Why Do Two Lincoln Nautilus Windshields Have Different Coatings?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Because the 2023 and 2024 Nautilus were built with different glass. The 2023, DW02761GTYN, has a humidity sensor and an auto-dimming mirror mount but no heat-reflecting layer. The 2024, DW02936GBYN, adds infrared-reflective glass and a blue shade band. Different coatings, different part numbers.
Two Nautilus years, two coatings
A 2023 Lincoln Nautilus windshield, DW02761GTYN, carries a camera with a dynamic calibration, acoustic glass, rain-sensing wipers, a humidity sensor and a mounting button for an auto-dimming mirror. It has no heat-reflecting layer listed against it. A 2024 Nautilus, DW02936GBYN, carries the camera and rain-sensing wipers but adds infrared-reflective glass and a blue shade band. The two are different part numbers with different glass.
The infrared-reflective layer is a microscopically thin metallic film built into the laminate during manufacture. Its job is to bounce infrared heat back before it warms the cabin, and because the film is metal it also blocks radio signals. That is why the manufacturer leaves deliberate gaps in it for cameras, sensors and a toll transponder, and the gaps have to land in the right places or the camera ends up looking through metal.
None of that is visible from outside the vehicle. The coating sits inside the laminate, the humidity sensor is bonded to the inside of the glass, and the shade band color is encoded in the end of the part number. A 2023 Nautilus that receives 2024 glass, or the reverse, is the wrong part even when it seals, which is why the year and the VIN are checked together rather than trusting the model name.
Both Nautilus parts list a camera with a dynamic calibration, which is a road drive at a specified speed on clearly marked roads rather than a stationary procedure. That means the calibration depends on conditions on the day, and it is part of the job whenever the glass is replaced, quoted alongside the glass itself.
The two recorded Nautilus windshields
Each row is a separate part number the catalog returns for a Nautilus.
| Part number | What the glass carries |
|---|---|
| 2023 Nautilus, DW02761GTYN | Camera with dynamic calibration, acoustic glass, rain-sensing wipers, humidity sensor, auto-dimming mirror mount |
| 2024 Nautilus, DW02936GBYN | Camera, rain-sensing wipers, infrared-reflective glass, blue shade band |
One year apart, the coating and the shade band both change. The part number is the only honest way to tell them apart.
The coating cannot be added later
Because the infrared-reflective film is laid into the laminate while the glass is made, it cannot be retrofitted to a plain windshield once the part exists. A 2024 Nautilus fitted with 2023 glass loses the heat rejection and the deliberate gaps for cameras and sensors, and the owner usually notices the warmer cabin before anything else.
Questions about the Lincoln Nautilus windshield coating
Can I tell which Nautilus coating my car has from outside?
No. The infrared-reflective layer is inside the laminate and invisible to the eye, and the humidity sensor is bonded to the inside of the glass. The coating, the sensor and the shade band are all read off the part number, which comes from the VIN. See our Lincoln windshield page.
Does the infrared coating affect my toll transponder?
Yes, it can. To get around that, the manufacturer cuts clear openings through the metallic film so the transponder, cameras and sensors each have a path through the glass. On the correct part those openings line up with where the vehicle looks for them, keeping reception intact; a part with the openings misplaced can leave the signal weaker.
What does a Lincoln Nautilus windshield replacement cost?
A windshield replacement runs $200 to $500+ out of pocket before tax, set by which part your Nautilus was built with. Both Nautilus parts carry a camera, so the dynamic calibration is rolled into the same quote as the glass.
Related guides
More in Glass types and features
Need auto glass service?
Skyview Auto Glass has 191 shops across Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, each offering in-shop and mobile service. Call us or get an instant quote — same-day service is often available.