Windscreen advice - please

Hi all

I have a Vectra (Y) and it has gained more stone chips in the windscreen
than all the other cars I have ever owned!

Most chips are small and I suspect not problematical (it passed the MOT with
several in - at a main dealer), but yesterday I got a stone hit the screen
at about drivers eye level by the door/roof pillar. There is quite a large
chip, but more disturbingly it cracked instantly. The crack is probably
around 3-4 inches horizontally and then traces vertically for around 1.5 to
2.5 inches. It doesn't affect vision, BUT I suspect it needs dealing with
now.

I have never used a windscreen repair - how good are they? Any ideas on
cost - is it cheaper if I go to them rather than them come to me? Finally,
any recommendations, please.

Thanks
U.W.

 

Hmm I would seriously consider getting that replaced. Im not an expert but
deep stone chips + a 4inch crack sounds pretty serious to me.

Are you not fully comp?? If so its usually a £50 exess and does not effect
you no claims discount.

Only found that aout a few days ago when a neighbours roof tile smashed my
windscreen in!

 

The crack is probably around 3-4 inches horizontally and then traces

You cannot repair this. It needs a new windscreen. Speak to your insurers.

 

Check your insurance policy - you may have windscreen cover, probably with
say a £50 excess, and your insurance company will have a recommended
repairer.

Give them a call, book your car in, take it round - they will replace the
screen, taking your details, and just charge you the £50 excess. End of
story.

They'll probably try and flog you a pair of wiper blades as well!

I have an Astra that has now had 2 windscreens in 2 years! - it's a magnet
for lumps of wood (which punched a big hole in the thing) and stones etc.

 

I have never used a windscreen repair - how good are they? Any ideas on

I was persuaded to have a repair on a stone chip on my old company vectra`s
windscreen, I would have left it if it hadn`t been right in my eye line. I
went for it after being told that it would be 90-99% invisible. Although
the integrity of the screen was no doubt restored the repair was quite
obvious and still v. annoying. Autoglass were fine about this and replaced
the screen, billing my fleet controller for the new screen less whatever
they had charged for the repair.

Hope this is of some use,

Cheers,

Basill

 

As the OP's have said get the windscreen replaced under the terms of
your insurance policy.
I was "persuaded" to have 3 chips in a Golf windscreen repaired when I
bought the car 2nd hand from a Volkswagen dealer, about 10 years ago. I
only said OK if they agreed to replace the windscreen when the repair
failed.
Less than a month later it was a case of "Told you so", they paid for a
new windscreen. The repairs were obvious and within a month all three
had started to go opaque.
Dave

 

Thanks very much all
All very useful advice. Shame about the quality of repairs though.
Guess it's a new screen for me.
Thanks again
U.W.

 

Autoglass did an excellent job for me recently - came round to visit me.
Although, along with all the other responders, I was insured (Norwich
Union).

The new Zafira was ht by a stone on Jan 2nd, cracked the windscreen near
the top :-( The Autoglass replacement is identical.

 

I once shopped around for windscreens. Interestingly a no. of places
charged *more* if it was an insurance job. So I paid for a "come
around whenever" private windscreen fit & then wrote to the isnurance
company & they then actually paid for it in full.