Hi guys ..after finally getting rid of my last troublesome car , i would like to keep on top of this one .First thing that comes to mind is a service , how often,what will they do? and roughly how much does it cost? The car is diesel and an 'M' reg , so not a new car.Also noticed that someone has cracked my windscreen! The crack is about half an inch long on the passenger side and about 4-6inches up from the dash, what needs to be done ? new windscreen? thanks for any help.
You can usually get your windscreen repaired for free if your on comp insurance.
without knowing what model it is, its hard to tell about services. it will tell you in the manual whats due and when. how much it will cost will depend on what needs doing.
I don't think a half inch long crack in the windscreen will be repairable. Probably will need a new screen.
I repair windscreens, including large cracks. Not many people can repair cracks, most of the big firms cant because it its quite difficult and dont train their staff for them. They will simply tell you that it cant be done, even lie, because they would rather charge the insurance company/you for a nice new screen (imported from India with HUGE profit margins).Originally Posted by Papa Lazarou
If its the original screen, its always worth getting it repair if possible - the big glass firm wont say this for obvious reasons. It's a safe bet to say that it will probably be much better quality than any replacement you would get and that you will also retain your factory steal around the screen (less leakage likely). Not to mention the mess it makes - scratching off paint which customers dont see because its under the seal (but rusts all the same). Im not saying this happens all the time, but often enough.
I have repaired cracks up to 12 inches long (and longer on HGV's). They are virtually invisible when they come out right. I'm not saying it can be done for sure, there are other factors, but if you post a phono i will be happy to say if it is or not
Thanks Autopilot but dont have the means to do piccie at the moment..sorry, interesting what you say about repairs tho'. Who would i approach for repairs rather than replacement? The car has been well looked after even tho its an 'M' reg, one old chappie owner before me! Insurance doesnt cover windscreen, but havent checked with RAC yet mebbe my membership/cover with them may cover it ? But still interested in who would check it out rather than replace,take it that it will need to be done for MOT ?
1/2inch isnt very big - i've got thru mots with far bigger problems on a windscreen - unless it starts growing i'd just forget about it
hughlunnon@yahoo.com | I have sigs turned off..
Probably true, but this is all things that can be avioded if done properly (ie. repainting any scratches before fitting the new screen..?)I repair windscreens, including large cracks. Not many people can repair cracks, most of the big firms cant because it its quite difficult and dont train their staff for them. They will simply tell you that it cant be done, even lie, because they would rather charge the insurance company/you for a nice new screen (imported from India with HUGE profit margins).
If its the original screen, its always worth getting it repair if possible - the big glass firm wont say this for obvious reasons. It's a safe bet to say that it will probably be much better quality than any replacement you would get and that you will also retain your factory steal around the screen (less leakage likely). Not to mention the mess it makes - scratching off paint which customers dont see because its under the seal (but rusts all the same). Im not saying this happens all the time, but often enough.
I have repaired cracks up to 12 inches long (and longer on HGV's). They are virtually invisible when they come out right. I'm not saying it can be done for sure, there are other factors, but if you post a phono i will be happy to say if it is or not
If its anything like my M reg it has lots of stone chips which are tiny but annoying, so any extra quality from being an original is not really there anymore... I have thought about getting it replaced, any idea how much one would cost? its probably more than the cars worth though (fiesta)
Last edited by SilentDeath; 21-01-2007 at 10:30 PM.
Autopilot, can I pick your brains later? I am gonna take a pic of a chip in my screen - its not through and not caused any cracks, but I wonder if its worth filling it in to stop it being aggravated by dirt and wipers. Its about 5x3mm and i'd say about 2 mm deep at the centre. Will get a pic tomorrow.
Tough on mirrors, tough on the causes of mirrors.
If you are fully comp, you can get it repair for free in most cases. So get them done, they can be there for months/years, but one day they will crack. And always when you could least do with it.
If you are TPF&T, then you will have to pay. But it will be a lot cheaper than a new screen. Probably about 1/10 of the cost.
No probs. Its probably fixable. But i will take a look and advice where to get it done too. If you phone your insurance company, you will 90% likely be told you have to go to the large firm that do the radio adds, you know the one. But that's only because they have special 'deals' with the insurance firms and the girl on the phone will just tell you what her screen says. You can take it to lots of places to get it, and trust me - i advise you do, the difference in quality is amazing.
Last edited by autopilot; 22-01-2007 at 01:46 AM.
But once it starts growing its probably to late. Strange logic that mate
There is 2 other problems that come from unrepaired stone chips... 1) They take in dirty water on the road and can look brown and terrible after a while - you cant get this out. 2) The PV Laminate layer in the centre will become water contaminated and turn milky white all around it. Looks very bad and can fail an MOT. You see this 'milking' around the edges of old screens on old cars. Also, if the car has an extra UV filter (most French cars) it will go a strange gold colour, and this happens very quickly and can cover a relativity big area (even if the chip is small). Basically, It's not just about cracks per say.
Sound like you MOT tester is not doing their job properly. It's quite common to overlook the screen.
Anything up to 10mm in the line of vision (A Zone) is MOT passable, out side of the line of site can be up to 40mm and still pass an MOT. In most cases, if the cracks get to 2" or bigger, they tend to run and run. So it usually stays as a smallish chip or the screen goes completely.
Last edited by autopilot; 22-01-2007 at 10:42 AM.
Maybe with the paint issue, but do you think most people bother when its impossible to see anyway?
As for the quality of the screen, you wont get any choice of quality. You can see the quality yourself in many cases - get out of the car and stand about 20 feet away. Now bend down try and look through the screen from the rear or through the driver passenger window (not from the front). If its a cheap replacement you can see waves like SSSSSSSSS. Most original screens wont, or hardly any.
And 1 out of 10 replacements leak, thats an official industry statistic so i am told, so it's likely to be more.
I am not saying dont ever get a screen replaced, just check all your options before you do. You wont get impartial advice from the big replacement firm, the serious money for them in in selling whole new screens. Windscreens have some of the highest profit margins of any car part.
Last edited by autopilot; 22-01-2007 at 11:28 AM.
autopilot do you work for autoglass?
No, I own my own company. But i dont care where you get it done. But what i will say is - for legal reasons, i wont comment on the standard of Autoglass repairs.
all you will say is you wont say anything?
Thanks for all your help ..anyone know anything about the service side of things ? I know there are different types of service and the car was last serviced at MOT last July, when will it need next service? and what can i expect them to do ?
diesel, i would get it serviced once a year with the MOT, oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter. thats about it on a diesel.
do not pay more than £100 for a service, and most should have a free MOT with them,
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