Another cracked screen.

[Tourershine]

Had my new screen booked in with Autoglass which took 3 weeks before there nearest fitting date was available, then get a call yesterday the supposed day of fitting telling me it was cancelled as the screen is out of stock and they don't know when they will be getting one. Still took my £75 excess two days ago, my windscreen now has a crack running from top to bottom. I knew i would own a Transporter split screen one day.

Autoglass called me yesterday to tell me they are back in stock on the 20th of this month and took my booking.

I'm actually thankful mine got cancelled last week, because I picked up another nice big chip yesterday.

 

[Tourershine]

AutoGlass came out yesterday to fit my new screen.

A Word of Warning with these guys:

The chap that fitted mine had been doing this for years, and wasn't a novice, but he accidentally got windscreen bonding on my bonnet (Yeah, I know, if it was going to happen, it would be my van)
Anyway, the chap used the chemical the company supplies them to remove excess sealant that's potentially on the glass, and not paintwork.
I have no idea what it is they use, and he claimed it was an oil based product, but to me it smelt like it had a large percentage of thinners within the ingredients.

Yep, you guessed it, it removed the surface of my bonnet in a huge patch. Not only do these guys use stiff tissue paper as wipes, which alone created it's own issues as it dragged across my perfect Black paintwork, but the product he used turned the bonnet into a matt patchy mess.
I don't know if he thought I wouldn't notice this within a millisecond of inspecting his work, but he stood there with the same bottle of chemical, about to try again before I stopped him. He said he'd never seen this happen before, but I had to machine polish my bonnet whilst he stood there waiting to make sure it wasn't a permanent issue, which thankfully it wasn't.

My advice to anyone having a screen fitted by these guys, is to ask the fitter not to wipe off any sealer mistakes on your paintwork, and just simply use a panel wipe on a microfibre cloth.

I don't for one minute blame the chap who fitted it, because he only uses what he's supplied by the company, but I suspect there are a lot of vehicles running around with patches of matt paintwork from this chemical, but it's just not so obvious as it is on Black.
This is just another example of a company doing a simple job, with little concern for any potential consequences should they make mistakes. It might just be a Volkswagen Transporter to them, but I wonder if they'd apply the same principals if they were fitting a screen to a Bentley, or a Ferrari.

Probably.

 

[Petehelmet]

That’s not good and the same thing happened to me yesterday he got sealent on my paintwork just above my screen, will check my paint for damage

 

[Tourershine]

That’s not good and the same thing happened to me yesterday he got sealent on my paintwork just above my screen, will check my paint for damage

Look for a matt finish where they wiped the sealer off, and also look for any 'Marring' from the antiquated tissue paper processes. These will be seen better in direct sunlight, and will be obvious on your colour.

The problem is, I can only take the word of the technician that this chemical is what they are given to clean sealer off paintwork, which it might not be designed for, but he just didn't know.

 

[mopardave]

@Tourershine …...that's a great "heads up!" It might be an idea to apply your own "masking" if having a new screen fitted.....which by the sound of things is sadly a "when" and not an "if"! Funny that you thought that if it was going to happen to anyone, it'd happen to you.....well, I thought that when they fitted my new sliders.....there's bound to be some "collateral damage"......and, as predicted, there was.....and my first thought was "It was bound to happen to me!" Honestly, there are times when I feel like sacking it and buying a scrapper!!! Anyway, thanks for that and sorry to hear about it!!

 

[Petehelmet]

Checked mine and it looks ok to the untrained eye, my technician was using a silver bottle with what I can only describe as a piece of metal coat hanger with a small sponge applicator which he kept dipping into the solution

 

[Tourershine]

Checked mine and it looks ok to the untrained eye, my technician was using a silver bottle with what I can only describe as a piece of metal coat hanger with a small sponge applicator which he kept dipping into the solution

I think that's the initial primer they use before applying the sealer.

 

[Tourershine]

@Tourershine …...that's a great "heads up!" It might be an idea to apply your own "masking" if having a new screen fitted.....which by the sound of things is sadly a "when" and not an "if"! Funny that you thought that if it was going to happen to anyone, it'd happen to you.....well, I thought that when they fitted my new sliders.....there's bound to be some "collateral damage"......and, as predicted, there was.....and my first thought was "It was bound to happen to me!" Honestly, there are times when I feel like sacking it and buying a scrapper!!! Anyway, thanks for that and sorry to hear about it!!

Mate, I have that thought every sodding day when my bottom puckers up from just parking it in a carpark.

