Windscreen Saga

[Rich]

Hi all,

H902 has a huge crack in the windscreen, so, as I am fully comp, I decided to pay the £40 excess and have the insurance company sort it out.

I specified that I wanted a BRONZE TOP TINT screen. This has the orangy bronzy bit along the top. Like Simon's I believe. Anyhow, they said no problem, and Portsmouth Autoglass would come and fit it yesterday morning. So, I took the morning of work, and waited. In the end I got a phone call, sorry Sir, the delivery of screens we had, which included yours was damaged in transit last night, and there smashed, we will come and fit it tomorrow afternoon.

So, I took this afternoon off work, and waited, phone call from the fitter, i'm lost. So I gave him directions and he eventualy turned up. Nice enough bloke, has a look and says, we dont have the seal for this mate. We cant get hold of them anymore, so i'll fit a universal one, I said ok, but only if it looks ok.

I went in and made hima cup of tea, when I came out he had the new screen on a little table effort and was fitting this hidious rubber thing to it. No way said I, thats not going on, and on top of that, its the wrong screen. It has a blue top tint, not a bronze one. Oh, says the bloke, ill ring the office.

So, he makes a phone call, we can get hold of the original seal, but wont have it until Sunday. They dont make that screen anymore. Fair enough I said, so he went and would come back Sunday to fit the blue screen and new seal.

In the mean time, I had decided that a Bronze top tint WAS available, and so made some enquirys. A local firm said, we can do it for £80 and if it needs the seal £12 for that. Then I rand Autoglass, got through to there call centre. Nice girl there assured me they could get a bronze top tint screen for £164.34, but it may take a few days. Thats ok, it was all i needed to know, so I rang Autoglass in Portsmouth (or rather I was transfered) and spoke to the bloke there.

I told him another company could get the right screen, and there call centre could get the right screen, and what followed was a very firy conversation, where upon he says he has scoured the country and can't get one, thats pretty much how it ended, with me having to keep the screen they have. But I am still not convinced, least by his sarcy tone as he hung up, and the fact that they probably can get one but dont want a blue top tint screen lying about which they wont use in a hurry.

Any thoughts anyone, I so feel like I am being fobbed off, first of all they dont make the seal, then they do. Then they dont make the screen I want, also I have take a day of work for nothing, why does everything have to be so much hassle?:banghead:

Rich (annoyed)

[E_T_V]

Well if it is a big screen company ring and ask to speak to the boss. If not ring your insurance company and ask them to deal with it as you are not happy with their service. (they won't want to risk loosing an insurance companies contract). Don't accept the screen if it isn't the one you want as you really are stuck with it then. My advice is talk to the organ grinder not the monkey and failing that talk to the insurance people who will be paying the screen company money for the job.

Hope you get it sorted. (A non tinted one was about £75 fitted last year by the way as I didn't have fully comp insurance)

[Simon]

Hi Rich, don't let those monkeys fob you off. Guardian make the bronze tinted glass with the bronze shadeband top tint like I have got. The code number on my screen says 43R-000305. I think the main distributors of these are LADDAW, head office is:
Laddaw Limited
Postley Road
Woburn Road Industrial Estate
Kempston
Bedford MK42 7BU
Tel: 01234 840051
Fax: 01234 840001

But your nearest branch is probably
Laddaw Limited
Unit 1, St George's Industrial Estate
Boyatt Wood
Eastleigh
Hampshire SO50 4NT
Tel: 02380 650006
Fax: 02380 610059

You can get screen seals made up from universal strips, that's how mine was done but it looks like a pukka one, don't accept second best.
If you get a metal windscreen mirror fixing slug from MG Rover, you can then attach an MGF rear view mirror to your screen. You need a screen fitter to do this because they have a special 2 part glue. The slug goes on the screen and the mirror slides onto the slug. It has 2 interior lights in the body of it, that make good map reading lamps and illuminate the footwell/console/your lap area nicely. They are wired in parallel with the existing interior lamps on your car and the mirror's lights are switchable to illuminate when the doors are open or independantly. It's a magic mod that I've done on my car, and looks factory fitted.

