so, it was -2 and the car was iced up.

2012 Focus ST estate, quick clear front windscreen was used with the heater setting on max, scraped the side windows and set off to work.
4 miles in, bang....

crack appears from right to left, pretty much the whole way across the windscreen!

on closer inspection it looks like there has been a chip repaired on the drivers side that the crack runs through, so i suspect that was the cause!

if i phone the insurance for a replacement, will they fit a genuine ford one? as this one is heated, and there are rain sensors etc (not sure if that is the actual screen tho)

im a little pissed off now tbh!

 

They will ask if heated etc and get right screen

 

Is it likely to be a genuine ford one tho?

i guess ill have to ring up and find out!

cheers.

 

not sure if they will do genuine though due to the price

the only difference in the after market ones is the quality of the heater elements and their spacings, everything else will be in place though

make sure they have the correct screen before they remove your old one though, i had to go back 3 times for the mondeo

 

they will have to fit a screen that has the functions of the broken one
whether ford or not i"m not sure tbh

 

when the glass company contacts you to arrange fitment, then you can insist on either a dealer part or one of top quality like a pilkington but they may well say they need extra time to order it in, but a crack does not effect its safety its just a visual thing

 

the rain/light sensor just clips onto the new screen so as long as its heated any one will be fine, ask them to test the continuity of the element of the new screen before touching the old one though as my work van took 3 screens before we got a good one and they fitted the first duff one

 

When mine went it took 3 goes to get it right, the ribbon cable was placed the wrong side of the wiper arm assembly under the scuttle panel and as soon as I turned on the wiper it ripped the wire off. You might also have a solar screen, this makes a massive difference in hot weather and stops the steering wheel getting hot. (The first screen fitted did not have the solar protection). I got a genuine one fitted eventually, I believe there is a Ford logo in the bottom passenger side of the screen to denote a genuine screen. I would suggest you look at your fitted but cracked screen to be sure you get a like for like one.

 

The one in it has a ford logo passenger bottom so thats the real deal.

Im still quite annoyed tbh!

Cheers for the tips chaps, ill probably have to leave it till after xmas now what with birthdays and xmas comng up.


That would be good if i can get them to fit a genuine ford one.

Cheers

 

Just remembered its 3 years old on xmas eve so ill need to get it mot'd. I guess thats going to be a fail...

 

unless the MOT tester has selective eyesight then im afraid so lol,

good luck and hopefully youre screen fitter wotn have the same bad luck as some of us

 

if your fully comp it will only cost your screen excess and not effect your ins at all

 

A few points;

There are only two major players left in the biz now, Autoglass and Auto Windscreens (since the owners of Auto Windscreens bought the glass service from the AA, removing their brand from the pool). Both have pretty long wait times currently. Autoglass is typically 3-4 weeks, and AW varies depending on location, but I've been going out to screens recently for customers that have been waiting 3/4/5/6 weeks. Reason I say this is you mentioned your MOT - you should book this replacement now so as to get it done before MOT is due - and I'm guessing you'll need to MOT it before xmas since it's unlikely you'll get it done much over the the xmas break...

Next, the screen itself. Someone else mentioned Pilks, it varies on model, but you're either looking at a Saint Gobain or Pilkington as the OEM manufacturer of glass for Ford. In regard to the heating element and sensors (sensors are part of the car, they are just removed from the old screen and fitted to the new one, heater terminals are simply plugged in) you need to be 100% sure of what you have if you want to minimise the possibility of someone turning up with the wrong glass - it happens, cars are much more complex than they used to be, and there's a shit load more options than back in the day. You can have rain sensors, light sensors, lane departure cameras, infra-red cameras, vapour sensors, all sorts.

Lastly, dealer part or not. Most insurance companies won't pay the extra for a dealer part screen when they know they can get a Pilk, or whatever, for considerably less. Some will agree to it only if you pay the difference. However, if you insist enough, some will do it for cars under 3 years old, so worth making a fuss. However, expect a longer wait time as the glass will have to be an outside purchase through a supply network - not "off the shelf" for overnight delivery as most glass is.

