Windscreen replacement on a C-Class

[Micman]

Hi,

Just thought I'd put a post up reporting my experience on replacing the windscreen on my C-Class.

I have a '54' facelift C180K Saloon Avantguard SE and recently got a stone fly up on a country lane and hit my windscreen slap bang in the centre, just below the sensor for the auto-wipers, which on impact put a lovely long crack down my windscreen!!

So I called my insurance company, who told me RAC autowindscreens where the approved repairer and it would be a £50 excess.

I was worried what type of windscreen I would get in it's place - I have the Avantguard which has blue tint glass and it has the area for the rain-sensors etc.

Anyway on speaking to RAC autowindscreens, I asked if it was possible to have a Mercedes screen which they said was fine and wouldn't effect my excess or insurance in any way. (They told me that I would have received an aftermarket one had I not requested a Merc one). I just had to wait a few days for them to get it from Merc which wasn't a problem for me. I also arranged to take my car to them as I didn't want them cancelling their mobile fit service if the weather was bad.

I then called up my local Merc dealer (Gatwick) as I was aware that cars with auto-wipers sometimes need the auto-wipers re-calibrated when the windscreen is fixed. They assured me that should it need re-calibrating it was a job that could easily be done after the windscreen had been fitted by my insurance approved repairer and that they would charge £52.50 + VAT should I need it doing.

Anyway, to cut a long story short - I have the car back with the new Mercedes windscreen exactly as it used to be. RAC did a great job, I didn't need to have the wipers re-calibrated as they still work fine, and the whole thing only cost me £50.00!

So, just thought I'd share that experience should anyone else suffer a broken windscreen.

 

[Rory]

Thanks for that - I too have a facelift C Class which I got at 5 months old.

First decent journey my screen took a hit in pretty much the same place as yours and it left a 1cm crater. I was reluctant to get the screen changed and RAC managed to repair it and it looks a lot better.

I have found that it seems to be impossible to do any longish journey in the C Class without picking up a hit (or even 2). I've had the odd chip in a screen before, but nothing on the scale that this car picks them up.


RAC replaced the screen on my daughters almost brand new Ibiza (after probably the only time the car will ever go on a motorway). That's a very distinctive (and quite dark) green colour and they assured me that there's only one manufacturer of those screens, so it might not say SEAT on it, but it would be from the same factory. In the event, the fitter was 'most surprised' that it did turn out to be a 3rd party screen, but the colour match is perfect and there's no rippling across the screen.

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Thanks for that - I too have a facelift C Class which I got at 5 months old.

I have found that it seems to be impossible to do any longish journey in the C Class without picking up a hit (or even 2). I've had the odd chip in a screen before, but nothing on the scale that this car picks them up.

It's because we love our motors too much! I did about 10 years in older or basic vans and only lost 1 windscreen. When I got my all singing, all dancing 316 sprinter I then went through 3-4 screens in about 18 months. My insurers never raised the subject and just paid the bills.