BTW, any post 88 facelift Montego and post 93 Maestro have slug fitting mirrors, so replacing them with an MGF one is a case of sliding the old one off and sliding the MGF one on. All modern Rovers all use slug fit mirrors too. I'll post a couple of part numbers and a picture of my mirror when I get home.

[Beaker]

Yes, I wouldn't except something you dont want and will be paying for. At the end of the day you are the customer and they priority is to keep you happy.

My advice is to contact your insurance company, and let them know the terrible service of AutoGlass and you are not happy.

Also ring the Autoglass and ask to speak to the person in charge, and inform him of the name of the person you spoke to of his bad attitude.

Lindsey

[Rich]

Thanks for the advice guys!

I will give Laddaw a ring tomorrow, if they have a screen, I will rip into autoglass like no tomorrow, and will be letting the insurance company know exactly what I think of them.

I know the bloke if fobbing me off, and I am not happy about it, if needs be I will buy a screen and take it in there to prove him wrong.

Rich

[e692wtt]

I had a new Windscreen fitted to Monty in March, he's only an L-spec so has plain glass all round as per the man at RAC Auto Windscreens at Bolton who were recommended to me by MoreThan (who charge a £60 excess incidentally).I thought the glass was 'blue' tinted, but am not too fussed.

I rang at 4.30pm on a Friday, the chap listens and says "The only top-tinnted ones we have at the moment are Bronze, but on a car of your colour (Azure Blue) it will look fine from the outside and you'll not notice the fact the glass is Bronze, aprt from the top-tint. Believe me, it'll work".The man was there at 11am the next day, fitted the Screen and Seal, broke the plastic 3-way connector on the wiper hose and job done. He would have sorted the connector if I'd wanted but after such otherwise good, quick service I didn't mind. And it worked - the Bronze tint is ok!

Same with a rear 3/4 side window, RAC sorted that out with the proper trim within 24 hours whilke the car was parked at work - once I'd given him instructions about getting round the Industrial Estate and to stop at the Security Lodge on pain of Death if he drove straight in...:laugh: And they matched the tint of the glass which has a slight blue tint to it (as above - I reckon it's tinted glass, but their part numbers match what's on the car...).

RAC Auto Windscreens have done the honours twice for me, try them!

[D87 SMW]

GGT has a few small chips in the windscreen, whereas SRY does not.
Is it possible to get someone down to do a swap?

Steve.

[wemyss]

I had to take the wifes maestro in for a new windscreen. L reg and plain glass. Comp insurance job and went to Autoglass Derby where the man said do you want a bronze tinted one?.
He said its the same price its up to you. Will it show up I asked.
No he said they only show up if they are on the side.
Had it fitted, A very good job and very pleased with the result.
The advice above is very good and I would make a stand with them. They depend enormously on insurance work and will not be happy with the thought of you complaining directly to your Insurance Company.
But ensure you speak to the boss first at the fitting company and explain the position.
nick

[e692wtt]

Steve,

If the car's windscreen wasn't bonded in (eg Mk II Golf, Peugeot 205 - the Windscreen is held in place with a rubber seal), you could do it yourself in mebbe 30 minutes, the whole swapover.

Unfortunately, our cars' Windscreens *are* bonded in, and the Windscreens normally get at least 'slightly damaged' around the edges upon their removal from the bonding - if not totally trashed - even by a Professional.

I think you'll have to have a new one fitted - but why now? As long as F170's Windscreen passes the MoT (and this is the only reason I got mine changed), a new Windscreen will pick up little chips like the current Windscreen has got and end up the same fairly quickly.

I'd say wait, the Windscreens will always be available (RAC Auto Windscreens can provide Glass for the Morris Marina and Ital - 20 years next year since the last one was made - 'off the shelf').

