Windscreen chip/crack - repair or replace?

[simion_levi]

My windscreen took a hit on the motorway today, leaving a surface chip with crack running through it, plus a tiny secondary impact spot a little further up.

Is this a repair or replacement job? If repaired, how visible will it be? It's hugging the A pillar, in some ways good but had heard close to the edge repairs may not be possible.

It's an 18 month old Octavia VRS with heated screen, ACC, lane assist, rain/light sensors etc- lots to be recalibrated and it's my own car rather than a lease, so I'm not especially keen on braving the insurance recommended repairer without some research first!

[sherman]

Going to say new screen as its into the black bit.

Why would you be worried of the insurer approved glass installer?
Its most likely autoglass. Who else would you go to?
It wont cost you that much if anything if you have full comp insurance with protected no claims

[SuperPav]

If it was my car and not a PCP/lease being returned, then I'd leave it as is or do a cheap chip repair on it.

It won't fix the crack, but if it's not bothering you in line of sight, i'd rather live with it until more damage requiring a replacement screen appears. Replacing screens is a faff with trim removal and bits of glass and sealant and so on so if you can live with the factory installed glass for longer, I'd always choose that.


In terms of how to actually fix it, that's a new screen.

[Deranged Rover]

Are you prone to sod's law?

The last time I had a crack in a windscreen like this, one of those repair chaps pounced on me in a supermarket car park and persuaded me that i needed it fixed! To be fair they did a great job and it only cost me a tenner's excess.

Barely 72 hours later a lorry in front of me on a dual carriageway threw up a stone which left a huge dent and loads of cracks, so I ended up having a new windscreen anyway...

[barryrs]

My personal opinion is avoid the chip repair companies that have deals with your insurance and just get it looked at by someone local.

I had this chip on my windscreen and paid £25 excess for a repair.


Which resulted in this



Thanks a lot Autoglass!

I’ve been waiting 3 weeks so far for the OE glass to arrive even though I know for a fact that it’s in stock with Mercedes.

[ScoobyChris]

I have limited experience of repairs, but both times I opted for it, it made the crack worse and the screen needed replacing anyway. To be fair, the guy doing it did say there was a chance it could happen. Have a chip in my current car that I picked up in my first year of ownership - every visit to the dealer results in an advisory that the screen needs replacing but it's not in my line of sight (so not an MOT issue) and not getting worse, so I'm just leaving it as I have similar concerns to you... 3 years and counting!

Chris.

[simion_levi]

Deranged Rover said:

Are you prone to sod's law?

I don't want to invoke it by saying no, but I'm not usually afflicted! I've had one glass repair & one replacement in the past 20 years (I wasn't particularly impressed with either though..)


Nerves around going straight to the insurance nominated installer are simply about the variable results commonly reported. If the screen needs to be replaced I'd like OEM glass and for it to be installed well. If a repair is possible for that crack in that position, it might be the better option - but again, I would like it to be a good one!

Having seen an example repair in the thread below, I'd be very happy with a similar standard:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Old Merc]

barryrs said:

My personal opinion is avoid the chip repair companies that have deals with your insurance and just get it looked at by someone local.

I had this chip on my windscreen and paid £25 excess for a repair.


Which resulted in this



Thanks a lot Autoglass!

I’ve been waiting 3 weeks so far for the OE glass to arrive even though I know for a fact that it’s in stock with Mercedes.

My Mercedes SL R129 is insured on a classic car policy. The screen took a big hit and cracked. On want to keep the car in perfect original condition, so I asked for a genuine Mercedes screen to be fitted by my local Mercedes Specialist. My insurance co agreed, but instead of the £75 excess I had to pay £125. A screen was shipped over from Stuttgart in a week, job done. I was well pleased the old screen was 25 years old with a few scratches and blemishes.

[Midshipracer]

I had a star-like chip on mine, Watched a lot of youtube videos on windscreen chips. Bought a Rain X windscreen repair kit from halfords (£20) and fixed it myself. No prior knowledge.

