[BBender]

There 5 different types of windshield glass for F25:

1) Normal glass
2) Normal + 3AP
3) Normal + 610
4) 358 + 3AP
5) 358 + 610

358 - Infrared reflecting windshield glass
3AP - Windscreen with grey shade band
610 - Head-Up Display

The question is how to distinguish 4 from 2? Previously 358 glass had violet shade, now it seems to be green shade...?

P.S. Please, answer what model of glass you have and what shade it has? F.e. "5 Green", means that you have fifth type of glass with green colour shade.

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

There 5 different types of windshield glass for F25:

1) Normal glass
2) Normal + 3AP
3) Normal + 610
4) 358 + 3AP
5) 358 + 610

358 - Infrared reflecting windshield glass
3AP - Windscreen with grey shade band
610 - Head-Up Display

The question is how to distinguish 4 from 2? Previously 358 glass had violet shade, now it seems to be green shade...?

P.S. Please, answer what model of glass you have and what shade it has? F.e. "5 Green", means that you have fifth type of glass with green colour shade.

Got no. 4 (358+3AP)

Depending on the angle you look from, it looks green-ish or blu-ish. Looks much better than the violet windshield on the other cars along the road.

[BBender]

Can you please make a photo of the glass itself and the identification mark in the corner?
I am doubting whether my dealer wants to cheat me, selling me the 3AP glass for the price of the 358+3AP glass...

[Rodion]

I have 358 and it always comes with the stripe.

I think it is more violet than green, the stripe up.

But you should notice it is reflecting UV radiation, if you try to use removable Navigator under the windshield (e.g. TomTom). The navigator does not get GPS signal as easily as compared to normal windshield.

[BBender]

Not always, with HUD there is no stripe...

About GPS signals, I've read that there is special area in the UV glass, that is transparent to the radio signals... but where it is? May be near the mirror...

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

Can you please make a photo of the glass itself and the identification mark in the corner?
I am doubting whether my dealer wants to cheat me, selling me the 3AP glass for the price of the 358+3AP glass...

I'm currently on a business trip, but I have a photo from before I took delivery of it. Here you can clearly see the sunstripe at the top plus the blueish color of the windshield. From another angle there are almost no color reflection at all like it is on the old X3. Too bad I didn't take a picture of it together with the X3 next to it. You could clearly see the difference in the reflection.

If you're interested I can take a better closeup in a couple of days... and maybe even park next to another standard windshield X3.

[BBender]

If you're interested I can take a better closeup in a couple of days... and maybe even park next to another standard windshield X3.

That would be great! And closeup of the identification label in the corner...

P.S. This guy says that he has 358 + 3AP windshield, but comparing to yours, it has very thin grey shade band...

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

That would be great! And closeup of the identification label in the corner...

Hehe, having the wife taking a closeup of the label in the corner of the windshield now. Hopefully she will be quick sending it to me

Originally Posted by BBender

P.S. This guy says that he has 358 + 3AP windshield, but comparing to yours, it has very thin grey shade band...

I'm sure it's the same. His picture is taken from a lower angle. See where it stops right on top of the rainsensor?

EDIT: Actually I agree with you after studying the difference once more. The shade band seems thicker on my car...

EDIT 2: I got the closeup:

[BBender]

Common label, nothing about UV... Now they dont even print the date of manufacture.
P.S. That guy has RHD car, may be that is the reason, why the glass is different.

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

Common label, nothing about UV... Now they dont even print the date of manufacture.
P.S. That guy has RHD car, may be that is the reason, why the glass is different.

I'll check later today if there are other labels on it. I'm sure I have the printout/workorder from the factory.

What is RHD? Righthand drive? I don't see why that should make it anymore different than it obviously is

[Rodion]

Here is picture of mine, stripe is quite visible in this angle. Car is MY 2012 built 1/2012.




It is the black dotted area around rear view mirror that lets radiation through. My GPS works there ok, but not at all in the "normal place" in the middle of the screen, close to dash board.

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

Common label, nothing about UV... Now they dont even print the date of manufacture.
P.S. That guy has RHD car, may be that is the reason, why the glass is different.

No other markings on the windshield I'm afraid.

[BBender]

Seems like GPS signal is the only reliable test to check the UV windshield presence. :-)

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

Seems like GPS signal is the only reliable test to check the UV windshield presence. :-)

Where I live I'm surrounded by tollbooths. We use some kind of AutoPass chip to just drive through them without stopping. They're attached to the windshield to communicate with the readers when passing a tollbooth.

When it's attached below the mirror, the booth don't signal to me when I pass.
When it's attached to the black dotted area above the mirror it signals a valid pass and an amount is withdrawn from the AutoPass account.

That's proof enough to me besides the visual difference between regular glass and climate glass.

[BBender]

Doest it also influences the reception of GSM signal?

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

Doest it also influences the reception of GSM signal?

Haven't tried it. Have the pro Navi package.

I will test as soon I get my portable GPS back from a friend who's lending it.

[BBender]

You can check it with your mobile phone, see the signal strength right under the windshield and f.e. under the side windows...

P.S. Reading about metallized film tint, some write that it decreases the radio signal quality (F25 has AM\FM antennas on the trunk door window). Interesting, is it really so?

[RichardBR]

Originally Posted by BBender

You can check it with your mobile phone, see the signal strength right under the windshield and f.e. under the side windows...

P.S. Reading about metallized film tint, some write that it decreases the radio signal quality (F25 has AM\FM antennas on the trunk door window). Interesting, is it really so?

The radio antennas is in fact in the trunk door window. Looks like heating threads. DAB radio I think has the antennas on the side rear windows.
The GPS and Mobile (if using cradle) antennas are in the shark fin on the roof.

I've had several cars with radio antennas in the rear window.

[BBender]

Correct, but I want to apply film tint to rear windows, it Llumar ATR, which has metallized layer in it and seems like it will influence the reception of radio signal...

P.S. Also CAS (car access system) antenna is located in the trunk door window.