I'm not on a 'retainer' by the way, just impressed with the Company.

[Rich]

I gave RAC auto windscreens a ring tonight, they have a bronze screen in stock at there portsmouth branch, and the official trim, and can fit it tomorrow.

They also said bronze was much more popular than blue, and couldn't belive that autoglass didnt even have the trim in stock.

So I will be hearing from there branch tomorrow, and if they can do it, i will do it through them as they do insurance work, and I can soon tell autoglass where to shove it. My phrase was, i wouldnt even have autoglass put a new pane in my shed.


Rich

[e692wtt]

I'm glad it's worked out for you with RAC Auto Windscreens. Talk about a 'can do' organisation. Don't get them very often nowadays, unfortunately...

Bet you'd use them again after this! The Bolton branch can fit Glazing jobs in pretty quickly, but if the Portsmouth branch takes a bit longer, bear with them... it'll be worth it.

I've rung MoreThan to report broken Vehicle Glass and they've given me a 'general phone number' for RAC AW. The Manager at the Bolton branch has then generally rung me less than 30 minutes after my ringing the 'general number' for RAC AW. They *will* be in touch tomorrow!!!


Doesn't say much for Autoglass, does it? MoreThan use several Auto Glazing firms, just happens RAC AW do the local stuff to me. Glad they do though!


Glad to have been of assistance...:)


PS don't be surprised when you see a box on the form the fitter asks you to sign, with the phrase 'condition satisfactory for year' referring to your car's overall condition - it's aimed at Fleet cars mebbe a year old, and as the Glazing job is going against an Insurance Policy the Insurers want to know if there is any damage to the vehicle that hasn't been reported, eg dents, broken lights and glass, etc. My second RAC AW fitter was very apologetic and complimented me on monty's condition, based on the lack of corrosion round the window he'd just fitted (but so did the first fitter re the windscreen aperture, but no comments on the 'vehicle condition' box) - one of the earlier places that our cars begin to rust...

[Simon]

Autoglass only do blue top tint ones for Maestro's, that's what they told me years ago. You may remember that I used to have a blue top tint one a few years ago. I made some enquiries about the bronze top tint one and found out that they were available, so when I needed a new screen I didn't go to Autoglass. However both screens were of Guardian manufacture and both sourced from Laddaw. Work that one out??

Don't try to get a screen out in one piece, it's a bit of a lottery, and tell the fitter to mind the top surface of the headlining. Some of these fitters are careful, others are butchers - I had some horrendous damage done to the screen pillar trim on my Rover 214 when I had a screen done once. They had to cough up for a new one.

Montego models post Oct 88 had a factory fit bronze top tint screen fitted from L models upwards.

Here is a picture of my MGF mirror lit up

[Simon]

Some part numbers and prices:
CTB100100 Mirror assembly-interior dipping £30.45
EDP5642 Slug-windscreen mirror fixing - Detail of Assembly £1.08
Total £31.54
Here is a picture of a slug that sticks to the windscreen black pad with 2 part glue:

[E_T_V]

I've seen the mirror mod and it looks the biz. Was thinking of doing the same and those part numbers are very useful thanx. So many mods, so little time (and money).

[e692wtt]

My Monty didn't have a rooflining in at the time, but that's a good point! These people *are* professionals and proud of their work though... mentioning this, in passing, is probably the best thing - the chaps from the RAC soon appreciated I'm a Montego Enthusiast and not merely the owner of an old Banger that happens to be Comprehensively insured - an owner with plans to keep the car...

