Replacement Glass
Posted: Wed 21 August, 2013 Filed under: Customer Services, Domestic, Driving, Insurance 8 Comments »Last week, when I was driving over for the interview in Cambridge, the windscreen got hit by a stone thrown up by the car in front. It chipped the windscreen pretty seriously, although it didn’t crack or break. It’s been annoying me since – it was right in my viewline – but I didn’t have a chance to get it repaired ’til today, due to doing lots more driving and commuting to office etc.
Getting hit by a stone like that is quite a sobering experience – or at least it is if you think about it a bit. You realise just how piss-poor your reaction time truly is. OK, it’s a closing speed of 140mph-ish (stone coming towards me propelled (I assume) at 70mph-ish from a vehicle travelling at that speed, towards a car travelling towards it at 70mph) but still, you see a blink of something coming towards you – indeed, in this case directly at you – and then the impact. You haven’t even had time to flinch. I assume that when it’s bigger items (you know, a car coming towards you, for example) you’ve had a bit more warning, a bit more time to prepare, but I don’t know. Honestly, I hope I never find out.
Anyway, this glass repair had to be organised through the insurance company this time, rather than the age-old technique of finding a company doing it in supermarket carparks. (It turns out that this used to be fine, but then became a nightmare of companies doing the same, invoicing insurance companies, and generally just all going to cock. Now the industry has entered the world of approved/preferred suppliers, organised through third parties etc. etc.) So all arranged for today.
They’ve tried to just repair the chip, but that hasn’t taken, for whatever reason. (Personally I think Saab glass has some weird coating on it that doesn’t like rubber suction cups. I know my SatNav has always had problems sticking to the glass, and on this occasion the equipment in use with suction cups was also failing to stick.)
So now I’m getting a full replacement windscreen. Bit of a pain in the tits, but at the same time I know there were other (far smaller) chips, so at least with a new screen it’s clean of issues and damage. I suspect it’ll be weird for a couple of days, having a completely clean screen. It won’t last…
You were lucky to get it done so quickly…
After two similar experiences ourselves, I’ve heard (from a friend whose nephew works for one of the big glass companies) that this is the latest ploy by windscreen firms. Much more lucrative for them than just doing chips – and more costly for you.
We also discovered that if the glass company don’t warn you in advance that the repair might not work and could lead to you needing a new screen, then you don’t have to pay more than the chip excess.
Clean your windscreen with meths if your satnav doesn’t stick. It’s usually road film from the air vents contaminating.
In fairness, this lot first tried to repair the chip, rather than replace the glass. And they did warn first, as well.
And yeah, I’d cleaned the area in question with meths before, but the suction cup still didn’t stick. They did the same on the outside too, and no-worky. I’ll see what it’s like with the new screen…
I’ve looked at those beanbag dashboard mounts for satnavs before (old satnav screen too small to see on very sloping windscreen that placed the satnav too far away), but thought they seemed expensive and perhaps not terribly effective. Have you found a way that works if it doesn’t stick?
Cursing, threats, sometimes licking the suction cup first (which is vile) and finally a self-adhesive square sticker, which went on the window, and the suction cup then went on that. Worked like a dream.
Why is licking the suction cup vile? 😉
Good idea to stick something else on there first.
a) The taste.
b) The scuzzy marks it leaves on the windscreen
You don’t actually lick *the suction cup* surely?
Oh please – lick your finger and transfer it.
I was brunged up proper, I was 😉
Yeah, I do/did. I’m lazy, and cut out the middle part of the process, went direct. 🙂
And obviously I was dragged up, not brunged.