New Screen.

[Foulsbane]

Autoglass just fitted a new screen to my LS430 and did a great job of it, the Fitter told me that rust had formed at the top of the screen, he dressed that back and primed it before fitting the new screen, AND, I now have a new gleaming chrome trim across the top of the screen.

Outstanding !!

However, now the wiper blade just touches the right pillar, wonder if that's because the new screen is showing less resistance to the blade ?

Or am I going to have to take the old girl back to have the blade re seated on the splined shaft ?

[PEPE]

This is interesting, Ron.

My two LS 400s have minute scratches that are becoming a nuisance when driving against the sun. I've tried to polish them out but my results have a lot to be desired. My usual detailer refused to handle this job and said new windscreens were the right solution.

My problem is that 'unfortunately' I haven't been hit by a pebble right in front of my line of vision so I wouldn't be able to claim on my insurance for a replacement. At the moment I've approached another detailer in Kent who reluctantly agreed to professionally polish my windscreens but he didn't sound too enthusiastic. I'm just waiting for a nice day to drive to his premises.

So, in the meantime, and to get to the point, how much did you pay Autoglass? Maybe it's not as much as I fear!

Many thanks

Pepe

[harrylime]

pepe

I would be interested to know if the polishing works. The screen on my LS is terrible if the light is in a certain direction. I was thinking along the lines of a new screen but have considered polishing if i can find someone who knows what they are doing

[Malc]

A few years my then Mk2 had to have a replacement windscreen under insurance at Autoglass and I saw the pro forma invoice ..... £600 or so I think !

Malc

[matt-c]

By all means take it back to the branch - or any branch of Autoglass you pass for that matter - and they'll adjust the wiper there and then. Takes but a couple mins. Or, if you have a spanner, you could do it yourself in a couple ticks, and save yourself the time and petrol.

[Foulsbane]

I paid the standard insurance excess of £70

A friend of mine had a scratched windscreen and he used a spring loaded centre punch to pop a nice hole in the screen, wallah !! Fit a new screen.

[matt-c]

Technically, that's fraud, so I can't advise doing that. And discussing it on an open forum probably isn't the best idea either...

[Foulsbane]

It's definitely fraud.

Just an observation.

I too have had scratched screens and never resorted to that kind of tactic.

[harrylime]

I would never risk that, it;s not worth it. TBH the roads of south yorkshire are so bad if i wait long enough something will probably happen of its own acord

[PEPE]

Technically, that's fraud, so I can't advise doing that. And discussing it on an open forum probably isn't the best idea either...

Hear hear!

[marvs]

If you took it to Autoglass (or a smaller company, as I did) and explain that the 'road rash' on the screen is becoming dangerous, then there's every chance they'll replace it on safety grounds. That's what happened to me. Just go and have a chat with the glass company. After all, it's in their interests to fit you a new screen, so they probably won't refuse!

[PEPE]

Good idea Steve, thank you.

[Cotswold Pete]

If you took it to Autoglass (or a smaller company, as I did) and explain that the 'road rash' on the screen is becoming dangerous, then there's every chance they'll replace it on safety grounds. That's what happened to me. Just go and have a chat with the glass company. After all, it's in their interests to fit you a new screen, so they probably won't refuse!

So in your case was it done with a deal through the insurance?

[marvs]

Correct. I paid the excess to the windscreen company, and they handled the rest.

[ROYT]

If you adjust it yourself don't lean or press any tool against the bottom of the screen

where it is covered, it goes below the weatherstrip usually.

Easy to lever against wiper arm and crack the screen

[No I haven't done it but I know someone who did!]

[Foulsbane]

How strange that you should say that Roy, when the Technician came out to re set the wiper,

1. He found one bolt had sheared and couldn't remove it.

2. Cracked the screen in the process.

Now they are going to replace the screen again and fit a new wiper mechanism.

[Foulsbane]

Hi Roy,

I replied to your post earlier but is seems to have vanished into the ether, here goes again.

The Engineer came out as promised, couldn't fix the wiper because a bolt sheared and then noticed a stress fracture in the new screen.

Autoglass are now replacing the screen again and the wiper mechanism.

[Foulsbane]

Isn't that typical, now I see both posts.

[PEPE]

This is interesting, Ron.

My two LS 400s have minute scratches that are becoming a nuisance when driving against the sun. I've tried to polish them out but my results have a lot to be desired. My usual detailer refused to handle this job and said new windscreens were the right solution.

My problem is that 'unfortunately' I haven't been hit by a pebble right in front of my line of vision so I wouldn't be able to claim on my insurance for a replacement. At the moment I've approached another detailer in Kent who reluctantly agreed to professionally polish my windscreens but he didn't sound too enthusiastic. I'm just waiting for a nice day to drive to his premises.

So, in the meantime, and to get to the point, how much did you pay Autoglass? Maybe it's not as much as I fear!