As I said, they (RAC Auto Windscreens) were happy to organise a new 3-way connector for the washer hose, but the way I had the scuttle panel off the VDP (attempting to get a spare connector as opposed to going to Halfords as I ended up doing) so quickly he could tell I could cope with the replacement of said connector *if I had to*... I was ok with this:cool:

[MaestroMatt]

After reading this thread I am preparing to spend my lunch time writing a very strongly worded letter of complaint to Autoglass. I needed a new windscreen just before the BL/BMC day this year and as I have comprehensive insurance with Direct Line, I rang Autoglass and specifically asked for bronze glass with bronze sun strip. The first chap to turn up came with a clear windscreen with no tint so I sent him away and then I had a series of phone calls from Autoglass who swore blind that bronze on bronze is no longer available for the Maestro and there was no chance of me getting it so I was forced to accept bronze tint with no sun strip. Admittedly, this was fitted very well indeed by the bloke who came round to do it but it isn't what I wanted. Oh, except that the rear-view mirror kept falling off as they used an inferior sticky-pad and I had to buy some Halfrauds ones to get the mirror to stay on for more than a couple of hours at a stretch.

[Simon]

In the picture of my MGF mirror on my Maestro shown above, you can just about make out the bronze shadeband. There's the proof! Jonathan's got a bronze top tint 'screen too.

[e692wtt]

Me too. That's 3 of us... any more?

I think my top-tint looks more Grey than Bronze when looking through the Screen - and I reckon Simon's Screen top-tint looks exactly the same.

The Bronze top-tinted Screens are definitely available...:)


Funny how Autoglass keep cropping up as, errm, not very helpful, innit?

[Rich]

Breaking news, I rang Laddaw this morning, they told me they could get me a windscreen overnight for tomorrow, but would only sell it to a glass company.

I then rang autoglass, they said they would ring back in an hour, depsite phoning a local number, i got through to a call centre.

Hour passed, no call, so I rang RAC Autowindscreens, they said they would order from Laddaw and fit it saturday!

I then rang the insurance company to let them know what was going on, they said the customer service department would ring me back.

Then, autoglass rang,

Hello sir, I have found 30 bronze top tinted screens from Laddaw, I have ordered one for you, and it will be fitted Sunday!

Its gone from nto being able to get one for love nor money, and we have scoured the country, to, we have found 30 of them, and having 2 fitted by different companys. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

I will now have to let one of them down, but not sure which one. But I cannot belive autoglass finally got of there arse, maybe it was my threat to speak to the manager at the portsmouth branch???

Rich

[Beaker]

I'd go with RAC, Autoglass obviously dont deserve the money because of their poor customer service.

Lindsey

[wemyss]

Well done Rich, just shows what can be achieved with a bit of persistence.
The man you first dealt with who sounded unhelpful and rude should still be censored by his boss for an attitude problem.
He is not a good advert for his company.
nick

[MaestroMatt]

Christ! I wish I hadn't given in so easily now. I doubt they will replace my new windscreen free of charge but that is what I shall insist upon in my letter of complaint!

[Simon]

I'm glad things are looking better. This is typical of what the forum can do, if people know a bit of info then pass it on. It seems to have worked for Rich.

I know Montego's could have bronze top tints, they were factory fitted. No Maestro ever had a top gradient band zone tinted windscreen as standard, so it is really good that we can specify bronze top tints for Maestro's now. Just to add a bit of confusion into the hat...Montego's destined for the Gulf States had GREEN (Sundym) tinted glass all round.

[Rich]

Another result, it was not the insurance companys customer services that rang me in the end it was autoglass's. Seems my insurance company worked some grief into them, and I had a woman ring from autoglass, I told her that despite the fact the problem had been sorted, I was very unhappy with what had gone on, and that I had effectivly had to do the legwork to get a new screen. She was very appologetic and in the end is giving me half what I paid back, so I get £20 refunded, so I have had a new sceen for £20.

Not so bad in the end, we shall just see how things turn out, just need to cancel RAC now. The proof will be when the thing is actually fitted to the car though!

Thanks all for your help, and if anyone wants a bronze top tint screen in the furure, just stand your ground on it!

