Autoglass/Windscreen replacement

[Brechin Slate]

Hi folks

Just thought I'd share a recent experience I had with Autoglass.  My windscreen had a big chip in one corner and when driving towards the sun I noticed hundreds of tiny chips which had probably accumulated over the years.  Some of them were so small I thought it was tree sap so I tried cleaning the screen with IPA and then a clay bar but no improvement.  Time for a change, it was worth the £75 insurance excess to see where I was going.  Booked the fitter to come to my home and was given a six hour window on a Saturday.

When the day came, the fitter called and said that because of the snow, he'd have trouble getting to me so could I go to him instead.  I was going to go into a monologue about if he couldn't drive to me because of the snow, surely it worked both ways but, I wanted the job done and figured that a warm dry workshop was better than the job being done under a gazebo.

I drove 17 miles to Poole, handed the car over and went for a coffee while the job was being done.  I got a call an hour later telling me all was good, checked that it was ok to drive and set off for home.  A few miles down the road and both my wife and I noticed that there was a lot of noise in the car and there was a big draught coming from between the screen and the dash on the passenger side.  Then the creaking started around the area of the rear view mirror.  Then I noticed that the side trim was loose.

I was tempted to turn round and go back but not only did I doubt there was another Lexus screen in stock but the fitter had told me he was going straght on to another job.  I guess that driver refused to come to him.  When I got home, I noticed that the trim and the clips hadn't been changed, see pic, (the receipt said that they had been) so I contacted Autoglass to tell them I wanted the whole job done again.  The fitter came to my work today (I asked them not to send the same one) and he had no intention of changing the screen until I insisted, he said he only needed to do the trim.  When he took the trim off, I felt around the bottom of the screen where the draught was coming from and pulled gently on the screen, there was easily 8-10 mm of movement.

In the end, the screen, trim and clips were changed and I waited a few hours befor driving the car.  Pleased to report that all is now good, the car is quiet and draught free again and everything looks neat.  In a chat I had with the fitter, I picked up that they were demotivated by their T's and C's and very few of them had pride in their work or were inclined to deliver good customer service.  Sounds like a rant but I'm happier now and wanted to let you guys know to be wary if you're in the same situation.

Regards to all.

Mike

Edited March 26, 2018 by Brechin Slate
Typos

[graham8370]

Good end result Mike, thanks for sharing.  I might regret saying this, but I've never had a screen replaced in 50 years of driving.

[normski2]

Thanks for sharing the insight. All good stuff to know .... and I’m very near Poole!

[KenMavor]

12 hours ago, Brechin Slate said:

Hi folks

Just thought I'd share a recent experience I had with Autoglass.  My windscreen had a big chip in one corner and when driving towards the sun I noticed hundreds of tiny chips which had probably accumulated over the years.  Some of them were so small I thought it was tree sap so I tried cleaning the screen with IPA and then a clay bar but no improvement.  Time for a change, it was worth the £75 insurance excess to see where I was going.  Booked the fitter to come to my home and was given a six hour window on a Saturday.

When the day came, the fitter called and said that because of the snow, he'd have trouble getting to me so could I go to him instead.  I was going to go into a monologue about if he couldn't drive to me because of the snow, surely it worked both ways but, I wanted the job done and figured that a warm dry workshop was better than the job being done under a gazebo.

I drove 17 miles to Poole, handed the car over and went for a coffee while the job was being done.  I got a call an hour later telling me all was good, checked that it was ok to drive and set off for home.  A few miles down the road and both my wife and I noticed that there was a lot of noise in the car and there was a big draught coming from between the screen and the dash on the passenger side.  Then the creaking started around the area of the rear view mirror.  Then I noticed that the side trim was loose.

I was tempted to turn round and go back but not only did I doubt there was another Lexus screen in stock but the fitter had told me he was going straght on to another job.  I guess that driver refused to come to him.  When I got home, I noticed that the trim and the clips hadn't been changed, see pic, (the receipt said that they had been) so I contacted Autoglass to tell them I wanted the whole job done again.  The fitter came to my work today (I asked them not to send the same one) and he had no intention of changing the screen until I insisted, he said he only needed to do the trim.  When he took the trim off, I felt around the bottom of the screen where the draught was coming from and pulled gently on the screen, there was easily 8-10 mm of movement.

In the end, the screen, trim and clips were changed and I waited a few hours befor driving the car.  Pleased to report that all is now good, the car is quiet and draught free again and everything looks neat.  In a chat I had with the fitter, I picked up that they were demotivated by their T's and C's and very few of them had pride in their work or were inclined to deliver good customer service.  Sounds like a rant but I'm happier now and wanted to let you guys know to be wary if you're in the same situation.

