Double glazed side windows

[Dark Andrew]

Does anybody know much about the double glazed side window option? Are the windows double glazed in the traditional sense, with two sheets of glass separated by an air gap or are they laminated like the main windscreen with a plastic film sandwiched between two sheets of glass?

[chrispy]

Think you will find they are just laminated, in otherwords marketing have been at work!

Chris

[jlindstrom]

They're laminated. But from experience I can tell you, they're brilliant! I have them and wouldn't give them up for all the money in the world.. well, maybe for all the money but you get the idea ;)

That's the one thing about the car that I've loved the most, it's pretty damn quiet. Coming from Octavia vRS, those who have driven it will understand, I've really started appreciate the silence.. octy was brilliant but loud.

[Dark Andrew]

Unfortunately my dealer has now just informed me that this option is not available. Is he messing me around or is it genuinely unavailable (discontinued, trouble with stock, etc?). They have a standard SE tech due in by the end of March (which they have reserved for me) and since a special order would not arrive until May, I wonder if they are saying this to get the sale completed before the end of the financial year? Maybe another dealer could give me their opinion (and maybe even get a sale out of it).

[andyj]

canonman on here is a sales guy at Willoughby Seat in Nottingham (see their forum section: http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=255 )

Might be worth getting in touch, and seeing what he can do for you ;)

[Dark Andrew]

Thanks. After reading your opinions I decided to hold out for the double glazed side windows and rang around a couple of alternative dealers in my area. All were happy to order me an Exeo SE Tech with the double glazed side windows option on the "no vat promotion", told my dealer this and a couple of hours later all sorted.

[chrispy]

Sorry hijacking thread, but it is related.

Just been looking at the manufacturers sales booklet and it sates for SE version 'in addition to S: Acoustic windscreen (amongst other additions.
As all cars have to have a laminated screen, what is the difference :confused:

I spoke to a windscreen Co. recently re a replacement screen, to be told there was only one screen listed the in their book, the Audi A4.

Now I’m really confused :confused:

Exeo SE 143

Chris

[Dark Andrew]

According to Saflex, the manufacturers of the glass, acoustic windscreens feature an extra layer of "acoustic" PVB in the interlayer between the two sheets of glass. They claim that the acoustic windscreen reduces noise inside the cabin by as much as 3dB and this rises to 5dB when combined with similarly laminated side glass. My daughter is hearing impaired and as such anything that can be done to reduce background noise is worth doing, especially if it only costs £200.

I do wonder though how you can be sure you've got the right screen in your car when you've had nothing else in there to compare it with? I'm assuming it's marked in the corner somewhere with a brand name such as "Saflex Q".

[chrispy]

The window Co. that I spoke to are a customer of mine.
The manager showed me the glass availability on the computer and there was no 'special' options re acoustic windscreens.

He was the source of my previous comment that it is marketing talk.

Methinks there is an issue here.

Will speak to VAG on Monday re this.

Chris

[Dark Andrew]

So, if the "acoustic windscreen" in your SE/SE Lux cracked and had to be replaced the windscreen co. in question would replace it with a generic part that fitted but may not be to the same specification? I guess you'd have to be quite carefull in ensuring that the replacement screen was actually to the same spec as the original - maybe shop around a bit. Do VAG supply replacement screens or are we limited to companies such as Silver Shield and Autoglass?

Over the years I've had a couple of replacement screens, both in my old Honda Civic as it happens, and the quality of the replacement screens varied greatly - one was quite clearly inferior and would chip with extreme ease (needless to say it didn't last long and needed replacing itself after about a year) whilst the second appeared considerably tougher and lasted until I sold the car some time later.

[OLDOILER]

The web site you were talking about, its very interesting. I wonder because this is a "New product 2009>" you might find the correct screen under Audi B7, just a thought. ....................................................
http://www.saflex.com/en/Automotive.aspx
I also think we would ALL need to question a third party fitting company that they can acutally supply this glass too and NOT what was fitted to the old B7 Audi platform. Have found two suppliers in the UK for this glass, both I have dealt with in procurement for the transportation ind.

[chrispy]

Not had a chance to contact VAG yet, form previous profesional dealings I wouldnt hold out much hope of a sensible answer either :(

But by coincedence a colleague just had a screen changed so I asked the Autoglass guy and he stated that he had never knowingly fitted an accoustic screen, and he wouldnt know how to identify one either.