MaestroMatt, if your screen is covered by insurance, make a claim, then smash it. Or just say in your letter how they have treated and lied to you, but whatever happens, I bet they keep a few in stock after that!:laugh:

Rich

[threelitre]

Originally posted by E_T_V
Hope you get it sorted. (A non tinted one was about £75 fitted last year by the way as I didn't have fully comp insurance)

Oops, these are about 500 Euro (350 quid!) fitted over here... You pay for driving a rarity...

Alexander

[SimonR]

Thanks for that tip about the MGF mirror, Simon!

By some strange freak of fate, my rear view mirror, which has stayed stuck to the screen ever since it was changed, decided to fall off while I was on my way to Rover to get some parts for F153. It was obviouly telling me that I needed an MGF one. So I bought one!

One thing - which wires are which on the multiplug of the mirror? There are 3 so that means that (if memory servers):

Black=earth
Green=always 12v
Purple=Switched 12V

Is that correct...? I suppose it doesn't matter much, as long as I get 0v correct.

Also, when you wired it in, did you cut the multiplug off or did you manage to find the other half in a scrapper? I'm off to take a look tomorrow.... Before I wire it up, I'm going to have to fix the interior lights, but more of that on a later thread!

Mirror looks pukka even without working lights as of yet.

[Simon]

Get the other half from the scrapyard, or actually Dave got it for me!
Obtain plenty of wiring with it, so that you can splice it into the existing interior light circuit. Can't remember how it goes, and I don't really want to disturb my new headlining:) All I did was do a temporary lash up job to see if it worked, then I wired it all up properly.

[SimonR]

I thought that's what you'd say :)

I'll take a look for the correct plug from an MGF. I've looked at Rovers and Hondas in the scrappy but couldn't find one of those plugs anywhere so I guess it'll have to be an MGF. I'm sure one will turn up.

I've worked out the wiring as well - after playing around with a multimeter and my interior lights last night I shall have no problem ;)

[Simon]

The part number for the plug (yellow female thingy, also known as C0355-2 by the way)is YPC 113330. I don't know how much it is, or indeed whether it comes with any pins.

[SimonR]

Ah, thanks for that part number - I may enquire at rover, unless I can find an MGF in the scrapper.

Just so anybody else who's thinking of doing this knows, you can buy the correct glue for affixing the slug from Halfrauds. It's about 3 quid, if memory serves.

[Rich]

Took long enough but I finally got a pic sorted! PROOF you CAN get a bronze top tint screen Autoglass!

When the bloke came to fit it (after they confimred they had the bronze in stock) and brought the blue screen again, I had to follow him down to portsmouth to get the right screen, and have him fit it there. This was after a heated call to his boss at the branch who started by trying to tell me "you cant get them anymore". After I tild him they should have it, and thay had ordered it, he went a had a look, and came back to the phone with the, "oh yeah, it was out there all the time, must have picked up the wrong one".

When I was down there with the fitter, same bloke also tried to tell me "we don't fit the standard Maestreo screen seals "cos they dont fit mate" and "there a pain in the :censored: " and "how come theres no other tinted glass on here". Does that matter, do I look bothered by that? I dont think so! This was whilst he hobbled about, pretending he had a bad back after struggaling with putting the seal onto the new glass. The seal is on there now, it had the same one before, so they have to fit, its not impossible!

Thus followed one of those situations where you know the boss is going to say "that :censored: Maestro owning :censored: " as soon as you drive out!

In the end after I gave the woman in custom,er services a grilling, I got £60 back out of them for the hassle, considering I only paid £40 in the first place it's not bad. There is an investigation into the Portsmouth branch because of me, and I should think so too. There attitude stinks, stay clear of Autoglass. Despite they did a good job actually fitting it, the rest of it was a shambles.

Rich

[SimonR]

A fiver says it's cracked before the end of the year! :laugh:

Seriously though, that looks superb and v. well done for persuing this - when I asked about getting a bronze tint on my replacement screen I was told that they were no longer available. Why the hell did I beleive them?

I wonder how many other parts that I'm told are N.L.A are actually on a shelf somewhere...?