Windscreen replacement

[Roger Blassberg 0]

I have a cracked screen and have booked Autoglass to come to my house to replace it. I recall that when I had it done some years ago, the fitters that time (RAC) insisted that the job should be done in the workshop, but Autoglass made no such stipulation. Has technology moved on or are they just being slap-dash?

 

I intend to be there whilst the work is done - are there any common workmanship problems that people here have noticed such as bad practice, damage to seals, poor work generally?? I don't want to have to call them back to sort out problems.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[KIPVW 0]

I think it's a preference to want to do them at the depo but if the weathers good they'll be ok & should have everything on the van.

 

Just make sure you check the metal work before a new one goes back in, worse case scenareo is that you'll have to get them to hold the glass for a while until you have had your car taken on a flat bed lorry to a body shop to sort the corrosion issues, then flat bed back hope for glass fitting a few days later.

 

Ha to do that with one of mine :roll: but knew it was the right thing to do.

Edited May 15, 2012 by KIPVW

[yacobwood 0]

I would also suggest watching them do it. On my old one it took them quite a few attempts where they cracked the scuttle trim peice and then had to pay to get a respray :censored:

[fla 9]

i need to replace mine too, but as Kip has said, i want to remove the windscreen, repair any rust if there is any, and then have it refitted so look forward to comments here.

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

the only thing that you should worry about is paint damage from removal, which will lead to corrosion, so once the screens out just have a blady good nose about for surface rust or any paint damage where the old adhesive is/was , this needs to be sorted before the new screen is fitted, thing is if you werent there the fitters would just bond the screen back in anyway! hence why you get rust like this!! which in a few years time might mean that your cars going to the scrap heap because of some lazy Wxxxxxx!!!

 

i dont know your situation or how you are with tools, but i would get it booked in to just have the screen removed and then you can clean up and re paint the areas if needed yourself, and basicaly have it fitted another day, any paint that is in the window channel you can do DIY as its all hidden by the rubber seals, but obviously you have the choice if you want to send it to a bodyshop, at the end of the day you know its done right.. or if you dont have any time to diy, book it straight into a bodyshop and have the screen removed on there premises and have them clean it up and repaint the channel for peice of mind

 

---------- Post added at 5:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 5:06 PM ----------

 

i need to replace mine too, but as Kip has said, i want to remove the windscreen, repair any rust if there is any, and then have it refitted so look forward to comments here.

 

fla i have done this whole proccess of windscreen removal and re fitting DIY, so if you have any questions about doing it , just ask

[seanl82 23]

Indeed, I deffo agree with the above. I've lost count of the times I've seen fitters going in all heavy handed and clumsy, not really giving a toss as to the damage they do when removing/refitting the screens. Paint scraped off all over the place which leads to rust down the line. 9 times out of 10 its on the passanger side at the top of the screen too! :bad-words:

[fla 9]

 

fla i have done this whole proccess of windscreen removal and re fitting DIY, so if you have any questions about doing it , just ask

 

thanks for that. I might get the screen replaced with a new one, but how would you suggest i take the old one out? A friend said that he and his mate cut around his windscreen (Mk1 Golf) and then gradually pressed it out from the inside using their feet! Is that feasible in the Corrado?

 

---------- Post added at 10:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------

 

sorry for hijacking your thread Roger!

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

thanks for that. I might get the screen replaced with a new one, but how would you suggest i take the old one out? A friend said that he and his mate cut around his windscreen (Mk1 Golf) and then gradually pressed it out from the inside using their feet! Is that feasible in the Corrado?

 

---------- Post added at 10:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------

 

sorry for hijacking your thread Roger!

 

yea basicaly you got a {rough dimensions} 6mm high x 10mm wide bead of adhesive that runs around the whole perimeter of the window , theres a few ways of doing it, but basicly you need to cut that adhesive {lol obviously}

if you remove the trim peices on the inside for the pillars and the headliner { the headliner trim peice at the front not actual headliner} your see the adhesive, what i did was i punctured/ sliced a hole through with a stanley knife from the inside , then i poked through a wire saw and had my friend on the outside on one end and myself on the other on the inside and we just went around the whole perimeter of the screen like that, with wire being flexible my friend just kept the wire saw away from my paint, {even though it didnt matter} heres some pics, its realy not that hard of a job ,

 

this lower section is a bugger to cut due to the angle and you got to pull up on the inside to clear the dash , but this pic will give you an idea of how the adhesive sits,

 

 

 

the corners take awhile to cut aswell,

 

bye bye rust!

 

same rust on drivers side,

 

 

car saved!

 

 

heres the wire

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINDSCREEN-GLASS-CUTTING-OUT-REMOVAL-WIRE-AND-HANDLES-/220694105279?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item336264ccbf

this may do the job quicker tho

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINDSHIELD-REMOVAL-TOOL-CAR-WINDOW-REMOVER-BONDED-WINDSCREEN-CUTTING-BOND-/280867377136?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item4165000ff0

allow 3 hours to do this, { edit 3 hours to remove screen not rust repair n paint lol}

Edited May 15, 2012 by VW_OwneR_85

[VAG-hag 0]

I watched the guys from autoplus (well renowned on here) remove mine & I have to say I would not fancy doing it!! But it all depands on how handy you are I suppose.....

 

If you have a body shop that you trust Id take it there, have the screen removed & then its in the right place should any work need doing.... mine is currently screen free & awaiting paint. Mine was in pretty good nick but ive seen how even mint cars can be suffering underneath the screen.

[Butterfly 0]

To add to the debate.. I had a screen replaced in my daily with 175k miles and the paint work around the selant was 100% perfect. I don't think a screen had ever been fitted before!

Whereas I had a new screen in my Storm a few years back and it must have had a few in its time. There was rust and it did the flat bed to the paintshop & back trip. Kips VR was the same.

 

If you are putting the car through having a screen it doesn't make sense not planning on some paintwork attention just in case.

 

But back to the question of is it OK to have it done out of a workshop.

You have to leave the car stand for an hour or so while the bonding sealant sets as it forms a part of the structure of the car. Done in a workshop they know they are not releasing the car until enough time has passed.

If they do the job on your drive and leave straight away they have no way of knowing it will not be driven until the sealant is set hence I can see why some would only take on the work in the depo.

[gary dw 10]

i work in a body shop and seen the screens cut out of many cars. myn also needs doin next month. have you seen the size of the knives they use. no joke the blade is 6 to 8 inches long. its inevitable that the paint around the edge will get scratched and damaged. even those cheese wire cutters make a mess of it all. our glass fitter said it was a w****r of a job and saidhe wont be looking forward to doin mine. i have a few rust spots and stone chips on the roof so gona do the lot anyway while im there luckily. as above the sreen sealant needs to set properly form a water tight seal.