dwboston

I had a rock hit and crack my windshield on the highway 2 weeks ago. It didn't sound too bad on impact, but it left a dime sized impact crater with two thin cracks coming out of it. We have full glass coverage with auto insurance in MA, so I called my insurance company, and was transferred to the "glass team". I explained to the rep that the car had a "special" windshield due to the HUD, and this is where things got confusing. He told me he had four A6 replacement windshields to choose from in his system, but he couldn't figure out which one was correct even after asking me several questions about the options on the car. He set up a appointment with the glass company for an OEM replacement, and said the glass company would confirm the appropriate replacement with Audi.

The installer came to my office this past Tuesday. I mentioned the confusion about the correct windshield to him, and he assured me that they had used the VIN number of the car to order the replacement from Audi. He showed me the replacement and it looked like exactly like the one on the car so I agreed and left him to do his work. When I came out that night to go home and started the car, I knew something was wrong right away. The HUD showed a blurry, double image on the windshield - it was distorted and actually disorienting to look at it.

I immediately called the glass company and complained. They only offered to have someone come "inspect" it and maybe I could get a "warranty replacement". I had to wait until the next morning to reach the insurance company, but the person I spoke to on the glass team was helpful, and was able to arrange another replacement for tomorrow. She told me the installer will be coming with two (!) possible replacement windshields - I guess they still don't know what the correct one is.

Everyone involved has been reasonably nice and helpful. Hopefully this can get solved tomorrow. Just be aware if you have the Innovation package that it may be difficult if you ever need to get your windshield replaced.

tenspeed

I remembered something about the HUD windshield and searched the forum. I found this link.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...98&postcount=4

"Do you have HUD?

If so, you need a special windsheild with variable thikness of the resin between the two glass panels. It helps with the curvature of the windsheild in producing a good reflection of the HUD image.

Make sure tha the "generic" windsheild place knows this!"

dwboston

Thanks for the link. I do have the HUD, and I did make the insurer and the glass replacement company aware of it and the fact that the car required a special windshield. They are supposedly bringing two possible replacement windshields with them today. Hopefully it gets sorted out.

gatorguy7

There aren't 4 different windshields for the A6 unless they have A6 and A7 in together. When my windshield needed to be replaced, I made sure that my windshield company only used an OEM one because that is only one which will work with the settings of the HUD since it is non adjustable. Even our largest windshield company in Orlando had to order it from Audi because they didn't have the HUD version in stock. Of course it was backordered and took a week and a half to get here.

Richard Solomon

Ah, but you don't think like a glass company - there's the one with and without the stripe at the top, then there's one with a stripe at the top *AND* special happiness-inducing light treatment, one which is unicorn-friendly, etc.

I think there were 8+ windshield variants for my C5 last time I had one done - including a horrible one with a metallic treatment which would have hosed my V1 Most of the "variants" are just different brands and profit-adders as opposed to different fitments or actual configurations.

gatorguy7

That is the exact crap I wanted to avoid and said it had to be OEM.

Richard Solomon

Did you get one with the Audi logo? I had a hell of a fight last time to get that - "OEM" to the glass guys seems to mean "OEM equivalent" or "an OEM, not necessarily the OEM" but after quite the runaround I eventually got Audi glass. Insurance doesn't like to pay for factory glass either.

gatorguy7

Yes I did. I told the glass guy that if he didn't guarantee me an OEM windshield then I would go to a company who would. Insurance paid it no problem. I think the windshield was around $900.

Richard Solomon

Well done!

dwboston

I did get an OEM Audi replacement windshield, just not the correct one, despite my efforts to make them understand that I needed the windshield that was compatible with the HUD.

The "glass team" at my insurer were the ones who told me they had four different 2012 A6 replacement windshields in their system.