Hi Guys,

My Octy has a windscreen chip/crack which is fine and legal for now but will need sorting, so I have a few questions.

1) Is a repair to a heated screen possible? or asking for trouble at the least convenient time? even if my insurers/autoglass recommend it as a cost saving exercise.

2) Can autoglass repair a heated screen and avoid screwing up the behing-mirror camera array?

3) Should I be getting this done at a dealer? and does the normal rule that you can get repairs at a place of your choosing, not your insurer's apply?

4) anything else I should know about to avoid a screwed up repair?

Cheers in advance chaps.

If it is only a chip or a slight crack which is not affecting your view then leave it. I had to replace a badly cracked heated windscreen and with insurance excess and recalibration it cost me about £200. Some people will say not to bother with camera recalibration, however I wasn't convinced that the lane assist was working correctly. Additionally Autoglass sent me a reminder of the need to recalibrate and obviously my insurance company is aware. I didn't want the insurance company to have any 'wriggle out' clause in the event of a frontal accident.

I had a chip in my heated screen when it was just two weeks old.... Autoglass did a resin repair the following morning, sorted. Faint circle there now but I didnt really want the trims & cameras messed with..... Incidentally, the Autoglass guy said its always best to get the repair done asap as the less moisture & dirt that goes in the better/more invisible the repair will be. hth

As cherry evo says.

 

Repair ASAP. If it's a crack it'll get worse. And even a small chip gets less likely to take a fix the longer you leave it, it gets difficult to clean and hence for the fix to take. Personal experience.

 

As for point 3, the definitive answer will be in your policy - not on here.

Edited 29 June, 20169 yr by FlyingGecko

I had to have mine replaced within 150 miles of the forecourt. Autoglass did it with an oe windscreen. No complaints at all. When I had it done insurers weren't covering the recalibration but I understand they may be now, since 1 May possibly? Anyway, I didn't bother with recalibration and it doesn't seem to have needed it anyway, certainly not for sign recognition. Lane assist is just as retarded as it ever was.

If you signed up with the free Skoda Ensurance claims management thingy, you could try contacting them and see what they say.

I've had my screen replaced on my MY16 vRS (not heated though). A large chip on the motorway.

Argued with Axa that the reason I have insurance is to put me back in the same position I was before any incident, and that's what I pay my premium and excess for. After a few days arguing, they agreed to cover the cost of camera recalibration. Had the work done by Autoglass, but had to travel from Bristol to Gloucester as that was the closest location that had the specific kit.

Incidentally, the lane assist is definitely calibrated better now than it was from factory - it now keeps the car in the centre of the lane, whereas it was always near the left line previously.

Hi Guys,

My Octy has a windscreen chip/crack which is fine and legal for now but will need sorting, so I have a few questions.

1) Is a repair to a heated screen possible? or asking for trouble at the least convenient time? even if my insurers/autoglass recommend it as a cost saving exercise.

2) Can autoglass repair a heated screen and avoid screwing up the behing-mirror camera array?

3) Should I be getting this done at a dealer? and does the normal rule that you can get repairs at a place of your choosing, not your insurer's apply?

4) anything else I should know about to avoid a screwed up repair?

Cheers in advance chaps.

 

In the same order:

1. Yes.

2. Repairing a windscreen does not involve messing about with any fixtures.

 

3. a.) dealers, generally, aren't very good at repairing windscreens (if the offer the service at all). Arguably, some windscreen firms aren't that good at repairing either!

    b.) you are bound by the terms proposed to you before policy inception. There may be exclusions depending on your policy (such as cars less than three years-old). More here: http://www.glasstecpaul.com/motor-insurance-windscreen-cover/

 

4. A general guide: http://www.glasstecpaul.com/to-see-or-not-to-see/

 

HTH

Edited 30 June, 20169 yr by Glassy

Incidentally, the lane assist is definitely calibrated better now than it was from factory - it now keeps the car in the centre of the lane, whereas it was always near the left line previously.

 

 

I find the steering wheel is even more accurate.

 

The point of lane assist is to trigger a warning if the driver is losing concentration - or falling asleep. It is an intervention system. The driver retains responsibility at all times. This has been discussed elsewhere in Briskoda.

Hi Guys, 

 

Thank you all for your advice.

 

Looks like it will be fine with a resin repair with no insurance excess.

I find the steering wheel is even more accurate.

The point of lane assist is to trigger a warning if the driver is losing concentration - or falling asleep. It is an intervention system. The driver retains responsibility at all times. This has been discussed elsewhere in Briskoda.

Penultimate line is correct, read about the recent first Tesla driver death using autopilot. So much for intelligent cars.