Rear window leak

SigPig94 · April 2, 2021

Just spoke with the service manager again......anything other than a sliding rear window is apparently NOT an option (said electrical problems would be a certainty.....??)....so new slider it is. He also said that the replacement window they’ll be installing next week has a “new part #” so it’s possible that a new repair approach is in effect..... . Uhhh...hooray??? The dance continues.......

GN2018 · April 2, 2021

1 hour ago, SigPig94 said:

Just spoke with the service manager again......anything other than a sliding rear window is apparently NOT an option (said electrical problems would be a certainty.....??)....so new slider it is. He also said that the replacement window they’ll be installing next week has a “new part #” so it’s possible that a new repair approach is in effect..... . Uhhh...hooray??? The dance continues.......

Good luck. Keep us posted. I keep my fingers crossed that I won’t have to deal with this, but if I do, the more knowledge the better. Sucks to hear about the potential for electrical problems for a non-slider option. I was thinking that was my fail safe option.

SigPig94 · April 2, 2021

3 hours ago, GN2018 said:

Good luck. Keep us posted. I keep my fingers crossed that I won’t have to deal with this, but if I do, the more knowledge the better. Sucks to hear about the potential for electrical problems for a non-slider option. I was thinking that was my fail safe option.

Thx....will do. I was in lock-step with you about the non-slider approach......maybe you’ll get a different answer should you inquire at your own service department......but hopefully you WON’T have to cuz your window will be leak free!

I need to stop being so pessimistic about this situation.....feeling like this is the proverbial can being kicked down the road....a “fix” until the next “fix” until the next “fix”......time to start some + thinking about my new window that’s en route from Motown........

Edited April 2, 2021 by SigPig94

GN2018 · April 2, 2021

6 hours ago, SigPig94 said:

I need to stop being so pessimistic about this situation.....feeling like this is the proverbial can being kicked down the road....a “fix” until the next “fix” until the next “fix”......time to start some + thinking about my new window that’s en route from Motown........

I figure that if they can’t fix it, I’ll get a lawyer and make them take it back. Of course I hope that doesn’t come to pass, but it keeps me from worrying about it. As difficult as it is, try to relax and not let it get to you. Make them give you a loaner and get on their ass that you want someone who knows what they are doing putting in the replacement. Hopefully someone who’s done this before.

OnTheReel · April 3, 2021

Yup. And make sure to beat the brakes off their loaner. Especially if they give you some crap box like I sometimes get stuck with. FYI, you can go full throttle from every stop in a Buick Encore and nobody around you even knows.

Transient · April 3, 2021

Just spoke with the service manager again......anything other than a sliding rear window is apparently NOT an option (said electrical problems would be a certainty.....??)....so new slider it is. He also said that the replacement window they’ll be installing next week has a “new part #” so it’s possible that a new repair approach is in effect..... [emoji848]. Uhhh...hooray??? The dance continues.......

I'm scratching my head on this supposed electrical problem. I call BS. If GM says it's okay to wrap the end of the wire for the brake light on the CHMSL with electrical tape when you pull it and install the high mount brake light wire when you install the sport bar, then it's also okay to wrap the wires that go to the power sliding rear window. If anything, a leaky rear window is more prone to causing electrical issues with the power sliding components.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

todd308 · April 3, 2021

The only thing electrical I could see would be if the computer is going to freak out because it can't detect the connections. That said there HAVE been guys that have gone from a slider to a solid rear window, both at dealers and from non-dealer glass companies and I've seen no reports of electrical issues.

It's probably simple economics. If a reasonable sealant job gets even 25% of these trucks past 3yr/36,000 for $13 of sealant and $50 in tech labor (If that) if it leaks in another 2, 5, 10 years that will be on the customer's dime and they saved a ton of $. After all it's usually not the dealer's option how they repair things, which is why for most the first step is gobbing sealant on the upper 1/3 of the window seams and hoping it lasts just long enough, instead of replacing the window. Sadly these days the company spending $75 to kick the can down the road for a couple hoping you make it out of warranty when you'll have to spend $1500+ for a new rear window install is "good business".

Also say what you want about the Encore (I got one as a loaner) but it's seats were significantly more comfortable than my AT4 seats. In my AT4 you might as well be sliding around on a bench seat, and those vibration alert pads are like having two overstuffed wallets in your pockets after about an hour. It also had a very nice pano roof, much larger/nicer infotainment screen, and better wipers. I'm also pretty sure it had more wheel well clearance for bigger tires and a lift even with 20's!

Edited April 3, 2021 by todd308

SigPig94 · April 3, 2021

Thanks all.....I appreciate your feedback and advice on this.

I was definitely confused when they said there would be “electrical problems”.....my simple brain always thought that REMOVING something from an equation made things easier.....apparently not in this case....??

When the new window comes in, my service dept will book their “glass guy” for installation. Does the “glass guy” just stick the window in/on and then hand it back to the the service dept so they can do (hopefully) the GMC-specific stuff (replacing the gaskets, nuts, washers, sealant, etc because the spoiler was removed)? I’ll be asking these types of questions when I call my service rep early next week to touch base and set up an installation appointment.
As always, thoughts on this are welcome. Thx.

DarkSky20 · April 3, 2021

My OCD wouldn’t let me have a power button to press for a nonsliding rear window.