Many thanks

Pepe

pepe

I would be interested to know if the polishing works. The screen on my LS is terrible if the light is in a certain direction. I was thinking along the lines of a new screen but have considered polishing if i can find someone who knows what they are doing

Hi Hugh, yes polishing DOES work.

Trawling the internet I came across Glas Weld (www.glaswelduk.com). These people specialise exclusively in repairing windscreens so I gave them a call. An extremely efficient and polite lady took my call and asked me to describe my problem. After taking my details she promised that of their technicians would call me later that very same day. This took place last Monday 24th at about 11.30 a.m.

Sure enough, by 2.30 p.m. a very knowledgeable-sounding chap rang me and told me he might be able to help and he agreed to come to my house the following morning. His name was Mike Toney. Mike proceeded to inspect carefully the windscreens on my two LS 400s. His assessment was that he would be able to polish off the minute tracks made by the wiper blades but he was quick to point out that the abrasions caused by grit and sand over the years would be IMPOSSIBLE to remove entirely. He also pointed out three stone chips that had also damaged the windscreens, fortunately outside the MOT failure zone. He recommended that I have these repaired at the same time.

How much would this cost? Mike explained that his minimum fee would be £100 for the first hour of polishing, followed by £60 per hour thereafter. He estimated that he would take two hours on the polishing job. I then asked him about the stone chips. He asked me for my insurance certificate and quickly determined that my policy had an excess of £10 per windscreen and he also verified that my insurer was on Glas Weld's list of approved insurers. This meant that he was automatically authorised to repair my windscreens without prior reference to my insurer. In other words, he would do all the paperwork.

At his point I wish to point out that at no time did I feel under pressure from Mark to take the matter further. He made it extremely clear that under certain conditions I would still be able to see the minute abrasions caused by grit striking the windscreens at high speed over almost 20 years. Would I still like to proceed?

Having said yes Mike went to work and I quickly realised why my detailers were reluctant to do this type of work. This is because the polish is applied by a 'drill' that rotates at about 2,000 rpm. This in turn heats up the glass, but the temperature must be monitored very carefully as otherwise the temperature could easily crack the windscreen. This is slow and delicate work. Here are the tools Mike used on my Mk4:

Here are the vacuum devices used to address the two stone chips on my Mk4:

I am pretty sure that Mike spent more than two hours working on my cars. His results are truly impressive. My Mk3 had a highly visible stone chip that I thought had been 'cured.' I was wrong. Once Mike finished the blemish simply disappeared! I was utterly delighted. The two on the Mk 4 are barely visible.

What was the final bill?

Polishing 2 windscreens: £160

VAT 32

Insurance excess 20

-------

Total £212

Between yesterday and today I took out my two LS 400s under all kinds of weather, especially driving into the sun when it was low in the horizon. I am delighted with the results. The view is absolutely clear. The scratches made by the wiper blades are no more. Only the minute specks that Mike warned me about remain but these no longer pose a hazard.

Finally I have to say it was a real pleasure dealing with Mike. He is a true gent and I recommend his work very highly. I should also point out that my relationship with Glas Weld is only that of a satisfied customer. Their helpline is 0800 387 528.

I hope this points other members in the right direction.

Pepe

[PEPE]

This is interesting, Ron.

My two LS 400s have minute scratches that are becoming a nuisance when driving against the sun. I've tried to polish them out but my results have a lot to be desired. My usual detailer refused to handle this job and said new windscreens were the right solution.

My problem is that 'unfortunately' I haven't been hit by a pebble right in front of my line of vision so I wouldn't be able to claim on my insurance for a replacement. At the moment I've approached another detailer in Kent who reluctantly agreed to professionally polish my windscreens but he didn't sound too enthusiastic. I'm just waiting for a nice day to drive to his premises.

So, in the meantime, and to get to the point, how much did you pay Autoglass? Maybe it's not as much as I fear!

Many thanks

Pepe

pepe

I would be interested to know if the polishing works. The screen on my LS is terrible if the light is in a certain direction. I was thinking along the lines of a new screen but have considered polishing if i can find someone who knows what they are doing

Hi Hugh, yes polishing DOES work.

Trawling the internet I came across Glas Weld (www.glaswelduk.com). These people specialise exclusively in repairing windscreens so I gave them a call. An extremely efficient and polite lady took my call and asked me to describe my problem. After taking my details she promised that of their technicians would call me later that very same day. This took place last Monday 24th at about 11.30 a.m.

Sure enough, by 2.30 p.m. a very knowledgeable-sounding chap rang me and told me he might be able to help and he agreed to come to my house the following morning. His name was Mike Toney. Mike proceeded to inspect carefully the windscreens on my two LS 400s. His assessment was that he would be able to polish off the minute tracks made by the wiper blades but he was quick to point out that the abrasions caused by grit and sand over the years would be IMPOSSIBLE to remove entirely. He also pointed out three stone chips that had also damaged the windscreens, fortunately outside the MOT failure zone. He recommended that I have these repaired at the same time.