What you have more to worry about is who's fitting it. Autoglass have suffered huge amounts of their techs leaving of recent years, and they have a very high concentration of trainee techs out on the roads currently. This wasn't so bad 5-6 years ago when trainees went to fitting school for two weeks, then assigned to an experienced tech for 6 months before being assessed and signed off, but nowadays they do the training school for sometimes as little as a week and then put out on road with another tech for as little as a couple weeks, before being let loose on cars all on their own - before being signed off. The other company has a mixed bag of techs - all of the now ex-AA techs are ATA trained and qualified and currently up to date, but the nearly all of the AW techs don't have any qualifications. Now that's not to say they cannot fit, it just means they haven't been put through or trained for an ATA. Or an NVQ, as it seems they stopped bothering with that a few years ago too. Like any company, they have both good and bad fitters. I'm not trying to scare the shit out of you, just telling it like it is.

 

Cheers for the reply thrush, i forgot you are a fitter. Where are you lol?

Im near swindon wilts, Matt LHD220 worked for autoglass in swindon, ill give him a shout to see if he still does.

The car is an ST2, i know it has rain sensors and heated but other than that im not sure if there is anything else.

 

I would say the big 2 are autoglass and national windscreens as auto windscreens are a shadow of their former selves mind you autoglass has shrunk in a massive way closing many fitting centres as I know a few fitters that left when their branches closed and went to nationals, wait time are pretty good at national windscreens too if its in stock its around a week

 

Bit far from you - Harlow, Essex

Stick up a pic or two of the sensor/mirror area of the screen (outside) when you can take one in daylight, I'll have a look

 

Not really Steve, no. ALL the windscreen companies are closing branches, not because they are shrinking but because customer demand doesn't want to drive into fitting centres; they want everything mobile. So by removing branches and having dropbox satellite sites, overheads can be cut and profits maximised. I've been doing it branchless for the past 5+ years so it's nothing new to me - if anything it's better as my dropbox is only ten mins from my house, as opposed to the hour my last branch was.

Whilst AW aren't as big as they were pre-2011 liquidation, they are still bigger than Nationals are. Many fitters from both companies have left to go to Nationals, and good luck to them; they are going to strength with that kind of experience boosting their staff levels. AG are still number 1, and AW have slid into the number 2 slot by strategically removing AA completely. The wait times are less at Nationals because they have less work per fitter available.

 

Depends on a few things; chronologically:

a) the insurer;

b) what the policy wording is;

c) where the policy was incepted, ie broker, direct or PCW;

d) age of the car;

e) other 'mitigating' circumstances.

That - or all of the above - said, there are some legal angles, as well as consumer rights which can get you the desired result (OE parts). It's largely dependent on what you agreed to before the policy was incepted (and even that can be challenged if the issuing broker/insurer did not follow protocol).

Also, despite what anyone tries to tell you, the best available parts are OE. With rare exception, if the windscreen (or glass) does not bear the vehicle manufacturer's logo/emblem/name, it's not as good and probably has not been manufactured in the same country, never mind plant. One of the biggest misconceptions in windscreen branding is spread by the fitters who are merely regurgitating what they've fed on by hearsay. Chinese Whispers on the intertubes does the rest.

 

Ah bugger, bit far lol. Ill try and get a decent pic tomorrow cheers.

Thanks for the replies people, ill check the policy wording.

 

Glass Repair Helpline (open 24 hours a day)
If your policy includes Windscreen Damage Cover, and, either your windscreen or a window is broken, please call our Glass Repair Helpline on 0333 220 2025 so that we can arrange for repair or replacement (subject to the relevant windscreen excess).