Good point about the model year, did Audi fit accoustic screens to the B7 platform?

BTW I still have a cracked screen, out of direct vision area so will get done when I have resolved the issue.

Chris

[OLDOILER]

Not had a chance to contact VAG yet, form previous profesional dealings I wouldnt hold out much hope of a sensible answer either :(

But by coincedence a colleague just had a screen changed so I asked the Autoglass guy and he stated that he had never knowingly fitted an accoustic screen, and he wouldnt know how to identify one either.

Chris A tip for your Autoglass man : the screen is THINNER and LIGHTER than than the old B7 platform [ these screens only became available late 2008 >

[Tony Lawrence]

A tip for your Autoglass man : the screen is THINNER and LIGHTER than than the old B7 platform [ these screens only became available late 2008 >


And it also states 'Acoustic' in the bottom corner, cannot remember which side. My screen was replaced by Humphries Seat, not sure which company they used.

[OLDOILER]

Cheers for that Tony Lawrence!!

[canonman]

canonman on here is a sales guy at Willoughby Seat in Nottingham (see their forum section: http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=255 )

Might be worth getting in touch, and seeing what he can do for you ;)


Thanks Andy :-)

[Dark Andrew]

I expect to be picking up my Exeo soon and wondered if anyone has any tips for checking that it has the laminated side windows as paid for (other than bashing the windows with a hammer to see if they shatter or not)? I've already asked jlindstrom, as he has this option, but he says they have no identifying markings.

Maybe the standard toughened glass windows have markings that these don't have?
Maybe if you look at the polished ends you can see the two sheets of glass sandwiching the plastic film?

Any ideas?

[jlindstrom]

In case anyone is still wondering about this, there's an easy way to identify the double glazed windows. Just open them half way and look at them. The double glazed windows look like, you guessed it, two window glasses glued together.

See the links below:

http://db.tt/Eh2e8N8
http://db.tt/Hd61n0K
http://db.tt/k35qNAk

Those should hopefully make 100% clear what I mean.

--

//Juha

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[loot1979]

Hi,

I'm new here and I read this post with great interest. I'm driving an Exeo Sport for about 1,5 months now (not the ST model) and I hear quite a bit of wind, especially above 135-140 kph (I'm belgian => kph :) ). I used to drive an A4 Avant S-Line (the B6-model) and it never bothered me.

Unfortunately the car isn't equipped with double glazed side windows and I'm wondering if this is possible to install this option after-market...? Because of it's thickness I'm afraid it will need some modifications to the door and the little motor for the automatic windows...
Or is it just switching the glass sheets?

The back window can be easily replaced with the double glazed window, I presume...? In the front, I have an acoustic windshield.

[jlindstrom]

I'm not 100% certain on this one, but I'm fairly confident it's just a matter of changing the glass sheets. The option costs 300€ including our huge car tax when purchasing a new Exeo. That would mean the pre-tax price for dealer is somewhere around 150€ and that still includes their margin/profit etc related costs...

I'd be really surprised if for that kind of money you'd get more than different sheets of glass.

As for the rear window, there's no double glazing /acoustic option for that one. It's double glazed side windows only.

As far as wind noise, I do my regular commute to work mostly around 135-140kph and get almost no wind noise in my exeo st. I'd like to say I get none, but scientifically I'd propaby be lying :-)

Anyway, the only noise I'd like to reduce in my exeo is just normal tyre/road noise. And even that's pretty well sorted.. all in all I'm very happy with the noise levels. AND I don't have the acoustic windscreen, so doing this you should be in even better situation!

I'd guess the retrofit of these windows could end up somewhere in the 500-1000€ price range. At least here windscreen replacements are around 450€ and this would be more expensive for sure.

//Juha
--

//Juha

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[loot1979]

If true, and I hope so :D , it would be great news. I'll go by the dealership soon and post it here.

On another forum 'McDonald' commented that the windnoise could come from the 'chrome trim' around the windows. The car was sold with a chrome package, my old A4 didn't have that option.

He says that an incorrectly mounted chrome trim could develop windnoise... I must say that it looks good on the car but if it were true, the windnoise is a terrible side-effect. :(