Unrepairable windscreen chip - advice anyone?

birdsd01

birdsd01

A2OC Donor
Hi,

Picked up this little beauty at the weekend. It is within 4cms of the A pillar (see pciture) and Autoglass have said it is too close to the edge to repair, so have offered a new screen! Standard screen (non-OEM) is £75 (w-screen xs) and OEM Audi screen being £150 + £75 :eek: Is it worth buying the better screen? Or should I just not bother at all and leave it be??? I am taking the A2 to the local Autoglass workshop tomorrow first thing, so any tips this evening would be greatly appreciated. I have read all the threads about screens, but would prefer not to shell out £225 notes so soon after the badger incident!

Cheers,

David
 
Go for the OEM screen as the non-gen screens are very poor and i think i remember this being discust on here that the screens that Auto glass supply are very poor/cheap

I had mine replaced through a company at work, thought i would get a good deal (as they replace about 10+ screens a week for us) but NO screen came didn't fit very poor and the fitter said they are very poor screen and very cheap, as they didn't have another one in stock they ended up fitting a Pilckinton screen and it cost them more to supply that to me than what they charged, but just wished i had asked to get a OEM one through work would have got it cheaper. Its worth the extra money

Phil
 
I had a pilk one and it did not fit properly at the corners so had an OEM fitted
 
Thats what happened with the other screen good job i had it done at work, as it took them 3Hrs to get the new screen and they had already cut the old one out

Phil
 
Thanks guys, the non-OEM screen is made by Pilkington glass, so I will see if it is any good, and then if it fits OK then jobs a good 'un, if not then £150 extra and a refit will be required. :( The fitter was confident that it would be as good, but he would say that wouldn't he!!!!

What ever happens I will take some picks for uploading.

Cheers,

David
 
Check for ripples in the glass as that was one of the problems aswell, but it does depend on where the ripples are. Mines rippled but its right on the far passenger side and i don't notice it untill i'm cleaning the screen then i can see it

Phil
 
Thanks Phil, good tip! I remember doing the same with my Dad in a MKII Escort in about 1981!!! He had 3 fitted before we found one that didn't look like it had been made from recycled coke bottles! I was hoping things had moved on a bit since then!

Cheers,

David
 
Don't worry about the link Spike, I have read all the threads on windscreens, and will assist them with bonnet removal, and ask for the wings to be protected during fitting.

Cheers,

David
 
the grim reeper said:
Hey Spike you forgot to add the link ;)

Phil
Click to expand...

Oh boy, the signs of old age are coming thick and fast. The other day I was on our mini TT course (back road from Scorton to Northallerton) when a Lexus IS 200 zoomed past - and I did not even bother to give chase. Now where did I put the brochure for the Shady Pines rest home.

Cheers Spike
 
No worries Spike!

The screen was fitted yesterday, looks fine. No flaws in it, and the fit in the top corners is OK, not quite as good as the original, but since they didn't break or scratch anything, I am happy!

As ever, everyone's advice was very useful, it is sort of like an improved version of going down the pub and asking other people their opinion, just without the hangover and the beer belly ;)

David
 
dont change the screen!

It is a shame that you did not get a proper opinion on the chip as Autoglass were unfortunately lying if they said that you needed a new screen because of that chip that was near the edge.

It IS certainly possible to repair such damage to a very high standard where you would be very hard pressed to even know that it was there at all. It is just that they CHOOSE not to because it means that they have the opportunity to sell the unwitting a new screen. It is a shame that the insurance companies just turn a blind eye to such practices as the ratio of complaints from customers is never enough to trigger an investigation of such dubious practices.

As other posters have said, some cars are never quite the same once an aftermarket pattern part screen has been fitted ( this is what these companies will normally fit unless you insist on OE as the cost of an aftermarket screen is comparatively low ) so it is advisable to keep the manufacturers screen for as long as possible.

This is posted in the hope that others may not think they have to change a screen just because Autoglass say so. As a policyhoilder you have the right to nominate who works on your car, you do not have to use Autoglass or RAC or National just cos your insurer recommends them. Their fitters only have very limited training on doing windscreen chips ( usually less than 1 day) so their competence and experience is normally low. You may have to pay yourself and then reclaim the cost but that may be a better option. There are lots of companies who are just repair only companies who are able to do good work. Just search "windscreen chip repair" on the net.
 
In hindsight you are probably right, the autoglass guy tried to get his suction thing attached, but couldn't since the chip was within 10mm of the edge. Maybe a different technician would have been able to fix it.
The pilkington screen is OK in terms of glass quality, but the fit around the top isn't perfect. Other than that the car seems fine, no additional wind noise, no leaks! and unless you really look for it you would know it wasn't an OEM screen. Considering the poor quality of our roads and the amount of debris I am sure this one won't last long either!

Cheers,

David
 
I have a minor chip with a small crack also near the edge and when I showed it to a specialist I wasn't recommended to try a repair because being so near to the edge could possibly crack the screen by the repair process. They didn't suggest a new screen either, just to wait and see. It's been over a year now and the screen is still fine.
 
Windscreen Advice Audi A2

He is right to an extent, insofar as if a screen cracks when you are repairing it this will normally be round the edge. The repairer must be certain to only drill a minimal amount to prevent opening a large stress point near the edge. Hot days are bad too as the glass gets softer and more prone to cracking. I would also advise it to be done on a dry day too to prevent any moisture being in the chip that will compromise the repair or require fierce heating to eradicate which in itself is risky from a cracking point of view. The repair fixture needs to be put on the screen very carefully too so that it avoids stressing the glass. The Glass Medic system applies a physical pressure to the chip when the vacuum cycle is turned on which could crack the screen which is why some glass companies using this equipment tend to crack more screens than others. So it would be best to avoid this type of equipment for this reason on your particular type of damage. The statistical chance of cracking should be about 1:1000 so the odds are good. I would disagree with the "leave it" philosophy though. Why miss the chance of repairing it? You have been lucky that it hasnt cracked yet. I have had 2 chips on my own A2 both near the edge and both of them have cracked out and required the actual crack repairing to prevent it running into the wiper sweep area and failing the MOT. I think you are on borrowed time to be honest and i would advise it to be repaired now rather than wait for the inevitable. It will already have a years woth of road dirt in it too which is unfortunate as a fresh chip makes the best repair and same day repairs are easier to do because of the glasses requirement for moisture on a microscopic level which makes the resin get right into the cracks much easier without so much effort. If you want to post a pic of it next to a ruler i can advise more exactly. I dont know any companies in Sweden so i cant recommend anyone unfortunately. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for offering advice, much appreciated. I went to the garage to take a photo of the crack but as I turned on the camera the battery died and the charger is at work at the moment.
Will get back with a photo asap.
 
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