Windscreen replacement

[LemonTart]

Hi Folks

I need a replacement screen due to a stone on my 997.2, does anyone have any recommendations for someone in the Midlands, Lichfield area? Or it is a mean dealer jobbie.

Thanks in anticipation
Ed

[av185]

Main dealer and a genuine oem screen no question.... if your insurers allow it.

Don't even consider Autoglass and their like if you value your car.

Glassman on here knows his stuff and will prob be along shortly.

[Glassman]

Hi Ed, you say 'due to stone', any chance of posting up an image of the damage? If it's under the size of a £2 coin, it might be repairable.

[walamai]

I recently had a screen replaced in an 987 Cayman, via insurance/Autoglass. With the first screen Autoglass fitted the seals around the top corners of the windscreen didn't sit flat, it looked awful. It's just the 'trim' and the windscreen was sealed properly, but an aesthetic issue.

I raised a warranty issue and Autoglass ordered a new screen. I went to fit it and the Autoglass tech was really good and picked up that the new screen was going to have the same issue. He showed me the screen that he hadn't even fully taken out of the packaging yet, and you could see the trim/seal was just badly fitted and was obviously not going to fit flush. We agreed it was a waste of time to try fit it.

Autoglass then ordered a third screen. This was Pilkington glass (I believe the OEM manufacturer?) and it was perfect and zero issues with fitment.

To be fair to Autoglass, both their warranty team and the techs were good to deal with. The issue is simply that they are using the 'cheaper' suppliers, which seem to have quality issues.

TLDR; Insist on 'OEM' glass.

ETA: Found a photo of the problem I had. (It looks like a fitment issue, but as above, the glass was supplied looking like this before fitment.)

Edited by walamai on Wednesday 6th November 12:03

[LemonTart]

Hi Glassman

It started with a stone 'bullet hole', near the edge of the screen by the A pillar which has progressed to an 8 inch horizontal crack.

Cheers

[Glassman]

walamai said:

/clipped

/...the Autoglass tech was really good and picked up that the new screen was going to have the same issue. He showed me the screen that he hadn't even fully taken out of the packaging yet, and you could see the trim/seal was just badly fitted and was obviously not going to fit flush.


Found a photo of the problem I had. (It looks like a fitment issue, but as above, the glass was supplied looking like this before fitment.)

All OE windscreens come packed in Styrofoam, vacuum-sealed in a cellophane wrap. This can create some packing marks and usually does distort the trim stuck to the screen. But it's a minor issue; the marks usually disappear (or can be detailed off) and the mis-shaping isn't an issue because, a) they are stuck [to the glass] with precision; b) are designed to be shaped to the rebate of the windscreen frame, and c) will stay in the 'set' position provided you make full and proper use of the double-sided tape on the trim.

The issue you have with the windscreen in the image is that the glass is set too high. It hasn't been recessed. In doing so, the tape would normally grip and keep the glass there thus creating a chamfer sloping up to the ridge of the windscreen aperture. You can see in the image that the set height of the windscreen is too high and flush with the frame ridge.

Here's one showing the correct fitment with the trim chamfer sloping up to the ridge:

[Glassman]

LemonTart said:

Hi Glassman

It started with a stone 'bullet hole', near the edge of the screen by the A pillar which has progressed to an 8 inch horizontal crack.

Cheers

Okay, thank you. It's a new windscreen in that case. Happy to guide you through the process regardless of who does it. Please feel free to give me a call.

[bridggar1]

FWIW - Autoglass replaced my Vantage screen recently, but I chose to go to the depot rather than a roadside visit. When I got there, the tech said he needed more info on the ancillary parts to properly fit it - apologies for the wasted visit. Rescheduled and saw same tech - 2 hours later, all done. He was proud of his efforts and TBH looks fine to me.

[walamai]

Glassman said:

All OE windscreens come packed in Styrofoam, vacuum-sealed in a cellophane wrap. This can create some packing marks and usually does distort the trim stuck to the screen. But it's a minor issue; the marks usually disappear (or can be detailed off) and the mis-shaping isn't an issue because, a) they are stuck [to the glass] with precision; b) are designed to be shaped to the rebate of the windscreen frame, and c) will stay in the 'set' position provided you make full and proper use of the double-sided tape on the trim.

The issue you have with the windscreen in the image is that the glass is set too high. It hasn't been recessed. In doing so, the tape would normally grip and keep the glass there thus creating a chamfer sloping up to the ridge of the windscreen aperture. You can see in the image that the set height of the windscreen is too high and flush with the frame ridge.

[...]

The packaging/shipping issues you described is what the autoglass tech also said to me. ie; that normally with correct fitting they will settle and sort themselves out. He agreed though that there seemed to be some particular issue with the glass supplied for my car.

The tech was good and took the time to show/explain the issues to me. I saw the 'problem' glass (for the 2nd screen they ordered) and the 'good' Pilkington glass (3rd screen) before they were fitted. Seeing the 'problem' glass, there was no way the adhesive in the corners was ever going to get it to sit flat. With the 'good' glass, there was still a bit of mis-shaping from the packaging as you describe, but it looked fundamentally different. And when fitted was fine.

The tech said they were going to RMA the 'problem' screens. I think I may have been unlucky to have a got screens from a bad batch. (He checked a code on both of the problem screens, and was able to identify they came from the same batch.)

I should say too, you'd quite obviously got the experience and expertise that I don't have! Just relaying my experiences.