[roxxor]

As one of the many who have been experiencing the wind noise issue with my new X3, and getting no resolution from the dealer, I opted to go the route of adding the Acoustic Glass to the front side windows, as several others have done. I am happy to report that this glass definitely cut down on the wind noise coming from the side windows, to the point where it is no longer noticeably distracting as it was before, even with the music up. However I am still experiencing a high-pitched “whistle” sound coming from the front windshield area that I will continue to battle with the dealer about.

Total cost for this ended up being around $720 USD. My dealer price matched an online dealers’ site for $660, but since I bought local, had to pay sales tax. I figured it was worth it rather than risk the windows breaking during shipping, as has happened to others.

DISCLAIMER: As with all DIY projects, undertake this at your own risk. I am not responsible for anything that happens to you or your car! With that said, on to the write-up!

Pre-Requisites: None

Parts List: (Note: Part #’s may vary per vehicle. Parts listed below are for a US G01 M40i. Check RealOEM or ETK to confirm correct Part #’s for your vehicle)

Left (Driver) Side Front Acoustic Glass Window – 51337464061
Right (Passenger) Side Front Acoustic Glass Window – 51337464062



Tools Required:
- Hex/T set – This project requires a T-20 bit for removing interior door panel
- Plastic Trim Pry tool / Large Plastic Kitchen Utensils – Sounds like a joke, but they legitimately worked very well in place of having the “special” BMW tools
- Tape to secure the window while removing/installing



Prep Work:
None. Unlike most retrofits, you need to leave the battery connected with this one as you will need to raise/lower the power windows during the process. The only wires you will be disconnecting with be the door tweeter and the mirror wiring, and neither of these will trigger an error code/message.

Directions:
Normally I do step by step directions, but for this retrofit, the ISTA/Newtis directions were almost 100% spot on, so I have linked them below. I will provide some pointers/tips below on things that weren’t needed or how to get around needing the BMW tools. Make sure you start with the windows down.

EDIT: Updated with Linked PDF instructions attached since newtis.info no longer works

- When you get to Step #3 – “Remove front door trim panel”, stop after unclipping the door trim panel. You do not need to disconnect the Bowden cable, nor do you need to disconnect any wires other than the tweeter and mirror. Completely removing the door panel is not necessary and will actually inhibit you from being able to use the window switch. You will need to lift it off, but I used a plastic bin to support the door so as not to leave it hanging by the wires.

- For Step #5 – “Removing the weather strip on the outside of the front door”, it is easier to start by removing the piece on the inside of the door first. For the outside piece, it is easier to start by pulling up from the inside of the door panel and pull out. The piece will loosen and you will be able to pull it out without needing to pry the two end parts.



- Step #6 – “Remove front door window glass” – Roll the window up at this point. This is where I used the kitchen utensils as I did not have plastic trim remover pieces readily available. I inserted them with the bend facing towards the outside of the door. You will be able to see when they are in correctly as the “peg” that holds the windows in place will be sticking out when you look down into the door gap. Then, use the switch to roll the windows down and the utensils should also help hold the glass in place after it pops out.

- Step #7 – “Installing front door window glass” – Make sure as you are putting the new glass in that it is lining up correctly in the frame/strips and that none of the rubber is being pinched. Once you have the new window in, use the switch to roll the window up manually. If you try to auto-up, it will most likely hit the glass and move back down thinking it was pinching an object. Once you get it close enough, you can lower the glass in to place. You may need to gently push down on the glass from the top to get it to lock into place. After it is secured in the track, move the window up and down to make sure it is working correctly before re-assembling everything else.

- Step #8 – “Installing the weather strip on the front door on the outside” – Start with the outside piece first. Make sure once installed that you snap the outer edges back into place, and that it lines up with the end of the door. For the inside piece, make sure the groove is fully inserted before pushing it down into place.



And that’s it! Hopefully this is helpful to those who want to add the glass but not at the labor expense of having the dealer do it. Time-wise, it took me about a total of an hour and a half to do. The first one took a while, but once I figured it out, the other side took about 25 minutes from start to finish.