We did this with my wife, and got her an old Mk4 Golf when she was at uni, but even though it was a snotter, I still looked after the stupid thing.
Bring on the future with flying cars I say.

 

[mopardave]

Mate, I have that thought every sodding day when my bottom puckers up from just parking it in a carpark.

We did this with my wife, and got her an old Mk4 Golf when she was at uni, but even though it was a snotter, I still looked after the stupid thing.
Bring on the future with flying cars I say.

I'm gonna buy a big roll of bubble wrap and make my own "body kit" out of it if I decide to keep mine! Okay.....I'll look like a proper bell end but what's new? Seriously thinking of buying an old American pick up truck.....and it WON'T be a minter if I do!

 

[RussGT6]

New heated screen just fitted by AutoWindscreens, its an aftermarket one and bloke recons they are a bit thicker than OEM.

 

[VGC Ltd]

You will find that insurance companies will only allow the claim to cover aftermarket products. From personal experience (worked for Autoglass), the customer would have to pay the difference between the aftermarket cost and the o.e. cost.

Looking at the image at the very start of the thread, the closer the impact to the edge, the more likely it will cause more damage, as there is less 'give' in the glass.

 

[In a state]

Windscreen cracked on August 12th...finally replaced today 21st September by Autoglass, using an OEM Screen. Cost £75 excess with Direct Line.

 

[Sagsy80]

Not had much luck with my t6. Only had it 8 weeks and it’s already had a new battery and new control unit as that was draining the battery. I’ve hardly used it as I’ve been off work so it’s only done 2k miles (1600 on clock when purchased from vw) Went out to start it up yesterday and seen a 7 inch crack coming up from the bottom of the screen drivers side. Think my insurance has a £350 ceiling on how much they’ll pay towards a new one and there’s a £95 excess. Not sure what to do but reading all these posts regarding cracked screens makes me want to get rid of it. Anyone know how much a Highline windscreen costs?

 

[Peatey]

Mine went on the way to the T6f Octoberfest camping forum meet hit by a stone, noise was like a gunshot going off
and then a nice 3" circular crack, lucky for me it's on the wife's side and doesn't impede my vision that is until she gets in the passage side and starts giving me grief
oh well better put in on the to do list and ring the insurance company and do the merry dance

 

[Minkyt5]

Not had much luck with my t6. Only had it 8 weeks and it’s already had a new battery and new control unit as that was draining the battery. I’ve hardly used it as I’ve been off work so it’s only done 2k miles (1600 on clock when purchased from vw) Went out to start it up yesterday and seen a 7 inch crack coming up from the bottom of the screen drivers side. Think my insurance has a £350 ceiling on how much they’ll pay towards a new one and there’s a £95 excess. Not sure what to do but reading all these posts regarding cracked screens makes me want to get rid of it. Anyone know how much a Highline windscreen costs?

£450 ish from TPS then approx £100 to get fitted

 

[Sagsy80]

Thanks Minky will look into it if don’t go through insurance

 

[mopardave]

My insurance comes up for renewal in a few weeks. I'm currently with A Plan.....I cannot find anywhere in the policy, any mention of windscreen cover....even though it was discussed at renewal 11 months ago. I think I need to pay more attention to this! Has anyone made a claim under an A plan policy....if so, did it cover the full cost....minus the excess of course.

 

[Lord Mfwic]

I may be wrong (and Lady Pippa tells me I frequently am) but I thought you only paid the higher excess if you didn't use their approved Windscreen Company.

 

[Tiab]

My insurance comes up for renewal in a few weeks. I'm currently with A Plan.....I cannot find anywhere in the policy, any mention of windscreen cover....even though it was discussed at renewal 11 months ago. I think I need to pay more attention to this! Has anyone made a claim under an A plan policy....if so, did it cover the full cost....minus the excess of course.

Always worth trying Adrian Flux and Chris Knott insurance as I've used them over the last 1.8 million miles including 15 Alfa Romeos, and they seem pretty good.
with both of these insurers if you mention you're a member of a forum then they tend to make a concession.
Car Insurance from Chris Knott Insurance

 

[Tiab]

if you can evidence that the road you've been driving along has potholes with loose gravel in then you have a case to claim against the local council for wheel and tyre damage and also windscreen damage as Road budgets are being cut and it's only when claims are more than repair that they actually do something. it's important to get a photograph as soon as possible of the damage to the car and the road because sometimes they patch them overnight.