I had an 8 mm crack resulting from a stone chip which was in the line of vision, therefore took my car (fairly new BMW 320d) to Autoglass for 'repair', which involved vacuum-assisted impregnation with a liquid compound. As luck would have it (I have no reason to suggest incompetence), I came out with an 18 mm crack, which therefore necessitated a windsreen replacement.
My insurer covered it without quibble. Being a pedantic soul I asked whether I could get it done by my BMW dealer and they agreed to this too. Another satisfied customer.
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If it is a bonded screen and you intend keeping your car for a few years after the replacement is fitted make sure the paintwork underneath where it is bonded is not damaged by the fitter. I had to have a windscreen replaced by a main dealer only to have them ring me to have a look at the pillers at the side at the side of the screen, turned out it was not the first replacement and the pillers were full of rust holes that had to be repaired. The damage so I was told was due to the previous fitter not being carefull with the "cheese cutter" wire they use to cut through the bonding.
Regards Malcolm.
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No way would i give my car to a main dealer to change a windscreen or tyre, far better to get a professional to do the job, I've only ever had two screens changed, both by profession fitting companies, who know what they are doing and allowed me to watch (in dread of said paint damage).I believe a main dealer would only get the glass replacement company in anyway.
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I believe a main dealer would only get the glass replacement company in anyway.
The main agent Vauxhall garage I use do just that - call in Autoglass to do the job.
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No way would i give my car to a main dealer to change a windscreen or tyre, far better to get a professional to do the job, I've only ever had two screens changed, both by profession fitting companies, who know what they are doing and allowed me to watch (in dread of said paint damage).I believe a main dealer would only get the glass replacement company in anyway.
>>It was only part of the damage caused by an unidentified flying object bouncing of the bonnet and then hitting the screen and yes they did get the proffesionl fitters in to do the job, only problem was it was not exactly the same shade as the original but I learned to live with that.
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I was sold an ex-demonstrater Volvo V70 by my local dealer. It was sold with 'no defects' and when I got it home I noticed a stone chip on the window.
This is pretty much in the centre of the screen.
They have agreed to 'fix' this.
Should I be OK with a repair? or insist on a replacement screen?
is the repair transparent, or does it leave it opaque?
Can any part of the screen be repaired, or does the part in front of the driver require replacement? What are the MOT Regs?
thanks for any help.
Durelli
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I found the repair i had down to my screen still left a discoloration i could see and as it was near my line of vision i could not put up with it, also a repair can still crack later on, personally i would get the screen changed, what about going the insurance route and getting the garage to pay your excess?
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The garage had the chip repaired.
However, when I picked it up, there is a still a chip there. It is now much smaller, more of a large pin hold in the window. You can see it and feel it though.
Are all windscreen repairs like that?
Should they be invissible, as good as new?
Should I ask them to have it done again?
Durelli
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In my experience of 2 or 3 chip repairs, and talking to the repairers, this is what you should expect. One benefit is that the chip should now not spread any further. The second, and bigger benefir is that you don't have to have a new screen, risking bodywork damage and leaks from poor fitting.
If I were you I would be happy with the result. If the screen needs changing at some time in the future have it done then (insured presumably), but to have it changed now is, in my opinion, the wrong thing to do. This is what I did in an identical situation. My wife later collected a huge crack in another area of the screen, so it's now been changed.
hth
Andy
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Andy,
thanks very much for that clear and complete message.
Based on that I'll do exactly as you say.
Thanks.
cheers
Durelli - son of a famous Italian tyre maker
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Hi - calling on the considered opinions and expertise of the BRers :)
Took my car to main dealer for some work this afternoon, and when parking up was approached by an operative from Glas-Weld Systems (95 offices and growing, so the card says) who asked me if I had any windscreen damage. I said that as it happened I did, but was not there for that reason (thought he was waiting for a customer who had booked in)
A couple of months ago a stone flew up and chipped my screen fairly near the side. The car recently passed its MOT. This gentleman advised me that in Winter given wet weather and frost, this chip could cause the screen to crack. He advised placing some sellotape over it in the meanwhile.
Now, he told me that the repair could be done with no cost to me, and no loss of excess on my insurance, just supply policy details. He wasn't particularly pushy, when said I didn't have dtails on me, but before I ring and check it out with my insurance company, I just wondered if anyone had any comments to enlighten me a bit more please?
Car in questin is Honda CRV 1997 btw
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Never heard of this company but repairs to chips are usually done at insurance co expense, no excess, no loss of NCB, no paperwork. Autoglass, Autowindscreens etc all offer this (subject to you policy covering it of course).
My insurers even give me a pair of "plasters" to cover chips with to keep out undesirable wet/dirt until repair can be organised.
Now replacements are a different matter...
Terry
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Thanks for the info Terry- I was a bit intrigued, as the blurb on the van, and his card says "U.K's Leading Windscreen Repair Organisation" - but although I'd heard of the ones you mention, I'd not heard of this one.
FYI the company is based in Gravesend, Kent - wasn't that the location of this weekend's new record temperature? :) or has it been beaten again today?
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Hot weather brings on a rash of broken screens. In this part of the world, especially - I recall having my car in for a side window (burglars!) and the techie said that 80% of their business that monday was for cracked screens.
Many people just ignore the chips/cracks, but come a 40 degree-er, and that tiny chip is now 3 ft long right across the screen!
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