in my area, Mygrant is starting to stock AP Tech in more numbers. I have eagerly bought FW2452s in Lamisafe AP Tech as well as Honda Pilot . An OEE brand that I can trust with a DOT 376 bug.

But wait!! much of the new AP Tech that Mygrant has is Chinese made. In fact it sports a DOT 563 label. In some cases, it is priced slightly higher than its XYZ cousins.

I have very bad memories of PGW DOT 563s. so bad, in fact that any 563 is distained and only used in case of emergencies and absolute demand (almost never). If it looks, smells flies and quacks like a duck, it probably is still a duck. So it goes with DOT 563. (The ones I've used look and seem better made than its relatives.....but one wonders)

Hi, I'm desperate for some truthful information. Just had a DOT-563 installed in my 2000 Honda Prelude (FW 02033) that was total crap. Seems the 563 factory makes XYG, PGW, and most likely others. At any rate, my car isn't drivable because the distortions are so severe in the glass.

I had a Pilkington DOT-177 installed in a Civic about a year ago and it's great. But when I called Pilkington NA in Denver they said their FW2033 for my Prelude is marked DOT-614, yet another Chinese factory.

Will the 614 glass be any good? Does the Pilkington 177 plant in Ohio still make glass? Is it possible to get good glass for my car? At least better than the 563?

Thanks.

Dot 177 is Pilkington's Plant in Mexcali,Mexico. This is where the majority of their replacement glass comes from for the US Market. As in most cases they must have now found it's cheaper to source this number from their Chinese plant.

Solar Ray, thanks for the response. I figured out the correct 177 plant location when I did better research for an expanded post which I posted as a new post. Same basic questions, but with expanded detail as follows:

"Hi, I'm desperate for some truthful information. Ignorantly, I just had a DOT-563 installed in my 2000 Honda Prelude (FW 02033) that was total crap. Seems the 563 factory makes XYG, PGW, and most likely others. Total garbage. My car isn't drivable because the distortions are so severe in the glass.

A year ago, I had a Pilkington DOT-177 installed in a Civic and it's great. But when I called Pilkington NA in Denver they said their FW2033 for my Prelude is marked DOT-614, yet another Chinese factory.

Will the 614 glass be any good? Does the Pilkington (L-N) 177 plant still make glass? Is it possible to get good glass for my car? At least better than the 563?

Thanks.

(BTW, the number of lies I've been told by installers, big and small are astonishing, ranging from lies about installation procedures to molding requirements and costs. The one thing I've learned is that nothing matters but the DOT number. Safelite swore up and down that their glass is all made in their own U.S. factories. Guess what the DOT number they gave me was for their proposed windshield? DOT-563. ABRA said they use only PGW glass. Guess what DOT number they brought out? Yep, DOT-563. That's not even counting the dozens of lies the original 563 installer told, including swearing he was putting in a Pilkington windshield.)"

DOT 563 is DOT 563 no matter what name is next to it, or on top of it and no matter how you spin it, XYG, (Xinyi) is the manufacturer. It is made on the same production line, just a different silk screen on the glass, when they have a different Logo on the glass. Dot 177 is not made in Ohio, it is LN made in the Pilkington Mexicali plant, in Mexico. DOT 15 is made in the USA and in Canada. XYG private labels glass for many, PPG now PGW, Pilkington, Safelite, AP Tech, North Star and I have even heard of, but not seen Guardian. It is sort of like appliances and tools, you never know who makes them, but at least the DOT code tells you who makes the glass, the name does not.
Seems like you changed the post from when I first saw it. So you know about some of the above.
Here is the bottom line. Pilkington makes and buys glass from all over the world. They may have made that glass in Mexicali, but if they can get it cheaper from XYG DOT563, they will shut off the part in Mexico and go with the Chinese part. They have their own plants in China, I believe 4. So if they can make it cheaper, they will. That does not mean that they do not currently make it in Mexicali, but it may have indeed been cut from their production line.
Also, you refer to "lies" you were told. They were probably not lies, more than likely the people you were talking to were uninformed, they thought that the LOGO meant that the name on the glass was the company that made it.
As far as I know, the Honda Prelude was made in Japan, so the OE glass is probably Lami Safe or Asahi. Good luck finding one of those this side of the Pacific.
Ooops...

Ooops,

Thanks for the information. The key for me with any Pilkington windshields is to make sure I know the DOT number in advance and try like crazy to get a Pilkington not made in China.

BTW, my local Honda dealer told me Asahi was the OE for my Prelude.

