Cracked Windscreens

[BalliSTIc]

That's the SECOND windscreen I'm gonna have to replace!

First one went after 5 months and second one's just gone. Both secondary to old stone chips - albeit sufficiently small not to be that visible other than in retrospect. Grr!

Just wondering if anyone else is breaking screens of if it's just me... I accept that getting chips fixed can prevent a crack but that's provided you can spot them.

It wouldn't stop a stone, but would a STRUT brace reduce front chassis flex enough to give a bit more protection?

Thoughts appreciated.

[davey l wrx]

I doubt a strut brace would help that much as the cracks usually appear and grow when you hit bumps etc. It's not so much the flexing of the front of the car it's the soaking up of the surface on our uneven roads. If anything fitting a strutbrace could in theory make it worse.... if the front of the car is to stiff every minor chip could cause a crack to appear and grow when you hit one of the many potholes out there.

I replaced 2 screens in 8 months 1 on a BMW then within a week of getting my Scooby it had a crack in it, by the time i replaced it there was 3 cracks in the screen.

I just put it all down to the great scientific theory of '**** Happens'!

[ciaranrb5]

Glyn stop tailgating people and you won't get stone chips.

I have only ever broken 1 windscreen and it happened when i was changing the wipers. Had the old wiper off and the wiper arm sprung and hit the windscreen and cracked it from one side to the other I laughed so hard because..................it was my dads car

He didn't laugh so much can't understand why

[st3ph3n]

In 5 and a bit years I've had 4 windscreens including the one that came with the car.

[the old codger]

Not had to replace the screen yet but have a number of minor chips, one of them right in my vision. Going to leave it as even a repair leaves a small mark.

My screen seems to attract stone hits.

Checked with my insurance about having a genuine Subaru replacement screen instead of the normal windscreen company product. They advised I may have to pay the extra over for the subaru screen on top of the normal £60 excess. They said they would discuss it with me if I wanted to go down that route.

TOC

[rig-pig]

i seem to get the bigger chips that crack strait away, but got them repaired with no probs

[Big Gordon]

I've had 3 windscreens in mine in 2yrs . Everytime hit with a stone and instant crack, never just had a chip.

[marko72]

Who have you chaps used for your new screens? I have used autoglass via the insurance for my 2nd car and it wasnt a smooth experience. ( 1st screen leaked, 2nd screen rubber seal on top was all 'melted' in parts, glass particles left from the job cut my partners hand open, rubber seal replaced was too long and looked out of place, was left then came loose and flew off on the m-way one night) Great.

[C_WRX]

In the 3 and a bit years I've owned mine only got one bad skelp to the windscreen....on the day I drove it home !! Not bad enough to crack and never got any worse so still there.

Last car I had when they repaired the windscreen they fitted it slightly wrong so when the car moved it just cracked the windscreen again - had me thinking I drove it too early.

Just your luck I guess - well that and if you have to drive on rubbish roads !!

[StrikE]

I have not replaced the scooby windscreens yet.......yet but had to change the transit windscreen after a pheasant tried to attack me en route to Biggar a few years ago, both died

[kevin_bain]

I had my windscreen replaced during the winter, just as Gavin from Autoglass called it. Hot air onto a cold windscreen.........

Edited April 9, 2010 by kev bain

[dram300]

Doubt a strut brace would make any difference whatsoever. Just your donald duck I'm afraid. A radar avoidance invention would probably be a better investment but the constables might take a dim view of all the swerving you would need to do.

My tails of woe:

I had the windscreen changed on my Golf following a stonechip at 70mph and an crack progressed up the window over the next 30 mins. Autoglass sorted it at my work although I had to work late to allow the epoxies to set. Job well done though.

Better still: My wife thought it would be a good idea to have a clean car for an MOT. Seemed reasonable. So off I trotted to the local IMO for a soap and sud session en route to the MOT station. Done it loads of times. Not at -5C though. D'oh. As soon as the car entered the car wash the rear window exploded: cue me ducking under the dashboard thinking it was a hit !!! After a short discussion with the MOT station, I kept the MOT appointment although we had to agree that the A4 would fail its MOT due to sharp edges on the body work!!! Took it to Autoglass that afternoon and passed the MOT at 5pm on inspection. It was crimbo eve. Never get your car washed and MOTd in the days leading up to christmas.