How much would this cost? Mike explained that his minimum fee would be £100 for the first hour of polishing, followed by £60 per hour thereafter. He estimated that he would take two hours on the polishing job. I then asked him about the stone chips. He asked me for my insurance certificate and quickly determined that my policy had an excess of £10 per windscreen and he also verified that my insurer was on Glas Weld's list of approved insurers. This meant that he was automatically authorised to repair my windscreens without prior reference to my insurer. In other words, he would do all the paperwork.

At his point I wish to point out that at no time did I feel under pressure from Mark to take the matter further. He made it extremely clear that under certain conditions I would still be able to see the minute abrasions caused by grit striking the windscreens at high speed over almost 20 years. Would I still like to proceed?

Having said yes Mike went to work and I quickly realised why my detailers were reluctant to do this type of work. This is because the polish is applied by a 'drill' that rotates at about 2,000 rpm. This in turn heats up the glass, but the temperature must be monitored very carefully as otherwise the temperature could easily crack the windscreen. This is slow and delicate work. Here are the tools Mike used on my Mk4:

DSC00253.JPG

Here are the vacuum devices used to address the two stone chips on my Mk4:

DSC00256.JPG

I am pretty sure that Mike spent more than two hours working on my cars. His results are truly impressive. My Mk3 had a highly visible stone chip that I thought had been 'cured.' I was wrong. Once Mike finished the blemish simply disappeared! I was utterly delighted. The two on the Mk 4 are barely visible.

What was the final bill?

Polishing 2 windscreens: £160

VAT 32

Insurance excess 20

-------

Total £212

Between yesterday and today I took out my two LS 400s under all kinds of weather, especially driving into the sun when it was low in the horizon. I am delighted with the results. The view is absolutely clear. The scratches made by the wiper blades are no more. Only the minute specks that Mike warned me about remain but these no longer pose a hazard.

Finally I have to say it was a real pleasure dealing with Mike. He is a true gent and I recommend his work very highly. I should also point out that my relationship with Glas Weld is only that of a satisfied customer. Their helpline is 0800 387 528.

I hope this points other members in the right direction.

Pepe

[Foulsbane]

Huge credit to Autoglass,

I posted earlier that the Autoglass engineer came out to fix the "Not working correctly" windscreen wipers and found a stress fracture in the new screen !

Well Autoglass have just replaced the screen again AND the wiper mechanism, the mechanic has done a great job, they now work better & park better than before, magic.

[cruisermark]

Huge credit to Autoglass,

I posted earlier that the Autoglass engineer came out to fix the "Not working correctly" windscreen wipers and found a stress fracture in the new screen !

Well Autoglass have just replaced the screen again AND the wiper mechanism, the mechanic has done a great job, they now work better & park better than before, magic.

3 x windscreens + 3 x labour + wiper mechanism - cant of made much profit then?

whats a stress fracture then?

[Foulsbane]

Hi Mark,

I doubt they made any profit !

A stress fracture iin my case, was a 2" crack from the bottom edge, generated when the screen was fitted.

I suspect because the screen curve didn't match the bodywork curve.

[matt-c]

Stress cracks can happen for a number of reasons. Curve not matching the body is one, but usually the least likely, because the glass is placed onto glue between the body and glass. The glue is not a liquid, but it's not solid either (obviously until it dries). It's a polyurethane type bead. Because of it's consistency, you can have it sit flatter in parts than others, negating the difference in curvature etc. Unless the glass is viciously distorted, so much so that it simply does not fit.

Other causes are faulty glass (weak point that can crack, or what's called a "shell" which is like a stone chip, but in the edge of the glass - which can crack with vibration and twist from the chassis moving while driving). Can also happen from pressure against the glass, such as a scuttle being put back too tightly - obviously this depends on the car; I've seen it happen a bunch of times to certain Mercs that have a plastic scuttle that sits against the screen, and is held in place with screws that pass through the scuttle to the bulkhead below the screen. Over tightening of the screws can, and does, crack the screen.

Incorrect fitting can also crack screens - not enough glue, too much glue, incorrect position of the car during the placement (ideally, you want it on flat ground where all 4 wheels are at the same height. Gentle slopes aren't a problem, but having one, two, or three wheels on a kerb or uneven drive can allow the car to "sag" while the screen is out, then the new screen is bonded in it sets in that position - then you pull off the kerb or drive and drive it, and it can crack. Had this happen to me back in the early days, with a Ford Galaxy. Now I insist on moving the car if the position isn't ideal.

Foreign bodies such as spacer blocks, or grit in the glue, can also crack it. Many cars use rubber spacer blocks under the glass and along the glue line to set the height of the screen, but I've seen them crack glass before too. Had a Volvo S40 in a few years ago that had stresscracked after fitting, only to find the fitter had put runner spacer blocks along the bottom of the screen, and because they weren't needed on that model, the screen had crcked against one. Likewise, NOT putting spacer blocks where there should be ones can also lead to cracking.

[Foulsbane]

Thanks for the input Matt-c,

Just re affirms my belief that nothing is as straight forward as the professional makes it look.

Cheers.