Windscreen Chip .....Who really knows what they're doing?

[Pickles]

I reckon I'm jinxed.....washing the car yesterday, & I see the windscreen's chipped in the passenger side upper area, not in the line of sight & very small. The actual stone chip is probably only about as big as a "point"..like a mark you would make on a piece of paper with a biro, but it has two very small (whiskers I've heard them called) sort of cracks, about 2-3mill long, one going up, & the other down. The whole thing is hardly noticable.
I've used Knights in the past, & so they came out this morning, but the guy didn't want to touch it. He said that if it was a "star" crack, with 4 "whiskers, up & down like mine, but across as well, there'd be no worries, but with only 1 line of cracking, when he commenced the repair, because there was only one crack, the pressure could lengthen the crack & I could lose the screen...so he didn't touch it.
Like I said, it's so small, ya can hardly see it, so I don't really want to risk having to replace the screen if the crack does spread.
Any experts on here, or does somebody know someone (not a company...but someone that actually DOES THE JOB & is experienced over several years)
At the moment, I'm inclined to leave it, but if there was someone I could discuss it with, that'd be good.
Thanks, Pickles.

[Paul K]

You could put a small peace of "vinyl contact" over the crack,
ie the stuff you put on books etc. That should stop it growing
yet still have it technically unroadworthy.
If you keep getting chips you might save money
The vinyl just keeps the water out and generally will stop the crack
occuring

[BLACK 346]

If your fussy like me, you wont be happy with a chip repair. All the ones I have had done ended up looking worse that the actual chip. I ended up replacing the screens anyway. Is there any particular reason you don't want to replace the windscreen? Does your insurance policy give you a free one? I would imagine that a Merc Screen is not going to be cheap as dirt like the commodore ones.

[aussiemuscle308]

You could buy the repair kit from repco and do it yourself??

[whitels1ss]

If your fussy like me, you wont be happy with a chip repair. All the ones I have had done ended up looking worse that the actual chip. I ended up replacing the screens anyway. Is there any particular reason you don't want to replace the windscreen? Does your insurance policy give you a free one? I would imagine that a Merc Screen is not going to be cheap as dirt like the commodore ones.

Yeah, my insurance allows a free screen every 12 months, I had a chip in one of mine about 6 years ago
(which got a whole lot worse very quickly) and made a phone call to my insurance company and
they sent a guy out to my work to fit a new screen the very next day, no charge.

[Pickles]

I don't want a new screen.
I wish to keep the car original. The rest of the screen is unmarked. There are all sorts of issues involved when a new screen is fitted.
I'm quite happy to have the original screen "repaired", if it can be done......or, I'll just take my chances & leave it the way it is.
Really, I just want to speak to someone who does this sort of work, who can give me the facts.
Cheers, Pickles.

[white lie]

Had a stone put a chip in my screen, got it patched the next day by Windscreens O'Brien. It's still quite noticeable, they said it must have been dirty, even though it went pretty much straight there. So if yours has been there for a while, it will still most likely end up visible but patching it will stop it spreading or getting worse.

Just go and see a reputable windscreen fitter, like O'Briens

[Ausmartin1]

I don't want a new screen.
I wish to keep the car original. The rest of the screen is unmarked. There are all sorts of issues involved when a new screen is fitted.
I'm quite happy to have the original screen "repaired", if it can be done......or, I'll just take my chances & leave it the way it is.
Really, I just want to speak to someone who does this sort of work, who can give me the facts.
Cheers, Pickles.

I agree, try to minimize screen changes as paint damage can occur if you get the usual windscreen cowboy to box cutter it out as most screen places are in a "hurry" and screw
you the customer if later your whole window frame rusts out (too bad if you keep the car that long).
Be interesting to know which companies have the proper tools to remove windscreens without stuffing up the car, we should make a list
As the gap between glass and frame is getting narrower with every new model.

[whitels1ss]

I have seen many windscreen chip repairs which look quite good when they are first done
but after 12 months or so the epoxy resin filler they use often goes a yellowish colour from exposure to the sun.
If it were me, I would either live with the chip or replace the screen.

[whitels1ss]

If it is just a really small, tiny frosty, sparkly chip mark which you are just trying to keep from standing out as much you could
perhaps even fill the top of it up yourself with a very tiny dob of black touch up paint so it wont stand out as much.

[XUV]

I don't want a new screen.
I wish to keep the car original. The rest of the screen is unmarked. There are all sorts of issues involved when a new screen is fitted.
I'm quite happy to have the original screen "repaired", if it can be done......or, I'll just take my chances & leave it the way it is.
Really, I just want to speak to someone who does this sort of work, who can give me the facts.
Cheers, Pickles.

I had one in my windscreen , biro point big , only i could seeit , bothered only me , to it to the guys here , don't know who they're affiliated with , i think o'briens ,
but , they did a cracking job , ya can't see it , cost 60 bucks and that was 3 yrs ago and still have my windscreen .

Go to O'briens .

[Pickles]

I'm jinxed, so I have to resurrect this thread.
I sold the C63, & never worried about the cracks as they were minor & didn't affect the RWC.
Anyway, today, in our Landrover Defender, on a deserted (well almost) country road near Boort, an oncoming truck flicked up a stone that put a nice star right in my line of vision.
I do not want to replace the screen, the car's only done 10ks & the screen is as new, so I was just wondering if anyone knows a relly good chip repairer that they could give me contact details for. There's heaps out there I know, but as in any trade, some are better than others, so it'd be good to know of a really good one.
I'll be paying for it myself, I won't be haggling, I just want a good job.
Thanks, Pickles.

[Micks]

Had a small star in my VZ SS since I bought it, & like yours is right in my line of vision. I have got used to it now & CBFD having it fixed! That is two years now & the bloody thing just won't crack or get any bigger worst luck!!!

[Bling Bling]

Get a good repair kit from super cheap and do it your self, i have done a few and no problems yes you will still see a dot but it works.

[dgp]

Pickles I know a good guy in Hamilton but it's a bit of a drive from the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

I just had another thought, give Mario a call, he is pretty fussy and should know someone.