interesting on the cadaver with a heat gun. Is there any way you can compress the two halves of the glass together (wear gloves) so that the heated glass and glue fuse together? That is how it seemed to minimize in my example.

I'm kind of thinking is a heat gun maybe too instant and maybe an infrared heater for a few hours might give a better outcome

 

[JC220]

Yes mine had started to degrade, but, the good news is that is that if you store your car in a dry enough climate (i.e. not Atlantis), the rear windscreen can start to heal itself. The pictures below represent (1) October 2016 and (2) March 2020.

During 3.5 year period between the pictures, the car has not seen precipitation, nor has it been washed with water.

View attachment 114040 View attachment 114039

Your 500E hasn't been rained on or washed in the pedestrian format in 3.5 years?



Whilst I never take my classics out in the rain, totally avoiding it is impossible in Atlantis as you call it


However I could not live without being able to use my Kranzle, wool wash pad, 3 bucket method and super thick snow foam / wash suds

 

[Dunnik]

Had a somewhat similar issue. The original front windscreen is pitted, took it into a dealer last year (rather than a chain auto glass store, as usual). They told me their glass guy only works for them, and has 30 years experience with MB. The chrome trim, I was told, is NLA and the glass guy didn't want to take the chance that the trim piece would snap or bend. The glass itself, however, was not NLA, though had to be ordered from Germany. At the time, they had decent inventory levels. Pitting is not so bad that I can't live with it, so I have, for now. Intend to revisit from time to time.

 

[gsxr]

The original front windscreen is pitted, took it into a dealer last year ... The chrome trim, I was told, is NLA and the glass guy didn't want to take the chance that the trim piece would snap or bend.

The trim around the front windshield is NLA. But it is not prone to bending or snapping, if handled carefully. It's anodized black, btw.. not chrome. If it looks bright silver, the finish has faded from sun exposure.

 

[Jlaa]

Your 500E hasn't been rained on or washed in the pedestrian format in 3.5 years?



Whilst I never take my classics out in the rain, totally avoiding it is impossible in Atlantis as you call it


However I could not live without being able to use my Kranzle, wool wash pad, 3 bucket method and super thick snow foam / wash suds

To be fair, now that it is almost October 2020, the time elapsed has now been four years.
I just popped in the garage and took another picture. I think there has been a tiny bit more progress since March 2020..... compare the edge at the bottom of the photo between March / September 2020. I remember that I experimented with a hairdryer in the March 2020 timeframe without any appreciable difference - perhaps all the heavy lifting had been done already by the dry climate here.

 

[Dunnik]

The trim around the front windshield is NLA. But it is not prone to bending or snapping, if handled carefully. It's anodized black, btw.. not chrome. If it looks bright silver, the finish has faded from sun exposure.

Yep, my bad - it is faded from the sun (SoCal car).

So you think I should I take it in, and take my chances? Their glass guy does seem careful, after all he didn't want to touch it for fear of breakage, knowing the trim is NLA. As noted pitting is present, but its more of a borderline safety issue rather than a full on one.

 

[gsxr]

Yep, my bad - it is faded from the sun (SoCal car).

So you think I should I take it in, and take my chances? Their glass guy does seem careful, after all he didn't want to touch it for fear of breakage, knowing the trim is NLA. As noted pitting is present, but its more of a borderline safety issue rather than a full on one.

For the FRONT windshield, if the installer is top-notch, I would not be overly concerned about external trim damage. Absolute worst case you'd need to source replacement used trims. They may need to replace some of the clips which hold the trim to the roof but that's about it. I'm a little surprised the 30-year tech was reluctant to do the job.

The REAR glass is a different story... those trims are NLA and can bend much more easily than the fronts. I'd be paranoid about the rears. The seal and glass have to be cut out so the trims can be extracted without prying.

 

[Markus-MD]

The REAR glass is a different story... those trims are NLA and can bend much more easily than the front.

I have vor two week s all of the Trims here in Germany orderd and was delliverd next day. in Germersheim a lot of this in stock for the coupe .

For 036 iam not sure

 

[Dunnik]

Noted and thanks!

 

[sheward]

For the FRONT windshield, if the installer is top-notch, I would not be overly concerned about external trim damage. Absolute worst case you'd need to source replacement used trims. They may need to replace some of the clips which hold the trim to the roof but that's about it. I'm a little surprised the 30-year tech was reluctant to do the job.

+1 They are not that difficult to remove unharmed. If anyone should need I have used replacements. Shipping is the issue on the long ones.

drew

 

[JC220]

For the FRONT windshield, if the installer is top-notch, I would not be overly concerned about external trim damage. Absolute worst case you'd need to source replacement used trims. They may need to replace some of the clips which hold the trim to the roof but that's about it. I'm a little surprised the 30-year tech was reluctant to do the job.

Yes for the most part the front trims are easy to remove.

For the most part.

Because sometimes some of the windscreen adhesive can have grabbed the edge of the metal trim and it could bend on removal. (Whilst I have removed 30+ such trims on w124s over the years only a couple had this issue. I presume they were not the original windscreens so this could be installer error)

Careful does it.

 

[Whitemamba23]

Picked up today

 

[nehuge]

Picked up today

Okay guys, so I read through this however I have questions and would like reiteration.
First of all, forgive me for having a non 500e regular w124 lol

I need back glass.
I think mine was the one PN ending in 3380.
Would the one ending in 1080 work on regular w124 or does it only fit 500e? If it were to fit mine, does the 1080 have defrost elements?

