Windscreen Stone Chip - will it fix

[Alex 111s]

got quite a bad stone chip on my windscreen today. what are the chances of autoglass being able to repair?

[renmure]

I have had autoglass repair a couple of chips recently on the Toyota and been really impressed with what they do, but that one seems a bit bigger than the ones I have had done. My guess is no

[Alex 111s]

that one seems a bit bigger than the ones I have had done.

That's my worry too. it must've been a sizable stone because it's left 2 chips for the price of one. ( I recon that Sheeen Canary missed back in '79 )

[tut]

Doubt it. I have had a few done but it needs to be smaller than a 5p coin, and that looks pretty hefty.

tut

[Alex 111s]

It's dificult to tell size from the photo, each of the chips on there own is quite small but they are so close together and there is sarfish cracking around them.

to add insult to injury, it happend when i was overtaking a Transit van which i only did as he'd signalled me by. Visability is too poor on that stretch of road otherwise.

Time to phone the insurance to find out if I'm covered for windscreen repair/replacement.

[tut]

I think almost every company includes windscreen replacement in the standard premium, with usually a £75 excess.

Repair work is free, you do not have to pay the excess.

tut

[Alex 111s]

Aviva through CCI £75 quid excess.

[campbell]

I have one particularly sizeable chip that the Autoglass guys had a good go at, not perfect but scrapes through MOT most years

Just call them out and see. Doesn't cost you if through insurance.

[Alex 111s]

windscreen condemnd

Ah well, at least they've got one on stock (in Birmingham).

[campbell]

Don't rule out adding a heated screen either.

Obviously not direct swap so insurance cover unlikely but I am considering this for mine one day, which as well as two long-term chips now also has a short crack on the lower pax-side corner

A heated screen is a boon on those damp or cold days...

[Tom]

I had a couple of chips that Autoglass said they couldn't repair. Couldn't be bothered arranging replacement. Then months later was in a shopping centre carpark and saw a tent saying 'Free Windscreen Repair'. Chatted to the guy, told him the story, he had a look, and then fixed it no worries. Said Autoglass were kak also. Company was Glasweld http://www.glaswelduk.com/glaswelduk_about_us.html . Should've prob contacted insurance first to check they'd pay but forgot at the time. They never got in touch though so I guess they're also an approved repairer (I'd never heard of them though)...

Might be worth a check?

[tut]

Glasweld sound a good bet as they can treat a £2 coin size as opposed to a 5p. Shall check with them next time, though when I was with SAGA I had to use RAC's Autowindscreens, who put in three on N3 before they got one that worked.

If you do road runs you are bound to get stars, but they do not bother me unless they are in the field of view, or an MOT failure.

tut

[Alex 111s]

A wee update.

Dropped the car off to get the new windscreen fixed by RAC Autowindscreens, only to get a call an hour later saying that they didn't want to do the job as the clam was too tight against the bottom of the windscreen. F.F.S.

& I had go down to see what the problem was. The fitter is standing about telling me that he cant get into the two bolts underneath the corner corner of the clam at either side. (the front access panels were still on too )

10 mins of my time later and i had the bolts out, access panels off & the two bolts under the access panels & now there's room to get the screen out. the guy hadn't even given it a go. (that really p*ssed me off.)

The fitter's parting coment was that i would have to come back to re-fit the bolts & panels. Aye, that'll be right.

Now, the thing that really gets me is that I had to take the car down for them to inspect it 2 weeks ago where the same guy said that they could do it no bother and that he'd done a few of Elises before.

I just hope that they have it ready for me tonight or i'll be seriously hacked off.

[campbell]

I think you are right to be narked here.

But at the same time there is a blessing...at least the chap didn't have a go at bodging off the clam or service panels causing damage which was later masked or otherwise denied...such behaviour is not uncommon and as McKean has found to his challenge, often difficult to redress after the fact

For an S1 at least, I've always remembered early advice to the effect that a new screen is best fitted at a Lotus dealer (albeit by the Autoglass types turning up there to do the work) or at a bodyshop which knows its way around the Elise. That way, they can slacken and nudge forward the front clam and refit back again afterwards, giving the best job all round. All the right specialists for the job at once, so to speak

For sure my S1 will be at Murrays or Steve Walker's once its screen finally bites the dust (which after 10 years, several chips and now one crack, can't be far away...).

Campbell

[tut]

They are bloody useless. I have had five fitted by them in the last two years, two of them claims the other three they broke putting them in. I have to use them, insurance company insisted.

Initially the same story as you, took it into Aberdeen when I could hardly walk, hung around in the City for four hours, then they phoned me to say they could not fit it. They could not even open the bonnet.

Since then I dictated terms, and they had to come upto John Duthie who took the clam off and was paid by them for his labour. The last debacle they broke the first one on the final fitting, the second one cracked the next day with a stress fracture, and they got the third one right. I combined it with getting a new radiator fitted whilst the clam was off.

tut