Stone chips are one of lifes unexpected pains in the A$%@.

[st3ph3n]

I meant to say that Strut brace - I have one on mine and it's not helped as you would see!

[thefastone]

I'm in the same boat as Stephen, 5 years, and I've had to replace the Windscreen no less than 4-5 times... plus a couple repairs too...

Although I've been luckier with this car, as I got a chip with a small crack in it not long after I bought the car, and its been holding fine since I got it, I thought that it would have gone by now... even thought the crappy weather...

[scooby222]

Glyn that is THE most pathetic attempt at justifying a mod ever - well of course i didnt want a strut brace dear,but i had to get it for the windscreen.....

i got a chip repaired within 3 weeks of getting the sti then had it replaced just before the mcrae gathering as it was so pitted i couldnt see through it in the wet or dark!

after a horrendous experience with autoglass (4 attempts to fit one screen) i use Tayglaze really nice guy who does it all on his own so you know exactly what job your geting,quite important on a 3 month old full spec X5 -600 quid foe a screen eek!

[ciaranrb5]

Glyn that is THE most pathetic attempt at justifying a mod ever - well of course i didnt want a strut brace dear,but i had to get it for the windscreen.....

i got a chip repaired within 3 weeks of getting the sti then had it replaced just before the mcrae gathering as it was so pitted i couldnt see through it in the wet or dark!

after a horrendous experience with autoglass (4 attempts to fit one screen) i use Tayglaze really nice guy who does it all on his own so you know exactly what job your geting,quite important on a 3 month old full spec X5 -600 quid foe a screen eek!

Thats who I used the repair the slight crack in the 306 windscreen. He actually came out and delivered the windscreen so we knew how much to bend the roof to get it to fit properly

[scooby222]

yea he's a top bloke-comes when he says he will which is handy.....

also his sons rather talented on 2 wheels, check out kev coghlan's success in the spanish championship last year

[tomwrx08]

happend to me on boxing day,car ticking over,cleared windscreen,drove 2mtrs if i was lucky and crack almost the full lenght of the screen,insurance sent me to national windscreens kilmarnock,guy orders it says next day,drop car off,says 2hrs, 10mins later call me ,they ordered a hatch windscreen instead of saloon,so come back new yrs eve,

go back to be told lorry broke down due to weather and cant get it fixed to new yr, so 4th jan drop car off,go back to pick it up and they have fitted a plain window ,not standard subaru, i go nuts,hes like, its fine will put a sunscreen strip on it for free,i couldnt do nothing for laughter,after a few choice words i left to find out there werent any subaru windscreens for my hawkeye in the uk,spoke to dealer,they confirmed 2wk waiting period,

2wks later and eventually the windscreen i should have had at crimbo, never again will i use these cowboys,

and breath

gd job u got ures fitted that day mate

[BalliSTIc]

Glyn that is THE most pathetic attempt at justifying a mod ever - well of course i didnt want a strut brace dear,but i had to get it for the windscreen.....

Darn... Busted! *chuckle*

That said, the other option might be the "lightweight" spec C screen. "Erm, Darling..."

No - thanks for the response guys. As ever, it's nice to know there's other folk in the same boat!

[PAUL-KILLIE]

I think it's down to the state of the roads! I have had 2 screens in damaged by stones recently on my work car from potholes on the road thrown up by other vehicles.

[wrxmania]

Had one new screen and a screen repair on my last car - based on the number of thumps the STI is getting, it'll be needing repaired/new screen at some stage too!

Recommend Autoglass in Stirling - excellent job on my last car, even with the rain sensors, soundproofed screen and autodimming mirror gubbins. No problems with it.

Brian

[thefastone]

Also never had a problem with Autoglass in Aberdeen - Top Notch service, although I doubt that's much use to you...

[BalliSTIc]

Aberdeen, no... but it might be the Stirling lot (to come to my work address), so that's reassuring.