Regards to all.

Mike

 

[KenMavor]

I've just had a crack appear on the passenger side of the windscreen....ho hum.

Will let you know how I get on!

[jackcramerr]

I have been through the same with Autoglass.

[Vintagesixtysix]

+1 ..... same experience with AG.

Second fitting they sent one of their “technical” people.....

I can confirm with recent freezing weather that the screen fillaments for defrosting wiper blades on my replacement do not work in this generic non Lexus screen.....I’ve tested the power supply & that’s ok. It cost me a new wiper blade to find out.

Phil

[Brechin Slate]

Agree 100%, Phil.  I checked that the replacement screen had the filament and wiring and watched as it was connected. The switch light comes on but it does nothing. I'm not getting it replaced again simply because I'd only use it probably twice in 5 years where I live. Trying to convince management that we need a new car now...

[jackcramerr]

Yeah the the windscreen heater does not work. I given up. 

 

[jumbojake]

I had mine replaced by the AA (under AA insurance at the time).. good chap and did a good job.  But he advised me it had been replaced at some point before, and the previous fitter didn't change the clips (apparently a requirement), which damaged the trim, hance the silione he discovered.

Luckily, he came armed with clips and new trim, so all good

 

[Nishid100]

I've had mine done via Autoglass and it was a long experience.

 

I have had 4 replacements since December with the last one being a dealer glass.

The 3 before and 1 that they didn't fit all had scratches on them in my line of sight. it turned out to be the way that they were being stored and transported that when they slid the glass out it would scratch.

 

The dealer glass only went on 2 days ago and so far its perfect.

[Guest]

A friend of mine is having to wait nearly a month until there is a technician available who can deal with the radar cruise.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk

[rayaans]

Yep its a pain - endured it when I had my RX300 but the auto wipers never worked the same.

[KenMavor]

Just had my windscreen replaced by Autowindscreens under insurance.  Guy was nice enough but the plastic firewall cover, underneath the windscreen wipers fits nowhere now.

See the piccies.  Both sides are a complete mess and the passenger side plastic strip down the side of the windscreen has also been broken.

Not happy.

 

 

[rich1068]

To use a technical term, that's ***** poor. Luck of the draw with these fitters it seems.

[J Henderson]

Agreed. Demand a replacement, Ken.

[Brechin Slate]

Wow, I thought my job was bad! New side trims and clips are part of the replacement procedure and they've almost certainly been charged to the insurer.  It should look immaculate when it's done properly.  Like the other guys say, get them back, ask for a different fitter and ask why the side trims and clips weren't changed. When he arrives, watch him remove the bodged screen and check the new one has the element for the heated wipers.  Let us know how you get on and good luck.

[KenMavor]

11 minutes ago, Brechin Slate said:

Wow, I thought my job was bad! New side trims and clips are part of the replacement procedure and they've almost certainly been charged to the insurer.  It should look immaculate when it's done properly.  Like the other guys say, get them back, ask for a different fitter and ask why the side trims and clips weren't changed. When he arrives, watch him remove the bodged screen and check the new one has the element for the heated wipers.  Let us know how you get on and good luck.

New trims were supplied the first time and these are the new trims that are crap!  The new screen does have the heater element and he did reconnect it.  The plastic cover over the firewall is not actually sitting correctly and I'm pretty sure he's tried to force it in place to get it to fit.  Wonder if he's broken it.

[KenMavor]

Two new trims later and the plastic valance cover got taken off and reseated in the correct position and everything fits as it should.

Why could the first guy not taken a little care and time to do that in the first place.

 

Will keep an eye on the trims once I start driving it around to see if they spring back up or not.

[jackcramerr]

Something is wrong with their clips or trims. They never fit. They will use glue in the end if not already done. 

[KenMavor]

22 hours ago, KenMavor said:

Two new trims later and the plastic valance cover got taken off and reseated in the correct position and everything fits as it should.

Why could the first guy not taken a little care and time to do that in the first place.

 

Will keep an eye on the trims once I start driving it around to see if they spring back up or not.

Spoke too soon......just realised that the fitter used the OLD driver's side trim rather than the new one.  Drove the car for the first time and at the bottom of the trim it comes away from the plastic valance and the side of the windscreen when driven.  It can be forced back in but then seems to pop out when driven.

Pathetic.  Will probably end up getting two new trims myself, taking the plastic valance out and seeing what they've broken there and fixing it before installing the new trims myself.