Motoring Discussion > Windscreen replacement Miscellaneous
Thread Author: BobbyG Replies: 18
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New Thu 10 Nov 11 23:16 
 Windscreen replacement - BobbyG
The windscreen on my Altea got cracked somehow whilst it was parked up today. Crack not in field of vision but who knows what might happen if the weather hits freezing temps.

The last windscreen I had replaced was a Mk2 Escort and I did it myself!

I am insured with Admiral so I guess I will need to use whoever they tell me but is it a case of a windscreen is a windscreen or will there be attempts to fob me off with non OE eqpt etc?

Can they still do them at the roadside or is it a bookie - in job?

What should I be looking out for?

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New Thu 10 Nov 11 23:24 
 Windscreen replacement - AshT
I had a windscreen on one of the Espaces replaced a couple of years ago. Very straightforward process; I gave the insurer a ring and they made a booking with Autoglass.

The replacement was carried out at home, took the fitter about an hour, and seemed to be a very good job - no leaks, loose trim, etc.
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New Thu 10 Nov 11 23:29 
 Windscreen replacement - Ted

I use a small indy here in Stockport for the firm's cars....so far, they've done a stone chip on a fiesta front and two rear screens..a Fiat 500 and a Citroen C1.

All were done at home and I see no reason that they couldn't be done at the roadside. It was just more convenient for me and I could also sheet them over.

Presumably the firm has comprehensive insurance and would be claiming but no objection was raised to my use of the indy. The Fiat has a bonded rear and I was advised to not drive for an hour or so, which was ok by me.

I'd much rather give the ' little guy ' the work...they were efficient, clean and speedy. A father and son team.

Ted
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New Thu 10 Nov 11 23:43 
 Windscreen replacement - Bromptonaut
Had same issue a couple of years ago with the Lerbingo.

Insurer then was a Swinton associate. Their preferred agent was Autoglass who used 'OE equivalent' parts. Enquired about using dealer but they outsurced windscreens and were massively more expensive. No choice in reality. Dropped it in morniing and collected in eveninig paying £100 excess to contractor.

The Autoglass replacement could have been neater - too much mastic and a couple of trim screws lost. It's watertight though and other than lack of PSA Lion/Chevrons it's indistiguishable from original/rest of glass on car.
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 00:50 
 Windscreen replacement - Auntie Lockbrakes
I think the majority of insurers and manufacturers have outsourced this job these days. Mobile Autoglass technicians come and replace the screen pretty much wherever you are.

Check for leaks - a new screen in a Rover back in '97 wasn't sealed properly and gave me grief afterwards.

I wanted a replacement screen fitted on my VW Lupo about 10 years ago whilst it was in the dealers for the day being serviced. Don't recall the dealers being particularly helpful or accommodating when the Autoglass rep turned up. He did the job but didn't tighten up the wipers properly... as I discovered later that night in the rain! Had to do it all over again the following week, aargh.

Amazing how the simplest jobs get cocked up, or am I just unlucky?!
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 08:03 
 Windscreen replacement - Tigger
A new windscreen counts as a claim with many companies now. They don't knock the NCD back, but do load the premium. And you have to declare when getting renewal quotes.

Local independents can be cheap on a small windscreen. Sometimes not much more than the excess.
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 10:43 
 Windscreen replacement - The Nut
I had a windscreen replaced earlier this year, was insured with Elephant at the time and they use National Windscreens, Admiral are probably the same. The new screen looks identicle to the old and the fitter assured me it came from the same manufacturer as supply renault.

I took the car in to be done at their workshop, could have had it done at home but they warned about a longer wait and they might have to cancel if the weather was bad since they would be working outside.

Edit: agree with Tigger about independents sometimes being cheaper. In 2004 I had a new screen put in a nova for £70, although it may have been cheap because it wasn't bonded in like modern screens.
Last edited by: The Nut on Fri 11 Nov 11 at 10:46
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 10:54 
 Windscreen replacement - VxFan
>> they warned about a longer wait and they might have to cancel if the weather was bad since they would be working outside.

I don't see why they don't carry one of those gazebo pop up type of things with them to erect over the car in bad weather.
The bloke that sits outside the local Tesco who does windscreen chips has one so he can do repair work in all types of weather.
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 11:18 
 Windscreen replacement - Manatee
I gor a replacement screen with Admiral earlier this year, in the CRV. The screen matched the original as to colour and the printed shading behind the mirror etc but I don't know whether it was a "Honda" one or not. It was done in the undergrounfd car park at work.