The crack is MUCH reduced now and no signs of propagating. Do some youtube vid watching, see if it works for you

[Spleen]

sherman said:

Going to say new screen as its into the black bit.

Why does that matter? Gen question, not trying to be clever.

[Pica-Pica]

Spleen said:

sherman said:

Going to say new screen as its into the black bit.

Why does that matter? Gen question, not trying to be clever.

The black bit is a UV protection band for the adhesive underneath. The screen is more flexible once it reaches the adhesive. Windscreens nowadays are a semi-structural part of the front, and flexing would be least resisted at the edge, because of the adhesive (which although set, is weaker than having a full glass area surrounding any crack).

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Spleen said:

sherman said:

Going to say new screen as its into the black bit.

Why does that matter? Gen question, not trying to be clever.

As said, anything too near the edge is bad


https://www.autoglass.co.uk/glass-repair-and-repla...

[barryrs]

Midshipracer said:

I had a star-like chip on mine, Watched a lot of youtube videos on windscreen chips. Bought a Rain X windscreen repair kit from halfords (£20) and fixed it myself. No prior knowledge.

The crack is MUCH reduced now and no signs of propagating. Do some youtube vid watching, see if it works for you

I wish I had done this

[Glassman]

simion_levi said:

My windscreen took a hit on the motorway today, leaving a surface chip with crack running through it, plus a tiny secondary impact spot a little further up.

Is this a repair or replacement job? If repaired, how visible will it be? It's hugging the A pillar, in some ways good but had heard close to the edge repairs may not be possible.

It's an 18 month old Octavia VRS with heated screen, ACC, lane assist, rain/light sensors etc- lots to be recalibrated and it's my own car rather than a lease, so I'm not especially keen on braving the insurance recommended repairer without some research first!

[Glassman]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Spleen said:

sherman said:

Going to say new screen as its into the black bit.

Why does that matter? Gen question, not trying to be clever.

As said, anything too near the edge is bad


https://www.autoglass.co.uk/glass-repair-and-repla...

More because the (automated) kit they use needs enough space for the suction cup to grip.

A manual injector a fraction of its size would be the preferred tool but Autoslags will only use their own patented equipment. Also, it has nothing to do with the black painted area.

[Glassman]

barryrs said:

My personal opinion is avoid the chip repair companies that have deals with your insurance and just get it looked at by someone local.

I had this chip on my windscreen and paid £25 excess for a repair.


Which resulted in this



Thanks a lot Autoglass!

I’ve been waiting 3 weeks so far for the OE glass to arrive even though I know for a fact that it’s in stock with Mercedes.

I would argue that they have fubarred a good 'screen. That damage is repairable all day long. Was.

[barryrs]

Glassman said:

I would argue that they have fubarred a good 'screen. That damage is repairable all day long. Was.

I genuinely think they have and have told them as such but they are hiding behind the terms and conditions.

Blatant incompetence in my view.

[shtu]

To the OP - personally, I'd pay the (probably a tenner) excess, try a repair and see how it goes.

[Glassman]

shtu said:

To the OP - personally, I'd pay the (probably a tenner) excess, try a repair and see how it goes.

The reality ism the overwhelming majority of repairers in the industry do not know what a good repair looks like, never mind how to achieve one. This misconception extends to the general public. All this talk about buying a kit from Amazon or Halfords does nothing for the perception. A repair will never disappear however it will become less visible. IOW, at a glance, you should not see it but if you are looking for it, you will find it.

Here's an example:

http://www.glasstecpaul.com/to-see-or-not-to-see/

Edited by Glassman on Monday 26th July 21:48

[Spleen]

I actually have a 20mm chip/crack in my windscreen that I had a go at fixing myself but has now come back although given the link above I suspect it never went away. Where would you suggest is the most competent place to get this kind of thing fixed?