OnTheReel · April 3, 2021

12 hours ago, todd308 said:

Also say what you want about the Encore (I got one as a loaner) but it's seats were significantly more comfortable than my AT4 seats. In my AT4 you might as well be sliding around on a bench seat, and those vibration alert pads are like having two overstuffed wallets in your pockets after about an hour. It also had a very nice pano roof, much larger/nicer infotainment screen, and better wipers. I'm also pretty sure it had more wheel well clearance for bigger tires and a lift even with 20's!

Yup, the Buick seats were a lot softer, I’ll agree there. If I could do my work from an Encore I woulda bought one instead and pocketed the difference. Hence my frustration with the loaners.

todd308 · April 3, 2021

4 hours ago, SigPig94 said:

Thanks all.....I appreciate your feedback and advice on this.

I was definitely confused when they said there would be “electrical problems”.....my simple brain always thought that REMOVING something from an equation made things easier.....apparently not in this case....??

When the new window comes in, my service dept will book their “glass guy” for installation. Does the “glass guy” just stick the window in/on and then hand it back to the the service dept so they can do (hopefully) the GMC-specific stuff (replacing the gaskets, nuts, washers, sealant, etc because the spoiler was removed)? I’ll be asking these types of questions when I call my service rep early next week to touch base and set up an installation appointment.
As always, thoughts on this are welcome. Thx.

It depends, some dealers have a dedicated automotive glass company come in and do window replacements. It kind of sounds what they are doing in this case. Is that good or bad, it really depends, both dealers and glass companies have crappy workmanship and employees that don't care about the quality of work they do. The plus side is that since the dealer is doing it, regardless it will still be covered by the warranty.

Duramaxsky · April 4, 2021

My OCD wouldn’t let me have a power button to press for a nonsliding rear window.

Mine either

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Blue5.3l · April 4, 2021

17 hours ago, SigPig94 said:

Thanks all.....I appreciate your feedback and advice on this.

I was definitely confused when they said there would be “electrical problems”.....my simple brain always thought that REMOVING something from an equation made things easier.....apparently not in this case....??

When the new window comes in, my service dept will book their “glass guy” for installation. Does the “glass guy” just stick the window in/on and then hand it back to the the service dept so they can do (hopefully) the GMC-specific stuff (replacing the gaskets, nuts, washers, sealant, etc because the spoiler was removed)? I’ll be asking these types of questions when I call my service rep early next week to touch base and set up an installation appointment.
As always, thoughts on this are welcome. Thx.

There have been plenty of guys here who have gone solid window with zero problems. I ordered my 2021 truck and had a local glass place order a solid GM window. I had my truck less then a week and had the window switched out. They don’t remove the spoiler. They did remove the upper portion of the back seat and seat belt trim pieces. If you look at the truck you would never know because the glass guy did a good job. The only sign would be the window switch for the slider in the overhead console still being there but does nothing. The rear defroster still works. Four months later and zero problems. It was probably overkill to do it early on but seeing what the dealers glass guy does to the trucks made me sick. This was worth the piece of mind and not having the down time of going thru the steps GM wants you to do just to get past the warranty period.

GN2018 · April 4, 2021

3 hours ago, Blue5.3l said:

There have been plenty of guys here who have gone solid window with zero problems. I ordered my 2021 truck and had a local glass place order a solid GM window. I had my truck less then a week and had the window switched out. They don’t remove the spoiler. They did remove the upper portion of the back seat and seat belt trim pieces. If you look at the truck you would never know because the glass guy did a good job. The only sign would be the window switch for the slider in the overhead console still being there but does nothing. The rear defroster still works. Four months later and zero problems. It was probably overkill to do it early on but seeing what the dealers glass guy does to the trucks made me sick. This was worth the piece of mind and not having the down time of going thru the steps GM wants you to do just to get past the warranty period.

Did you swap out the window before it even leaked? If so, were you not able to order it that way?

Main question - how much did it cost? I’m planning on waiting until I have a leak, but there are times when you do what you gotta do and I might just pay for it myself. It’s hard to know, but a lot of this seems like a workmanship issue in both the original install and then the subsequent fix that seems often to not work.

Edited April 4, 2021 by GN2018

SigPig94 · April 4, 2021

5 hours ago, Blue5.3l said:

There have been plenty of guys here who have gone solid window with zero problems. I ordered my 2021 truck and had a local glass place order a solid GM window. I had my truck less then a week and had the window switched out. They don’t remove the spoiler. They did remove the upper portion of the back seat and seat belt trim pieces. If you look at the truck you would never know because the glass guy did a good job. The only sign would be the window switch for the slider in the overhead console still being there but does nothing. The rear defroster still works. Four months later and zero problems. It was probably overkill to do it early on but seeing what the dealers glass guy does to the trucks made me sick. This was worth the piece of mind and not having the down time of going thru the steps GM wants you to do just to get past the warranty period.

This is precisely what I thought...to the point where i have already been contacting local auto glass shops. A couple have actually told me they “won’t touch” my issue because it’s a brand new vehicle and still in the warranty period......????.......why exactly an after-market shop would care about that is beyond me......I, the owner, assume all responsibility for what’s done to my truck so add that to my list of things to scratch my head over.
I’m gonna see how the replacement slider process goes in a few days at the dealership .......but I will DEFINITELY continue looking for a local window shop that I feel can fix this specific issue forever with a one-piece, non -slider installation.....I honestly feel that’s the only thing that’s gonna work. Hope I’m wrong.