[tonyb15re]

good work, Im sorely tempted to do this on mine, must see if I can source them in the UK

[JustChris]

Stiff like this is what makes Bimmerpost so great. Well done OP

[BobsM3Coupe]

Excellent write up.

[skier219]

Nice job, thanks!

[SROC3]

NICE mod man!!!! I wonder how much the dealer would charge for this in labor.....

[Fenders]

Originally Posted by SROC3

NICE mod man!!!! I wonder how much the dealer would charge for this in labor.....

My dealer wanted $800; I had an indy do it for $400 after sending them the newtis link. Kudos to the OP for the DIY nerves of steel!

[Cape Dave]

I am very glad that consciousness is being raised about this issue. In 2019, there really should be no car without these windows. I would like to see the rear windows at least be an option!

Wind noise be gone! Thanks OP for a truly useful post.

[Njerts]

Does the additional thickness of the windows fit into the existing window guides?

[roxxor]

Originally Posted by Njerts

Does the additional thickness of the windows fit into the existing window guides?

Yes, didn’t have any issues at all. Either because it’s slightly thicker, or because it reduces the noise, but it is definitely a quieter sound now when closing the windows versus the “thunk” sound that the non-acoustic windows seemed to make.

[Njerts]

Originally Posted by roxxor

Yes, didn't have any issues at all. Either because it's slightly thicker, or because it reduces the noise, but it is definitely a quieter sound now when closing the windows versus the "thunk" sound that the non-acoustic windows seemed to make.

Thanks for all the info, I consider taking the plunge.

[roxxor]

Originally Posted by Fenders

Kudos to the OP for the DIY nerves of steel!

Lol thanks! This was probably the most delicate item I’ve done a retrofit on in terms of break-ability, but it honestly wasn’t too bad. There’s another one that I’m planning which will be much more labor intensive. I just enjoy learning about the cars and figuring out how to do things myself and helping others.

[bluemark]

Does anyone know of anywhere in Canada that sells the acoustic glass other than BMW dealer’s themselves?

[roxxor]

For anyone in the Southeast who is interested in getting these for your car, I am selling mine as I am trading in my X3. The listing is here in the Marketplace.

[jimmyjohn]

By adding the two windows, does the noise decrease significantly?

[Anders R]

Just bumping this, as I within 24 hours of ownership of my X3 M retrofitted the acoustic glass thanks to this excellent DIY guide!

A bit daunting to get into this, but very straightforward once you are into and follow the TIS and the OP's pointers.

The most difficult issues were removing the outside weather strip that is really tightly pushed on, and pushing in the two pegs that hold the window. Long spatulas will also work, as will of course the proper panel removing tools.

The difference in road and wind noise is significant, and I would even claim that on that front it is slightly quieter than my previous G31 540i - well worth the retrofit, the windows were bought at hubauer.de for 560 euro.

[msg617]

Has anyone done this for the rear windows?

[suby01]

Wow great notes

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by msg617

Has anyone done this for the rear windows?

The rear windows aren't acoustic glass on vehicles with acoustic glass. It's only the two front windows.

[kolosy]

_late to the party_

so how noticeable is the difference? anyone got a dB meter on it?

[rob175]

I Tested the acoustic glass in a buddy's X3 with it vs my X3 that has the standard glass.......yes there is a difference between the two BUT only very, very slightly in both of our opinions. We agreed that it wasn't $500 or more worth of "noise reduction"..........to be honest, I get almost no wind noise at all, or the radio just covers it up.....LOL.

[Tishers]

Question: So, is this essentially laminated glass for the side windows?

Normally the windshield is laminated glass (with a plastic layer between two sheets of glass) and all of the other glass on a car is tempered (hardened, but in a way that if it breaks it falls in to tiny little pieces, not jagged shards).

We (sort-of) end up adding a lamination whenever we apply window tint film but it is only on one side, not in the middle, between two sheets of glass.

I can see how there might be a slight decrease in noise transmission through laminated glass (the plastic layer acts as a dampener and there isn't a direct crystalline structure from inside to outside). There might even be a difference in the shattering characteristics of the glass (since it may be difficult to laminate tempered glass, IDK).