Problems After Windshield Replacement in a 2008 Lexus ES350

A windshield replacement is routine to those who replace hundreds of them each week, but the Lexus ES350 is not routine. Lexus ES350 style and power requires service technicians, certified by the Lexus Commitment to Perfection program, at the Lexus dealership. Lexus ES350 navigation integrates real-time weather conditions into its sensors and intelligence. The weather sensor on the windshield is calibrated to the Lexus windshield, and it activates the windshield wipers.

Upper Windshield Ticking Sound

The creak, rattle or ticking sound from the top of the windshield might be because of stoppers bonded to the windshield. The Lexus ES350 has two stoppers at the top of the windshield. If the windshield was installed by a Lexus dealer, the repair is covered by a 48-month or 50,000-mile warranty. Some Lexus-supplied tools are better suited to replace a Lexus windshield, even though a generic windshield salesperson might have offered you a cheaper solution. Lexus luxury is partially because of the quality of the Lexus surface materials, the glaze, the sun visors or the windshield wipers. Applying too much pressure to the sun visors or the headliner, which holds them, will permanently crease the surface material. Both sun visors and garnishes must be lowered to gain access to the windshield stoppers. The stoppers are inside the passenger compartment near the metal roof opening. The tip of the plastic stopper needs to be cut off. The vehicle should be test-driven to ensure elimination of the noise before reassembling the windshield and sun visors.

Lower Windshield Ticking Noise

The creak, rattle or ticking sound from the bottom of the Lexus ES350 windshield might be because of retainers bonded to the lower windshield. The Lexus ES350 has two retainers at the lower edge of the windshield. Some vehicles have only one retainer at the bottom of the windshield. If the windshield was installed by a Lexus dealer, the repair is covered by a 48-month or 50,000-mile warranty. The retainers, at the bottom of the windshield, are under the ventilator cover. The retainers are inside the car roughly 6 inches from the bottom of the windshield. The retainers are attached to the back of the windshield with double-sided cushioned tape. A mini-hacksaw with a fine-tooth 10-inch blade is required to cut the pin portion off of the retainer. Specialized Lexus tools are recommended for Lexus repairs. The dealer will test drive the car before installing the ventilator cover.

Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers Do Not Work

Lexus ES350 windshield wipers turn on in response to rain on the windshield. Lexus rain sensors are based on the reflection of an infrared light beam on the windshield from the inside of the vehicle. The light is diminished if the glass is wet because less infrared light reaches the rain sensor. The windshield wipers turn on at a speed proportional to the amount of light received by the rain sensor. The rain sensor requires a specific Lexus windshield because the sensor uses the depth of the windshield in its calculations of the volume of rain on the windshield. The rain sensor must be attached precisely to the windshield to function properly.