Advice please - chipped windscreen

[Kitty A]

We are on our way to the Shetlands. Just outside Carlisle I passed a truck which threw up a stone and chipped the windscreen.

The chip is less than a centimetre in diameter, star shaped with 3 or 4 very small marks around it and directly in front of the driver (me), about 6 inches up from the bottom.

We are outside Glasgow at the mo, heading to Aberdeen tomorrow (Sunday) and taking the 5 pm ferry to Lerwick on Monday.

Would appreciate some advice as I'm not sure what to do for the best. We will have time to sort something in Aberdeen - are those Autoglass repairs any good? Should we ignore it? I'm not sure we have the relevant insurance documents with us, so we are prepared to pay for it and move on - would that be OK?

I've read loads of conflicting advice in the net from 'do it immediately' to 'I had a hole that let in water for 10 years'.

Thanks in advance, Kitty

 

[Oggie]

Our insurance offered free repair with Autoglass. Had it done and now it looks much worse but is less likely to shatter. For 60 quid we could have the screen replaced, so worth ringing your insurance company or ring autoglass as they may have your details? My wife had a repair on her previous van and the repair was invisible....

Rob

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2

 

[choplee]

If its not in the line of drivers sight then not replaceable ...not all repairs can be invisible ,due to glass fracture ,light and decontamination ....it will be stronger than the screen ,but you would have to be very very lucky to get them to replace it now after its all signed off ..:-(

 

[Pistolknight]

I'd leave it.
Getting windscreens replaced is something that has to be done to get throught an MOT. If you replace it now it could get chipped again in a weeks time.

:cool

 

[SimplyDubs]

I'd get it repaired ASAP... Over a week or two a lot of dust etc can penetrant a chip and it'll be more visible.

 

[Kitty A]

Thanks everyone.
Dropped into Autoglass and they thought that although not very big, the chip may be MOT failure as its in line of sight so could need replacing, not mending. Their view was that it was unlikely to get worse, certainly not before a frost and that worse scenario was that it may crack, not shatter. They advised us to leave it till we get home.
So we'll think about it later. Any other experiences of the same problem would be interesting to hear about. Off to Aberdeen to catch a ferry..........

 

[Andy]

Any thing in the 'swept' area, as in wipers is an mot failure & possibly a fine if stopped. Have had loads of chips repaired ontrucks at work with no problem, most can not be seen unless realy looked for. Had more problems when replacing screems with them not sealing & leaking.
My advice would be to repair chip if possible.

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[bernie]

Beware of free chip repairs. I contacted Autoglass with a tiny almost unnoticeable chip that you could just about detect by scraping a nail over it. It was less than a millimetre in diameter. I only did it because a passenger pointed it out. The guy came and applied a suction device for a very long while whilst giving me a lot of earache. But, he succeeded in creating a crack of a few cm. He then told me I needed a new windscreen but he could not supply a genuine VW one. I went to my regular garage, Listers in Coventry who fitted a VW windscreen. Have you ever thought how the guys at the DIY car parks can finance free chip repairs? They deliberately make the crack bigger and then you are forced to have a new windscreen. Beware!

 

[calicasas]

I had an almost identical experience with auto glass! Chip that auto glass converted into a crack and then told me I needed a new screen! It was not an original screen but the VW screen would have taken a week to arrive. The problem I had was that I was days away from along European tour, so I was forced to take the non-standard screen! Was not happy as this is an expensive van! My advice, avoid auto glass! Avoid a non VW screen!

 

[Kitty A]

Thanks everyone for the replies, as suspected a lot of conflicting ideas.

What is the alternative to Autoglass? Has anyone has any good experiences elsewhere?

I must admit I am not keen on Autoglass. Some years ago a chap came to my office to replace the cracked screen on my old Toyoto. When I looked at the result I couldn't believe my eyes. Honestly, my old mum could have done a better job with a crochet hook and a bent knitting needle. We took it back to the shop and they replaced it again but it left lasting damage. As the car was so old there was nothing we could do. I remain concerned about a company that could send someone out who was so utterly incompetent.

