Motoring Discussion > Chip	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: BiggerBadderDave	Replies: 32

New Mon 20 Jun 11 16:34   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

There's teeny tiny chip/crack right in front of me on the windscreen. It's about the size of a baby's finger nail, hardly noticeable but not invisible. Is it an MOT fail? How much will Autoglass charge to fill it? Do they come right away or is there a wait. Got my MOT a couple of days after I get to the UK. Ta! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 16:36   Chip - rtj70

I don't suppose many on here will know how much they charge because we'd normally get it paid by the insurance company. If you have to get it done ASAP can you not go to them? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 16:37   Chip - Mapmaker

Don't autoglas do that sort of thing for free? (The assumption being they'll get to replace your screen if they cannot.) Otherwise a tenner or so, I believe. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 17:01   Chip - RichardW

If it's within a band 290mm wide centred on the steering wheel, then it needs to be less than 10mm diameter to pass. Outside this band, within the wiper swept area it needs to be less than 40mm diameter. Sounds like yours will pass. Repair often free if done under comprehensive insurance, although many are starting to charge now. Autoglass says: If you have insurance without glass cover Your existing windscreen can be repaired We can repair from only £69.95 (plus VAT) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 17:21   Chip - Ted

I had one repaired on one of our club Citroens a couple of months ago. I took some time to find it, it was so small, but a client had reported it. I brought the car home and found a local indy, having stopped using Autoglass. He was prompt and efficient and injected it for £35.. He's in Stockport, but worth looking for a local one perhaps ? Wasn't caused from inside by a stiletto heel, by any chance, Dave ? Ted Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 17:38   Chip - Lygonos

£70 for a windscreen repair looks like a rip-off - wonder if there has been a recent drop in competition in the auto-windscreen market... "Well sir, we can repair the screen for £70, or we can get you a new screen for the cost of your insurance excess, £50-75". Maybe I'm being cynical. Halfords sell a 'kit' for repairing windscreens for 30 quid or so, although even that seems highly inflated for the sum of its contents (although it's apparently good for 5-6 repairs). Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 20 Jun 11 17:42   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

Thanks all It's 7 mm and like a little fingernail clipping. Don't know when it happened but I only recently became aware of it. Just renewed my insurance today and there's a £70 excess on windscreens. My premium went down by about £70 this year. Yin and yang hey? I'll be in Stockport Ted so if it fails I'll have those details from you. Cheers! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 18:43   Chip - The Nut

In my experience if your insurance dosn't cover it there will be an official price that's the same as the insurace company would pay, but an offer by one of the guys working there to do it after work for half the offical price. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 19:43   Chip - Roger.

We have a couple of very small chips on our screen - about 3 to 4 mm maximum each. We spoke to Autoglass a couple of days ago, who said they were too small to repair as the resin would not satisfactorily adhere to such a small area. He was not (much) amused when I suggested whacking the screen with a hammer would solve that problem! We are with Tesco Insurance (very good price) who have a tenner excess on chip repair. Last edited by: Roger on Mon 20 Jun 11 at 19:44 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 20 Jun 11 19:42   Chip - VxFan

>> Just renewed my insurance today and there's a £70 excess on windscreens. But that would be for a replacement windscreen. For a repair, it'll either be free, or up to £20, depending on which insurance company you use. Info here regarding the windscreen and the MOT - www.motuk.co.uk/manual_830.htm Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 11:12   Chip - RichardW

We had a very small crack in the screen on our Picasso last winter - about the size mentioned here. SWMBO sat in the car whilst our son was asleep, with the engine running, and outside temp at about -10°c for about 1 hour, then we went out. I washed the screen (good stuff that Lidl -60 screenwash!) and loud bang and the screen cracked almost right across. Cue another £75 to Autoglass - the screen was only about 18 months old! By comparison the screen in my Xantia has a large bullseye on the passenger side (just withing the allowable 40mm) that's been there for about 18 months, and not got any worse. One day I'l get around to getting it replaced (it's goosed anway after 120k miles!), but then it will probably just break again....! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 12:00   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

My MOT will have expired by about 7 days by the time I get to Blighty. Is this a big priority for the police? There's not much I can do about it but I have booked it into the garage. It's just the way school holidays fell and because it's a new car to me, so it's MOT didn't fit in with my normal cycle. My car guy collected it today to take it for a Polish MOT, which I do every year to get any problems sorted out at this end so I do take it seriously. Worse case scenario? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 12:17   Chip - BobbyG

