Windscreen Woes!

[Hiltonkev]

My 6 week old CT200h has got a cracked windscreen. I didn't see it happen, but its just one of those things.

Rang National Windscreens (who my company use) and told them - they wanted to know loads of information, like:

Is it an acoustic screen? - dunno

Is it an antenna screen? dunno

Is it grey tinted - think so

Has it got rain sensitive wipers? - yes

"hmmm.....not sure which screen it is, but we'll bring both"

They arrived a few minutes ago, and you guessed it - only bought one, and it was the wrong screen.

They rang head office and were told that they didn't have any anywhere in the country, so it might be a couple of weeks before they can get one from Lexus!!!

Apparently I am the first in the UK to have a cracked 2015 Lexus screen! Yay for me......or not!

So now I wait......

GRRRRRRRR

[steve2006]

Not good news especially if your username gives a clue to your location with the Burneston Toyota plant just the other side of the A50.

It may be worth contacting Lexus assist to see if they can get one sooner for you.

[Mikeyb999]

I'm sue I read another post somewhere about a guy finding a genuine dealer supplied replacement was cheaper, so may be worth a call to the dealership

[rayaans]

Wow looks like they dropped a bollock lol. Out of interest what's the difference between a 2015 screen and a 2014 screen?

[Wass]

Wow looks like they dropped a bollock lol. Out of interest what's the difference between a 2015 screen and a 2014 screen?

I wasn't aware there was any difference between the windscreens 2014-2015 or even 2011-2015; perhaps it is just a tint shade? it will be interesting to find out the answer to this.

[matt-c]

Hardly NW's fault - they can only go on the information given by the customer;

"Is it an acoustic screen? - dunno

Is it an antenna screen? dunno

Is it grey tinted - think so

Has it got rain sensitive wipers? - yes"

I suggest when buying a part for the car, to have the correct information to hand when asked. If you don't, check it and call them back. You'd be amazed how giving the correct specs cuts down getting wrong parts.

[Hiltonkev]

Matt, thank you for your words of wisdom.

Having been driving for over 30 years, I have had my fair share of new windscreens, and usually giving the number plate and the car model is sufficient. I do not have experience in knowing if the screen is acoustic, or has an antenna built into it.

I asked NW how to distinguish if these features were present and the helpful person on the phone could not tell me.

As NW are a windscreen replacement company, I would expect them to know the windscreen that is required, rather then me, just as I expect a mechanic to identify the correct parts for my car.

[matt-c]

Reg numbers won't do anything fro deciphering what windscreen is in a vehicle. Sadly, even chassis numbers are not linked to a database with full specs, let alone windscreens. All we can go on are the available options, and the customer knowing what they have. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. On some cars, this isn't a problem. For example, the original shape Ford Focus - there are only two types of screen; green non heated, and green heated. However, there are two different heated screens, with a change over year. So all we need to know from the customer is if it's heated or not, and we work it out from the change over year. This only becomes a problem if the vehicle is a late registered model, although we can usually pre-empt this by asking if the indicators are in the bumper or the headlights. We still sometimes get it wrong, 1) because customers give the wrong info, and 2) because that's the problem with having multiple options on modern cars. Did you know that for the Jaguar X-Type there are 16 different windscreens combinations? Nope, neither do the owners.

Lexus also have multiple combinations for windscreens - only recently I went to a CT200h (64 plate) with the wrong screen. His was acoustic with rain sensor, but he told us it had an aerial in the glass. When I got there it didn't. As for colour, half my customers think that windscreens are clear! (when in actual fact very very few cars have clear glass - the Skoda Fabia is actually the only car of recent years I can think off the top of my head that still has clear glass). Typically, UK cars have green glass, although some special models have blue glass (Golf GTi, Mondeo Titanium X), but also many models have what's called "clear solar", which you may have noticed by the distinctive "purplish" petrol effect tinge. Japanese imports are usually grey or bronze, although old UK spec Ford's also had bronze glass (mk1 Sierra, mk3 Escort for example). See how it can get confusing? Add into that rain sensors, light sensors, rain & light sensors (combined, Merc do this a lot), infra red cameras, lane departure cameras, cctv/traffic cameras, new Fords that have road sign detecting cameras, heated screens that can be fully heated or only wiper heated, acoustic and non acoustic, nano-rain treated windscreens, the list goes on. It's not simple like it used to be!

NW are indeed a windscreen company, but I wouldn't expect them to be able to identify the exact windscreen specification over the phone with the answers you gave them. Just as I wouldn't expect British Gas to tell me what boiler I have if I say "it's white and square".

Spend a week with a windscreen fitter - it's harder than you think ;)

[matt-c]

Here's a perfect example. I've just driven for an hour to do a Porsche Boxster, but sadly Mr Porsche isn't getting done today - despite the fact I took two screens with me, just in case. The result of the questions asked, the info provided was; has rain sensor, no top tint, no aerial, no GPS.

In actual fact, the screen he has; no rain sensor, does have top tint, does have aerial, no GPS. So I guess 1 out of 4 isn't bad - must be my or my company's fault it's wrong...