2001 Fiat Ducato LWB (high roof) van.
This vehicle's windscreen has to be replaced about four times in the past year. Apparently its due to 'body flexing' thereby cracking the screen at the sealing rubber.
Any of you technical people got a solution ?
|
|
No solution, but I recall after having one replaced on a different make I was warned not to use the car for 6 hours, as the windscreen is intended to flex and give the car part of it's structural strength. Unless it had properly cured, I was warned, the windscreen might pop out!
|
Indeed, as Smokie says, Windsreens are often used as part of torsional rigidity these days, so fitting properly is vital.
The next time it fails - ;-) - have a look to see if there are any potential stress points in the channel/mounting it sits in/on.
Such a stress point caused a friend's windscreen to keep failing some years back.
|
|
|
|
Four times in one year!,if this "body flexing" and the resulting breakage is common to that model then it is a design fault so surely the manufacturer should come up with, and bear the cost of any solution.
Has there not been a recall in the past?.
Mal.
|
Do they do a roll cage for em? LOL.
Steve.
|
|
|
|
Heard of an Austin Allegro (a long time ago !!) that was hired almost brand new and, for reasons irrelevant, was driven somewhat harshly over a freshly ploughed field. Shortly afterwards windscreen shattered and was relaced during hire period (under insurance). Hire Co man was met about two months later in the pub and complained that they had put 3 or 4 'screens in it over a six week period. Turned out the welds at the base of the 'A' posts had been broken by the harsh treatment over the ploughed field.
So, has this van been driven on rough ground, or even kerbed harshly ? Just a thought, Adam
|
Not sure about vans, but most modern cars have bonded screens - ie 'glued' into the frame. These are the ones (I think) that provide some strength for the car as a whole. On these the 'rubber' seals would be more decorative than anything else.
On older vehicles, the screens were held in place by the rubber seal. They didn't provide any 'strength' and the rubber 'seal' also allowed for a bit of movement between body and glass - so the body could twist within limits without breaking the glass.
If it's bonded and still cracking the glass there must either be excessive twist (previous accident damage?) or a poorly finished weld or suchlike which is introducing a stress point.Maybe just a 'pip' on the frame that needs to be ground off.
If it just sits in the rubber, you would have to ensure that it hasn't been poorly fitted or that the rubber is not damaged. Most windscreen fitters seem to use the original rubber if they can get away with it.
Are the screens that are being fitted of the same make and/or being installed by the same outfit?
Just a few thoughts - don't know if they help!
Graeme
|
Agree with C5 Owner.
Also vehicles using bonded windscreens should not be moved or jacked up without screen, otherwise w`screen aperture distortion can occur. Bonding material(glue) should be fully cured before vehicle movement.
A van at my sons work behaved same: after 4 screens (fitted by professionals),it was discovered that "weld spatter" was in corner of aperture.
|
|
|
|
>>Austin Allegro
Dont recall these having resin bonded screens?.
I do recall bonded screens coming in due to screen popping out when either driver/passenger hit screen,rubber mounted screens did so with no effort as in changing them.
resin bonded prevented this occuring as screen was fixed to body,and anyone going through one left less glass lying around after accident ie less injury`s to others.
where some people talk of strenght in a screen being 30% of vehicle strenght I fail to see??
--
Steve
|
|
|
|
|
I have come across this problem a few times on large dump trucks and earthmoving equipment, most recently on a dozer which had a twisted door due to being hit from underneath whilst working with the door open. It went through 2 replacement windows (the full size of door), we got the glazier to cut the 3rd one 2mm narrower (height and width) so the glass had more room to flex in the rubber. This seems to have cured the problem(touch wood!) This is not much use to you if your windscreen is bonded as has been suggested, but if it is an older style rubber mounted windscreen this might just do the trick.
|
|
Has the van ever been smashed and poorly repaired leading to flexing...Cut'n'shuts across the screen pillars can do this.....
|
The van has never suffered accident damage.
The problem first arose when it was only 6 months old.
|
If you have had the van since new and the first breakage was only at 6 months during the warranty period (are warranties the same for commercials}then the supplier must be held responsible because the original fault under warranty has not been rectified only the resulting damage caused by it.
Mal.
|
|
|
|
|
I have a 2002 51 plate ducato low roof and the windscreen has 2 cracks at the bottom about 1/3rd of the way across from each side rising up from the bottom edge and turning outwards about 8 inches up. They jus occured, one a while ago and one yesterday whilst parked. anyone else having problems like this?
|
A colleague had 3 or 4 windscreens in a year on an old astra estate. Turned out in the end that it had been dropped off the transporter more literally than usual and the body was twisted. It wasn't too far out whan checked on a jig but must have been enough to stress the screen.
|
|
|
|
The screen is designed to flex with body movement,its bonding between the 2, ie body and screen will give,it has to or break.
Usually, what does cause a problem,is when a weld on surrounding area of bonding is exposed at a higher level than should have occured.
Some of the older Fords suffered this problem.
as mentioned on older rubber mounted ones as well
--
Steve
|
Sorry should have said spike in weld will cause screen to split/crack!
--
Steve
|
|
|
|
2001 Fiat Ducato LWB (high roof) van. This vehicle's windscreen has to be replaced about four times in the past year. Apparently its due to 'body flexing' thereby cracking the screen at the sealing rubber. Any of you technical people got a solution ?
Sure have, shoot the thing and get a good sprinter
|
|
|
