[Dizzle]

....

What are these 'free' autoglass repair jobs like? - anyone got any experience?

So annoying... its a small chip on the passenger side.. looks like a spider on my glass

[Kerr]

Seen a few done and they've never been great.

If the spider is of any size, you'd hope a new screen would be an option.

[ed330D]

My E92 has two chips on its screen, neither of which can be repaired. In both cases there is very little damage on the outside face of the screen, none on the inside face, so the main damage must be where the glass meets the plastic inner, hence it can't be repaired.

Suggest you check the screen before going to Autoglass or wherever.

[john-vfr]

Had a chip repair done on my e46 when I had it and was never happy with it. Wife even more so cos it was on passenger side! I bought my e91 complete with two chips in windscreen and first stop was Autoglass in Stockport to change the screen!!! They are definitely not "invisible" repairs! It will probably develop in time into a bigger spider.

[D_Boi]

My glass has a bloody crack in it.... Getting it replaced in a week via insurance. It isn't going to affect my no claims so it's all good.

[Dizzle]

Sounds like a replacement will be best. I get charged excess of £25 for a repair or for another £50 I get a new windscreen.

There anything to be aware of in a replacement screen? - to match OEM I mean

[foey]

Had mine done a while back, I thought they were meant to be pretty good and make the crack far less visible. But its just as visible, has stopped it from spreading though which is the most important thing.

[tmarshall57]

Originally Posted by Dizzle

Sounds like a replacement will be best. I get charged excess of £25 for a repair or for another £50 I get a new windscreen.

There anything to be aware of in a replacement screen? - to match OEM I mean

Ask them how they plan to ensure the fogging/condensation sensor is handled during the screen replacement. Some try to reuse these (it is located in the rear view mirror /rain sensor housing and is glued to the screen) but this is risky.

[doughboy]

Read on for tales of woe on screen changes.......

You can insist on a genuine BMW screen and new rain/light sensor unit which is stuck to the screen below the mirror. They will try to fob you off, but stick to your guns.

Also, replacing windscreens is not a straightforward task. There's lots of interior trim / roof lining to drop, wipers arms off, scuttle and other trim to remove.

Then they have to cut out the old screen using knives and other tools whilst clambering inside your car in filthy clothes and great big steel toe capped boots etc.

I've had many changed (at least 7 or 8) by various firms (Autoglass / Autowindscreens / Ford / BMW / Audi / Peugeot) and there has always been damage to trim or body work and mess etc in the car, such as glue on seats, dirty foot prints on seats (yes), dirty glove prints and chalk all over the place, trim not fitted back on properly and trim clips broken. Not to mention stolen tools from our garage, but I have no evidence for that of course.

Even some scuttle trim just shoved under the bonnet to hide it when they couldn't fit it back properly!! Most fitters are useless IMO.

That's before you find your rain and light sensors don't work anymore (BMW), or water leaks into the ECU and ABS computers causing mayhem (Audi A3 that one, took 2 more screens and 2 months to fix).

Personally I would only change the screen as a last resort, get the crack fixed if you can to stop it spreading.


I recently drove round for 6 months in my van with a badly cracked screen trying to delay the inevitable visit by the mobile butchers, but sure enough Autoglass came a month ago and managed to "accidentaly" tare the tax disc into 2 pieces (and throw away my reuseable magnetic disc holder), break my satnav mount trying to remove it and then lost the newly supplied mirror bracket cover (most vans have no rear view mirror, so the screens have a plastic cover to hide the standard mirror mount glued on the screen). Oh and next time it rained the O/S wiper was hitting the A pillar, so I had to take the arm off and put it back on the correct position.

Now I have to look at an ugly alloy mirror bracket, yes you guessed it, the covers only come with a new screen, and as I signed the "satisfaction" paperwork and only spotted the damage the next day, it's my loss, tough.

Within a week it had another stone chip!! aarrgh!

Beware.

[nathanwest]

ive had the same... had my screen replaced as bought the car with stone chips.

within 2 weeks, 3 more stone chips. brilliant.

[jammy78]

How can you insist for a genuine oem screen? Cos in the small print it'll have something like.... if you don't use their approved company, they will only contribute £100 (or something like that) to the replacement?

[doughboy]

No not choosing a different repair firm, thats different.

But you can insist that Autoglass or whoever provide OEM parts, they will give you the run around about "delays" and that their cheap unmarked ones are "just the same" but keep going and you'll get it in the end.

And they must provide the proper light/rain sensor fixing kit (new bits and sticky pads) these come anyway with a OE BMW screen kit.

If the fitter turns up without it, just send him away.

Or try a reputable independant firm, their quote (and service) will be less than the nationals.

Found this one in Surrey on another forum in 30secs. http://www.oldschoolwindscreens.co.uk/

[jammy78]

I did realise you could ask for oem screens from auto glass etc...... Thanks for the tip!