Windscreen chips : repair or leave?

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Mon 29 Jan 2007 10:28
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Wronskian
Hi all,

This morning I received two windscreen chips. Both are very small (no more than 2-3mm across) and are about 30mm from each other. Unfortunately, they are straight in front of my nose as I drive. They seem very 'tight'; a single mark with no sign (yet) of cracks.

I believe this wouldn't be cause to fail my MOT (10mm in 'zone A' in front of the driver). So the question is : should I get them repaired now? Do these things tend to get worse?

I'm insured with Admiral and there is a 'glass helpline' I can use, but it looks like they are reluctant to repair chips that are directly in front of the driver. I'd rather not have the screen replaced unless absolutely necessary.

Any comments welcomed.

Thanks,
Sam
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 10:37
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Collos25
I think its better to repair them so it stops them cracking in the future ,you can get a kit at halfords if you want to do it yourself but if you are insured it will not really matter..
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 10:40
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - AR-CoolC
2-3mm accross sounds more like just surface damage rather than a "full" chip.

If it only surface damage then they can't really be repaired, as anything used to fill it would fall out after only a short time.

BUT if it is only surface damage, then it won't get any worse either.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 10:44
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - L'escargot
If it only surface damage then they can't really be repaired,
as anything used to fill it would fall out after only
a short time.


A reputable windscreen repair company would give an honest assessment of whether or not they could be repaired.
--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 10:41
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - L'escargot
Hi all,
This morning I received two windscreen chips. Both are very small
(no more than 2-3mm across) and are about 30mm from each
other.


I would have thought 2-3 mm was quite big enough to need repair. Repairs are virtually invisible and are normally "free" ~ the repairer bills your insurance company direct and you don't have to pay any excess.

If they're not repaired water could get between the laminations of the screen and freeze in winter resulting in the screen cracking. If the chips are in the wiped area the wiper blades could well suffer.
--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 12:30
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Dynamic Dave
I'm insured with Admiral and there is a 'glass helpline' I can use,
but it looks like they are reluctant to repair chips that are directly in front of the driver.


Why not contact a windscreen company (preferably the one who is recommended by your insurance company) for professional advice, rather than someone on the end of a phone who will only be advising you from a prewritten crib card. If you're fully comp, most, if not all insurance companies don't charge for chip repairs.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 14:01
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - L'escargot
Why not contact a windscreen company (preferably the one who is
recommended by your insurance company) for professional


I personally would avoid a repair company recommended by an insurance company because of a possible conflict of interests. You want the best and your insurance company wants the cheapest. I would suggest Autoglass ~ tinyurl.com/2lw6sn With them, in the event that a new screen is required, you stand a good chance of getting a genuine replacement or at least one made by the same manufacturer. If a new screen is required, actually ask for a genuine replacement. I just wish I'd known all this before I accepted the advice of my insurance company the last time my car needed a replacement screen.

--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 14:06
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - L'escargot
I would suggest Autoglass ~ tinyurl.com/2lw6sn


Extract from Autoglass website :-

"At Autoglass®, we only use glass manufactured to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) standards sourced direct from your vehicle manufacturer?s supplier, ensuring that all the glass we fit is as good as the original piece of glass we are replacing."
--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 14:42
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Wronskian
But according to Autoglass's website, there is no way that they will repair this. The chip must be:

* less than the size of a £1 coin (which it is, by a long way)
* more than 5cm from the edge of the screen (which it is, also by a long way)
* not directly in the driver's line of sight (which it is, slap bang in the middle)

So based on that, Autoglass will only offer a replacement. Or do they ignore their own advice?
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 14:50
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Hamsafar
Ring the main 0800 587 8198 number of autoglass, they will ask your reg no., and insurer, and book you in at the local depot, where they will probably say..
it can't be repaired, but you can have a new screen for £50 excess.
or something like that.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 15:15
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Wronskian
I'll take it round to the nearest Autoglass branch and see what they say.

Thanks for everyone's comments - always useful to get a second opinion.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 15:41
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - LeePower
Having had 2 x previous dealings with the above mentioned windscreen company & also putting in an official complaint through my insurance company about the incident I would much rather get a blind drunk chimpanzee to attempt to fix it.

RAC Autowindscreens every time for me.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 18:47
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Dynamic Dave
I personally would avoid a repair company recommended by an insurance company


And in doing so will more than likely result in you having to pay for a stone chip repair that would have otherwise been free through the agreement the insurance compnay has with the recommended windscreen company.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 15:47
Windscreen chips : repair or leave? - Victorbox
I think you need to examine the marks very closely to decide how deep they are, as suggested elsewhere. If you think they go down to the plastic lamination layer you must get them repaired or the glass will go "milky" even if it doesn't crack. If they are just on the top layer Autoglass or others can probably polish out the chip. My experience with these repairs is that the optical effect of the chip, particularly the rough edges & starring are removed, but if they are in the sweep of the wiper blades after a year or three the glass filler part falls out.

Alternatively have a go yourself www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8101&fro...t

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