I'm North London based so if anyone can recommend anywhere I'd be grateful.

 

[bernie]

Not sure who to go to. You could spell it out before Autoglass come to you that the chip is fixable and they will be sent away if they crack the screen but not a desirable approach. By the way, my brother in law tells me he knows of solicitors dealing with lot of claims over chips miraculously becoming cracks.

 

[Skylark2.0]

I had an almost identical experience with auto glass! Chip that auto glass converted into a crack and then told me I needed a new screen! It was not an original screen but the VW screen would have taken a week to arrive. The problem I had was that I was days away from along European tour, so I was forced to take the non-standard screen! Was not happy as this is an expensive van! My advice, avoid auto glass! Avoid a non VW screen!

Just had this experience. Autoglass man pressed the star crack, with his horrid greasy fingers, and the star got bigger. Then he sprawled on my bonnet (until I asked him to stop) and told me I couldn't have a VW one. No way I would let him fit anything. Not happy having a non VW screen in a 2 month old van with 1.6k miles on the clock.
Just about to ring Manchester VW where it is going in onMonday anyway for a sticking manual door fix.
Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Andy]

The 'free' chip repairs get paid by your insurance company. Insurance pay them less than a replacement screen. Usually the repair will stop a chip progressing into a crack necessitating a new screen which you claim on insurance & they pay for.
If you get 'free' repair done on insurance it counts as a claim. So it costs in the long run.
I would suggest any one to not bother doing anything with a chip that can hardly be noticed. I think there is a legal size at which it has to be repaired or screen replaced, but don't know the details on a private vehicle.

 

[Andy]

Just had this experience. Autoglass man pressed the star crack, with his horrid greasy fingers, and the star got bigger. Then he sprawled on my bonnet (until I asked him to stop) and told me I couldn't have a VW one. No way I would let him fit anything. Not happy having a non VW screen in a 2 month old van with 1.6k miles on the clock.
Just about to ring Manchester VW where it is going in onMonday anyway for a sticking manual door fix.
Anyone have any thoughts?

Maybe get AA to repair it
https://www.theaa.com/windscreen/#/

 

[F5 JNR]

I wouldnt mess....for safety sake buy a new windscreen asap. Imagine the worst-case scenario either travelling at speed or even parked up sleeping in the van. Not worth hesitating in my opinion, slightest doubt then trust your instinct.

 

[motacyclist]

Just had this experience. Autoglass man pressed the star crack, with his horrid greasy fingers, and the star got bigger. Then he sprawled on my bonnet (until I asked him to stop) and told me I couldn't have a VW one. No way I would let him fit anything. Not happy having a non VW screen in a 2 month old van with 1.6k miles on the clock.
Just about to ring Manchester VW where it is going in onMonday anyway for a sticking manual door fix.
Anyone have any thoughts?

Autoglass came to replace a quarter light in my wife's Golf. On that particular car, the door skin has to be removed, this is attached by self tapping screws (from the inside) of differing lengths. Silly idiot mixed them up when replacing and put a long one where a short one should have been and it went through the outer door skin

 

[F5 JNR]

Bloody humans! Common sense aint common, should be called rare sense these days. I'll tell Wikipedia to add it to wtf, lol, l8tr, et.

 

[motacyclist]

In fairness, some time later we needed the windscreen replaced. Insurance sent Autoglass again, and a different bloke came. He noticed that the quarterlight was the wrong tint (we hadn't noticed). I told him his company had replaced it, and he said it wasn't acceptable and he would arrange to have it rectified, which he did. So it's down to the individual ....

 

[F5 JNR]

Again, bloody humans!

 

[briwy]

Be aware that Autoglass do not stock screens suitable for vans with the sensor behind the mirror for the auto wipers. Took them about two weeks to get one for us. The screens are actually all the same but the auto ones have a plastic holder stuck on for the sensor. Why they can't just stick this onto an ordinary screen when needed beats me.
Bloody humans again.