 

[gsxr]

A1246701080 compound glass has fine-wire defroster heating elements which are nearly invisible. Although only offered in USA on the 124.036 chassis, the A1246701080 glass will fit all years of W124 sedans.

It will not fit the coupé, and more obviously, not cabrio or wagons/estates.

-3380 is the standard, cheaper rear glass with big ugly defroster wires. Interestingly, A1246703380 appears to be NLA/discontinued by MB, although it may be available via aftermarket sources.

Fancy rear glass:
https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1246701080?tt=automatic, manual

Standard rear glass:
https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1246703380?tt=automatic, manual

 

[nehuge]

A1246701080 compound glass has fine-wire defroster heating elements which are nearly invisible. Although only offered in USA on the 124.036 chassis, the A1246701080 glass will fit all years of W124 sedans.

It will not fit the coupé, and more obviously, not cabrio or wagons/estates.

-3380 is the standard, cheaper rear glass with big ugly defroster wires. Interestingly, A1246703380 appears to be NLA/discontinued by MB, although it may be available via aftermarket sources.

Fancy rear glass:
https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1246701080?tt=automatic, manual

Standard rear glass:
https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1246703380?tt=automatic, manual

View attachment 136867 View attachment 136868 View attachment 136869

So this part number if I get it from the dealership is my only place to get it right now? I called PGW but they want an account number to even look it up. How does one make this happen besides that thousand-dollar dealership one?

 

[gsxr]

Best case is finding a dealer that will sell at a discount and allow local pickup... can be found for $600-$700 online but AFAIK nobody will ship it. If you don't live within a few hours of a discount dealer, that will be a problem.

For example:

124-670-10-80 - Rear Window 1958-1993 Mercedes-Benz | MB Parts Source

Factory Direct Rear Window (1246701080) For Your 1958-1993 Mercedes-Benz Vehicle. Up To 35% Off On Every Order And Guaranteed Fit When You Enter Your VIN!

www.mbpartsource.com

 

[MB V8]

Were you only interested in new glass? Or is used glass an option for you?

 

[Jimbo]

Heads up !

The correct 124 670 1080 is back in stock thru MB....not many pieces are offered for sale tho.

 

[kegmankipp]

Heads up !

The correct 124 670 1080 is back in stock thru MB....not many pieces are offered for sale tho.

Happen to see if the rubber gasket and metal
trim is available?

 

[nocfn]

Recently informed that PGW is not the supplier of the glass for our cars. Bob in Naperville said it just changed in the last 30 days or so, and they will not drop ship (SHI%). So it looks like if you need a new back glass you are going to be about 2k (save your top joint cover its NLA)

 

[gsxr]

$2k? Did the price of the glass increase, or does that include installation?

 

[nocfn]

Install, all the trims and supplies. Will not be paying all of that of course since I plan to drive the car with no trim on it. They will remove glass and prime, affix my trim to the glass and set it. I expect 40-60% less labor costs and supplies. I did let them know that all of my trim has less than 5k miles on it (LMAO) and have no desire to replace it. The joint cover apparently is NLA.

Hell, I would remove the glass with a hammer to save the trim and drive it to them. Keep in mind the labor is worst case, including the removal of sunshade that I do not have. They are working with me on the pricing but I want it to be perfect and it is what it is.

 

[Jimbo]

Your car does not have the rear sunshade? I thought all USA cars had them as OE....

Did you or the PO remove it?

 

[Kridre]

I'm on the hunt for rear glass for my 400E... I destroyed mine when I was cutting out the rear subframe mount, I forgot to cover it from the inside and now I have a lot of small holes that were burned out by the cutting wheel... I'm so angry at myself right now, this glass is less than 4 years old...



I went to the dealer and it's NLA code 49, last price 4300PLN... I called a few shops around, and they got nothing, not even the standard 124 tempered rear glass!!! They checked: Securit, Pilkington, Nordglass, absolutely nothing... I found only one place with standard, not laminated rear glass of unknown manufacturer.

I do think that rear glass will be NLA in the US really soon, so if someone needs one, then just bite the bullet and buy it.

Edit: I just called pilkington directly, they told me that there is possibility of another production run and that it is not listed as NLA. I hope this is true.

 

[nocfn]

I replaced my back glass with the dealer, and there were many as MB changed supplier. While the e500e backglass was NLA for quite a while,there was no delay at all for it. IIRC this was just 6 months ago after waiting for it a long time.

 

[gsxr]

A1246701080 still shows available as of Sept-2023:

Mercedes-Benz Classic Parts Search.

Browse through the Mercedes-Benz Classic Parts Search to see the availability of parts, promotional and newly manufactured parts and order them online (only in Germany).

partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com

 

[nocfn]

OP Kidre wrote in ....400E. So are we looking for E500E glass, that is rectified and there are plenty available in US and I even bought one. MBUSA changed national suppliers and that created an issue for lots of glass in the states, but that is not the case now. I personally had new installed not long ago.

 

[gsxr]

Outside USA, the fancy compound glass (standard in USA-spec E500E) was optional on all 124 sedans, even on the 036!

The standard glass 124-670-33-80 shows as NLA, this isn't an option anymore... ditto for the Euro-only 'crystal clear' glass 124-670-32-80. It's the good glass (that we have in all USA-spec E500E), or nothing.

https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1246703380

https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1246703280

 

[Kridre]

My 400E has the compound glass option, P/N 124-670-10-80. Maybe the situation in the US is different. I also saw that MB classic show this glass as available, but when I went to the dealer, they told me that there is zero stock in Germany (code 49).

I will be at the dealer again tomorrow to pick up some parts, and I will ask again just to be sure.