Section 4: Windscreen damage
1. Cover for your windscreen
We will pay:
y to repair or replace broken glass in your car’s windscreen, windows or sunroof y to repair any scratching to the bodywork caused by the broken glass
As long as there has not been any other loss or damage.
Our Glass Repair Helpline (open 24 hours a day) is 0333 220 2025.
2. What is not covered
We will not pay:
y any excess shown on your current Policy Schedule. You are responsible for the excess
regardless of fault or the driver of your car
y for the replacement of the hood/roof structure of a convertible car when the glass is
not repairable
y for a courtesy car
y any windscreens or windows not made of glass e.g. Perspex
y more than £25 for each glass repair or £50 for each glass replacement after we have deducted your excess, if the repair or replacement is not arranged via our glass repair helpline
y more than the market value of the car at the time of loss (less any excess) Claims under this section will not affect your No Claims Bonus.
If any lost or damaged parts are no longer available, we will only pay the cost shown in the manufacturer’s latest price guide, together with reasonable fitting costs. If your car is three years old or more, we may decide to repair it with recycled parts, or with parts which have not been made by the car’s manufacturer, but are of a similar standard.
See also:
General Exceptions
General Conditions
Extra Conditions (endorsements)

 

So going off that:

If your car is three years old or more, we may decide to repair it with recycled parts, or with parts which have not been made by the car’s manufacturer, but are of a similar standard.

Hopefully they will use a genuine screen.

 

With admiral, Autoglass is the approved repairer, and they (admiral) will allow the fitting of dealer parts for cars under (I think) ten years old, although I believe they charge the owner the additional cost if the vehicle is over 3 years old. So I suggest get the ball rolling now and call them to insist on dealer part

 

fook me paul when you been hiding, cant beat a HW screen eh



I know so many fitters that left AG to go there so I know what you mean and paul above runs his own screen empire

 

ive pm'd you back Dan, i can sort it tomorrow for you if you want.
cheers

 

Cheers mate, im on it

Thanks Matt, replied!

 

With the wording on your policy you should get a genuine Ford windscreen. I will have to check the wording on my Saff policy as I wouldnt want a second hand or non genuine one if it was broken.Seems there is more to getting a broken windscreen fixed than most people realise.

 

Having taken many bonded screens out of cars over the years I've never managed to remove one without breaking it, string in rubber sealed type ones obviously no problems but bonded in? How do they fit second hand ones or are they on about side windows?

 

I once cut out the screen of my Sierra 2000e and had it fitted in my estate, just took a while

 

the glass guy i use only really fits 2nd hand screens unless i ask otherwise, he gets them from a scrapyard near my garage mostly and cuts them out himself, i also use him to remove screens from cars when we are painting them (if they need to that is) and touch wood he has never broke one yet and he reckons he rarely does

 

I presume the second hand windscreens he gets from a scrap yard are nothing to do with Insurance claims? I would not be happy if I had an Insurance claim for a broken windscreen and the one to replace it came from a scrap yard. Surely the chances of getting one that is not marked or scratched would be pretty hard?

 

My transit has a much bigger crack on the screen then that and its been through 2 mots not even an advisory.


As for removing bonded screens I took mine out of my rs2000 no bother first time of trying too just have too take your time.

 

I'm obviously too ham fisted lol, mind u we had a windscreen company as part of the garage when I did my apprentaship and part of my apprentaship was 6 months in the windscreen fitting department and to be fair we weren't worried about breaking them getting them out as we were replacing them, I expect if I was trying to save it then i wouldn't break it lol

 

Got a pic of the sensor yesterday but been feeling like death so only just uploaded them.

Its got auto headlights too and auto dimming rear view mirror.



And this is the repair




Matt has been on the case and i should have a date in the next few days

Cheers chaps

 

Yep, that's just a rain sensor, so no other sensors up there

 

Cool, cheers thrush.

 

its fairly easy to remove screens that are bonded, depends on what tools you have. I've done it before with a long knife (an old tool banded by most windscreen companies now). You have to be extremely careful as its a bit of a butchery tool!

 

I once removed the windscreen from my first car, a mk4 escort. The only tools involved in that were me, and the toyota celica i slid into sideways lol.


The screen didnt come out in 1 piece tho

 

I'm a pro, and sometimes even I can't a screen out in one piece - most recent was an E39 with the original screen that clearly has had a hard life outside. Screen and trim were both rotten, and it came out in several pieces Fucking horrible job

 

Its being done Tuesday, so at least it will be sorted soon lol

cheers for the advice thrush, and thanks to Matt for sorting out getting it done!

 

Good old Matt.

Mine needs doing on the bloody bus.