Cracked windscreen! Bloody Vandels!!

[schrockers]

We were away for the weekend in the Lakes for my friends wedding and decided to take the CRX leaving the girlfriends Micra ''Daisy'' (i didn't name it!) parked outside her house. We had a great weekend which really lifted our spirits as she's recently been made redundant and I’ve been off work with a broken leg for the last 2 months, only to come back to find that some little mong has been throwing stones at the cars in her street. One of them has left a large crack right in the drivers’ vision of the windscreen!! It makes my blood boil that these scumbags can walk around and smash peoples property that they have worked so hard to earn without any guilt or conscience.

We rang the police informing them what had happened all they could do was to give us a crime number and a little advice. Unfortunately as Sarah is a student she could only afford 3rd Party F&T so she hasn't got windscreen coverage, Autoglass have quoted her a massive £426!! I mean that's scandalous for a replacement, she managed to get a more reasonable quote of £180 through a smaller company but as it is we just can't afford to buy a new one.

Despite them being bonded in does anyone know if I can fit a second hand one?

Rob

 

[solarice]

Little gits need a beating... grr

You can fit them yourself...but they have to be done properly or they'll leak...you can also source yourself a window from a scrapyard (which is likely where the window fitter will get his from anyway) and just get the company to fit it, which should bring the price down.

 

[schrockers]

Now that's an idea!

Sarah’s farther is a sheet metal worker at a bus depot and he did say if we could source one he could fit it at work as he has the correct sealant, apparently he fits bus windscreens all the time.

I didn't consider it though as autoglass had told me that they needed a new weather seal and as they were bonded in I wouldn't get one out in one piece.

Are they hard to get out? Will I be able to clean up the old weather seal easy enough?

I'm guessing I’ll have to remove the wipers and the plastic panel below the screen then it's just as job of cutting through the old sealant with a sharp knife?

Cheers for the advice you've cheered her up no end

 

[NeX]

Now that's an idea!

Sarah’s farther is a sheet metal worker at a bus depot and he did say if we could source one he could fit it at work as he has the correct sealant, apparently he fits bus windscreens all the time.

I didn't consider it though as autoglass had told me that they needed a new weather seal and as they were bonded in I wouldn't get one out in one piece.

Are they hard to get out? Will I be able to clean up the old weather seal easy enough?

I'm guessing I’ll have to remove the wipers and the plastic panel below the screen then it's just as job of cutting through the old sealant with a sharp knife?

Cheers for the advice you've cheered her up no end

best to cut it with a hot wire, if you can knock one up

 

[solarice]

Depends how you wanna go about it...if you want it to look like new, then you may or may not need a new trim (expensive from nissan)...but youve got two chances to remove it cleanly (one from the scrapper and your own)

The trim detail piece can be pulled out if done carfully (though it does go slightly around the window glass edge -- and has a tendancy to break at its seams if tweaked) behind the trim theres another piece that runs around the window, this second piece will propbably need replacing as it'll have the bonding on it...but should be easy to source (possibly from the window fitters directly)

Its probs easier to understand, if you look at your windscreen...you'll be able to see two level changes, which are the two pieces im on about.

one cheap way of doing it (from one ive seen at a scrappy) is just to put a new window in without the trim pieces, building up the difference with sealant and then using a generic rubber trim...doesnt look too nice imo though.

Yup wipers come off, and the trim panel from memory just unclips with a little persuasion...use a sharp knife (from the inside mostly), just dont tweak the knife though or you may crack the glass.

Just so you know, ive never done this myself :laugh: ...but ive looked into it, as i was planning on taking my winscreen out.

 

[schrockers]

Cheers lads i'll give it a go, will keep you posted!

 

[BG101]

This is useful info, although I do have windscreen cover on my K11 I would sooner fit one from the scrappy than lose my NCB.

I had to replace the screen on my K10 TWICE - first time when I bought it because the previous owner had let knackered wipers scratch the glass ... and second time last year when some t**t in a van sped round a corner on a newly gritted road and threw up a load of stones which chipped the windscreen.


BG

 

[kennierobo]

if taking one from scrappy use cheese wire and 2 people one outside the car one in use wire in a sawing action around sealant keeping wire pulled away from glass so as not to crack it, you have to feed one end of wire through sealant first and use some cut down broom handles for grips so as not to cheese wire your fingers (hurts like hell) when you cut yourself and it goes deep lol. easy enough to do and you soon get the hang of it...

 

[NeX]

This is useful info, although I do have windscreen cover on my K11 I would sooner fit one from the scrappy than lose my NCB.

I had to replace the screen on my K10 TWICE - first time when I bought it because the previous owner had let knackered wipers scratch the glass ... and second time last year when some t**t in a van sped round a corner on a newly gritted road and threw up a load of stones which chipped the windscreen.


BG

windscreen cover shouldn't loose you your no claims bonus tho

one cheap way of doing it (from one ive seen at a scrappy) is just to put a new window in without the trim pieces, building up the difference with sealant and then using a generic rubber trim...doesnt look too nice imo though.

i looked at my cabriolet and it has had the glass changed since being in the uk, and it has a completly different trim that is flush with the bodywork, unlike the normal micra trim the curls round at the edges. it looks so much better than the normal trim, i am worried that if the glass cracks they wont be able to get the same trim again

 

[1.3GX]

sorry to hear about that, little ####ers

 

[Arnold]

Sorry to hear that. I had one replaced on my corsa 2 months back and it cost me £65, brand new. If you know the right people, cash in hand, etc.. you can get a good price. insurance is the next best way to go as you only pay windscreen excess.

 

[Antony]

do not ever attempt to replace a windscreen yourself.

a govenrment advert a few years back showed what can happen if it is fitted incorrectly.

because they are bonded in they contribute to nearly 60% of the structural integrity of the roof of the vehicle. if you have an accident the windscreen prevents the roof collapsing completely.

this is why it is so important to get it done proffesionaly.

 

[BG101]

Thanks for the tip-off about NCB on windscreen cover Nex, I'll check this out with the insurance co. (I assumed ANY claim would count as such)

£200+ is a lot to spend on windscreens within 2-3 years !! Hope I won't be so unlucky in future.


BG