Oops and Asok-Pilk does not have Xinyi or Fuyou private label their glass-FACT. Yes they do have plants-OE-in China that does make glass for the aftermarket. If either of you really want info on their glass products call one of their salespeople who are very well informed. If one of them can not not answer your question I'm sure they know someone in the company who can. Been using their products for years, and it is by far the best in the Industry.

Jimminy Cricket, Sorry that U were eaten by a frog, but Pilk does or DID get glass from DOT-563, the paper label said Pilkington and the logo on the glass was "ccc", but oh yes, they did sell the XYG under the ruse of it being a Pilkington. And yes, they did the same with DOT-459.
I used to take the windshields around to my customers, DOT-459 with a Pilk label and DOT-459 with an FYG label, as well as a DOT-563 with a Pilk label and a DOT-563 with an XYG label and ask my customers which glass was better.
The funny thing is when I asked them which windshield was better, almost all, said the one with the Pilk label was a better quality windshield. But, alas they did not know that they were the same, made by the same factory the only thing different was the label.
U see, Pilk is smart, when the label is off the glass, their name is gone too.
Ooops...

Ooops-wrong again-Pilk does not ruse or have Xinyi or Fuyou make glass and private label for them. It sounds like you were a driver and have your information mixed up. Yes they sell parts made in China-with a Pilk logo and sticker but made at a Pilkington plant there-and it is only a very very very small percent of their offering. Your making a mountain out of a moe hill and you have no real knowledge/training/experience of what your talking about.

Jimminy, I actually had those glasses I spoke of in my hands, they may not do it now, but 7 years ago they did. Never say never and never say always. And I bet you will say that the do not have a Pilk LOGO on ATI tempered also...

PS I did not question U're knowledge, training or experience, Did I?

Ooops...

Pilkington suffered a big backlash over the Pilkington labelled chinese junk when I was an ops manager for them. I am and was in the retail business before being with Pilk. I asked them how they could claim to be the cutting edge in glass when they are selling the same junk as everyone else now but at a higher premium. Their response was to take Pilks name off and either have CCC or no name on it. Oh and YES some of the ATI stuff like door glasses have the Pilk logo on it and its not the typical black bug on it. Its usually white and crooked and the glass doesnt fit worth a ****.
Unfortunately, Glass has gone the way everything else has and its not just Pilk. Everything is made in china now.
The new glass industry is all chinese parts, undertrained techs, lowballing hacks, insurance scammers,manipulating insurers who push for substandard installs and a few quality shops left.
At my shop we spend the time to do it right and there are a few others around here who do as well. We are a dieing breed. Heck, I am considering moving on and doing something else. I am sick of fighting the fight while all of the shops stab each other in the back.
As long as we accept chinese parts we will be supplied chinese parts.

Thank you "ME"
Been there, done that.
How many customer complaint forms can you fill out?
How about the Brazilian 1217's?
The Indian 1299's?
Ooops...

pgw, mygrant, importer, american, curved, northstar, agc and on and on, ALL your suppliers know dot563 is no good. they still carry it because it is the cheapest glass you can find, cheaper even than other chinese dot459, dot485, dot788...

you get what you pay for. so simple. it's nothing wrong with made in china. iphone is made in china, dot459 is on new bmw 3. are they bad?

Dont get me started on the Indian glass. Its HORRIBLE! Pilkington is the biggest offender on that.

As far as the Chinese Iphone, Well I am not big on Iphones so.... They seems to do ok with electronics.

I agree about Pilk. They are slipping (perhaps crashing) as far as quality from some of their plants. India is not their best. Dot 177 as well. Mirror brackets fall off with regularity. Frits are scratched or do not extend. It looks like from this perspective that they are just trying to go cheap.
Not a good way to maintain a good reputation.

http://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/bum-windshield-replacement-xyg-glass-part-ppg-47761/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNQE5l5HiqE
It appears the PPG / PGW / XYG are all the Same poor quality Chinese made glass. I had XYG glass DOT 563 code on it and it had bubbles ALL OVER it. Problems with rain, windshield wipers and fogging. PPG (stands for Pittsburgh Plate Glass) / PGW (stands for Pittsburgh Glass Works). PPG sold to this chinese company and they rebranded it PGW. Poor quality, NOT recommended! Stay away

Pilkington certainly does sell 563 glass with ccc on the bug, they also sell Crinamex glass. It is true that it is a relatively small percentage, however we have special ordered Pilkington parts for quality-minded customers and received ccc or crinamex in more than one case recently. When you buy from an aftermarket distributor like Mygrant, you can pick your brand, with Pilkington and PGW, you are expected to take what they give you.