Windscreen Damage, Replace Or Fix ?

[Motormouth]

Picked up a quite nasty stone chip on my windscreen over the weekend, its not in the critcal line of vision, but just above the rear view mirror, its a nasty looking chip leaving a big black mark that wont budge. I want it replaced as its on £50 excess with the insurance but Im not sure its big enough for a replacement maybe only a repair. Just wondered of other peoples experience, how likely am I to be able to get the windscreen people to replace it rarther than repair, also are the repairs any good ?

Other questions it’s a old shape 2002 A3 1.8t sport, do I need to make sure I get a special screen as I have climate control as maybe the temp censors are in there ? Also how good a match do they get the tint in the screen, I have a standard screen but wondered if its going to look obvious the screen it new ?

[S3ENVY]

Bummer isn't it when that happens. My 02 S3 acquired a really nasty double chip just off to the left of my line of sight the other week when literally a rock hit it. I really wanted to have mine replaced but opted for a repair instead for the moment, used Glass Doctors and they did a really good job. It's not "invisible" but is completely unintrusive, looks like a small water stain if you can cope with the blemish.

Hope this helps.

[shark_90]

If they do replace it, they should do a swap for an identical looking screen, so no worries there. Also don't worry about your climate control as the sensors are in the cabin. I have a repair on my screen as they refused to replace it, I'd only had the new screen a week when I picked up the chip! The repair is pretty good but by no means invisible, and it passed the MOT with it

[Motormouth]

Thanks for the advice.

I used to have a Ford Racing Puma before Audi and in 4 years of ownership only got minor chips. However in the Audi its seems every motorway journey I get something. Other times they didnt leave marks this one did, I even saw it comming towards me. I took off the mud flaps on my car a while ago, could that have resulted in more hits ? I would of thought it diffcult for a front wheel drive car to flick a stone up at its own windwo.

Cheers

[shark_90]

I very much doubt the stones are coming from your wheels mate. When I got the last big chip on my screen I was on the A1 and there wasn't another car within 200 yards of me, they just seem to come out of nowhere

[tomw]

I recently had two fairly large chips (one was more like a dent really ) on my A3 repaired by Autoglass through my insurance. It didn't cost anything and they made a very good job of it.