They sent National and the job was very poor when I looked in the daylight - I spend a good half hour persuading the trim back into place and putting the clips in properly. The two young lads arrived in a van with a large depressed and cracked area in the middle of its own windscreen, which they attributed to a pigeon they hit. Some pigeon.
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 15:09 
 Windscreen replacement - Zero
I have an excess of 50 quid, but it means its not classed as a claim.

DONT get it done at the roadside, at Home, somewhere nice and flat (so the body is not twisted - the altea is a heavily shaped screen) and it shouldnt be moved for an hour or two afterwards,
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 15:29 
 Windscreen replacement - R.P.
The muppet that Autoglass sent to replace a windscreen for me at the roadside, did a crap job in the rain - the window was so poorly fitted that it flapped when you shut the door. It's a structural part of the door. It was re-fitted in their local depot and was OK. Rubbish fitting.
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 15:30 
 Windscreen replacement - Cliff Pope
That's a good point. Aren't windscreens structural now, unbelievable as that sounds?
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 15:39 
 Windscreen replacement - Old Navy
>> That's a good point. Aren't windscreens structural now, unbelievable as that sounds?
>>

They certainly are, years ago I had a toughened screen shatter in a remote bit of Scotland, the AA brought me a plastic temporary screen with vertical metal stiffening bars to get me back to civilisation. It was amazing how much the car body flexed and rippled the plastic screen.
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New Fri 11 Nov 11 17:35 
 Windscreen replacement - bathtub tom
>> Aren't windscreens structural now, unbelievable as that sounds?

I rolled (well, more sort of tipped over) a GRP bubble-car in the '60's. The glass windscreen and perspex rear window both popped out, intact. The drive home was frightening, as there was absolutely no strength above the waist-line.
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New Sat 12 Nov 11 19:16 
 Windscreen replacement - Falkirk Bairn
A couple of years back the windscreen was cracked by a lorry throwing up a stone.

Autoglass wanted to fit their own brand. I asked for a Mazda part - that took a week to come (which was 1 week less than they forecast) - fitted in the driveway,a good tidy job.

Although it says Mazda on the screen he actual wording says Mazda replacement - made in EU- rather than the original Japanese manufacturer.

My son was not quite so lucky with his replacement following his lawnmower throwing uo a stone, hitting the garage before taking out the back window. There are, we know now, 3 x marginallly different colours and 2 x different fitments for the HRW connections - i.e. 6 permutations and it was the 4th attempt before the colour and connector were correct.

If you want an original part as a replacement you just have to ask and ask again..........
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New Sun 13 Nov 11 22:46 
 Windscreen replacement - BobbyG
Well phoned Admiral today and they insisted that the car be reapaired at my home or work for some reason, think its National Windscreens.

£75 excess, doesnt affect no claims.

Will be fitted tomorrow in my works car park, think its even forecast to be dry!!

Had a look at my screen today - there are 2 covers either side on A pillars that the wipers park behind - I just know they are going to be damaged or not refitted properly!
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New Sun 13 Nov 11 23:19 
 Windscreen replacement - Manatee
>> I just know they are going to
>> be damaged or not refitted properly!

You might be lucky - the lads from the Watford depot probably don't cover Glasgae!
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New Mon 14 Nov 11 11:42 
 Windscreen replacement - Victorbox
>> Had a look at my screen today - there are 2 covers either side on
>> A pillars that the wipers park behind - I just know they are going to
>> be damaged or not refitted properly!

I spent a sad lunch hour in the park last summer watching the Autoglass guy fitting a new screen to an almost new BMW 5-series. Screen trims and wipers were carefully removed and laid on the engine and then he got to work with the cheese wire thingy to release the screen adhesive. No wonder the screen frames rust after a while! A quite violent operation and I'm glad it wasn't my car.
It was all going well until he let the bonnet drop onto the plastic screen trims resting on the engine block!!
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New Mon 14 Nov 11 14:26 
 Windscreen replacement - BobbyG
Well, windscreen now replaced.

Turned up this morning but the screen did not have the blue tint at the top that my existing screen had. So whilst one went away to get the correct glass, the other stayed to remove the screen etc.

Thankfully I was in a meeting and did not witness the taking out and putting back in. However it looks to be a good clean neat job and, to this credit, one of the fitters was fanatical about workmanship.

I have a sneaky feeling he is the type that spends his weekends uploading pictures to Detailing World !
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