Dave out of curiosity where is your car registered etc? If you live in Poland why do you worry about British MOT? Or are you only there part of the year? Is your car on British plates in which case what will it flag on ANPR? Taxed, insurance (on database) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 12:31   Chip - Iffy

...Worse case scenario?... The car flags as no MoT and you are pulled over by a bad-tempered traffic cop who confiscates it. For that to happen, you would need to be caught by an in-car ANPR as distinct from a fixed one on a lamppost. Then there's the penalty for no MoT to consider, which appears to be a fine, but no points. See page 135 of this document: www.peterjepson.com/law/Magistrates%20Court%20Sentencing%20Guidelines.pdf It might be a good idea to use the car as little as possible until the MoT is done. Last edited by: Iffy on Tue 21 Jun 11 at 12:32 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 12:41   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

It's a UK car Bobby, I still have a pad in England. It just spends 10 months of its life abroad every year. It's insured on a special policy for Brits who keep a car abroad. I don't intend to use the car, I intend to sleep for a day but I have to get it from the ferry. I'll rub up on my people skills. Charm the bar steward. Last edited by: BiggerBadderDave on Tue 21 Jun 11 at 12:41 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 13:03   Chip - captain chaos

Bad tempered traffic cop? Surely not? Reminds me of the time I was driving near a football ground and there was a derby match on. Considerable police presence as you can imagine. Police motorcyclist at a side road with flashing blue lights so I stopped, flashed my lights and waved him out. Response was a red faced scowl and furious waving me on my way. No need for that. No need for me to overfuel the diesel as I went on my way either Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 13:24   Chip - Alanovich

>>It's insured on a special policy for Brits who keep a car abroad. Hi BBD, Would you mind letting me know which insurance company provides your policy? I've been looking for one for years to insure a UK reg car which I want to keep abroad, and I can't find one prepared to offer such cover. If I were you, I'd cancel the MOT you've booked and book one at a station nearest to your ferry entry point - Dover, presunably? And get a printed confirmation of your booking. Then take the car straight there from the ferry. Last edited by: Alanović on Tue 21 Jun 11 at 13:24 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 14:11   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

Hi Alanovic Give these guys a call www.stuartcollins.com I renewed my premium with them for the Lexus this week, £609. That's about £100 or so more than I would pay for a regular policy but well worth it. And gone down from last year while everybody's seems to have gone up. I could find an MOT station near the ferry port but I'll have done 900 miles by then and I'll just want to get home. I've used my guys in Stockport for years and I trust them. Plus, it'll be a Sunday afternoon. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 14:21   Chip - Alanovich

OK, BBD. Thanks for that. I think I tried them by email once and they said they couldn't do it, but that's probably because the country I'm interested in is a bit of a no-no in UK insurance circles. Serbia. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 14:33   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

Yeah, I wouldn't insure you either! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 12:58   Chip - bathtub tom

>>pulled over by a bad-tempered traffic cop who confiscates it. Can a car be confiscated for not having a current MOT? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 13:17   Chip - Iffy

...Can a car be confiscated for not having a current MOT?... I believe the phrase is the policeman needs to have a 'reasonable suspicion' that an offence has been or may be committed. I don't think the offence is specified, but even if an MoT is not covered, the copper may have reasonable suspicion of others. And Dave's situation - living in Poland - is unusual, and is sure to set the copper's nose twitching. These things often seem to come down to what everyone now describes as the 'attitude test'. If the punter is polite and reasonable - as I'm sure Dave would be - the copper is much more inclined to respond the same way. T'was ever thus. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 12:57   Chip - Jacks

>> My MOT will have expired by about 7 days by the time I get to >> Blighty. Is this a big priority for the police? There's not much I can do >> about it but I have booked it into the garage. >> >> Worse case scenario? >> Can't you just nick some Polish number plates and bung them on for the drive over ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 13:25   Chip - Iffy

...but I have booked it into the garage... I would keep those details to hand. If Dave is stopped on his way across England, he cannot strictly claim he's on his way to a pre-booked MoT appointment. But given his circumstances, the existence of an appointment in the next day or two must count in his favour. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 23:04   Chip - Fullchat

Powers to seize vehicles for No Driving Licence or No Insurance. No MOT does not carry such a power. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 23:19   Chip - BobbyG

Is insurance valid without a current MOT? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 21 Jun 11 23:21   Chip - CGNorwich

Is insurance valid without a current MOT? Yes Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Jun 11 00:14   Chip - Auntie Lockbrakes

You'll be fine BBD - you're in transit on a Sunday and it's booked in for the Monday... If stopped you could always wave the Polish MOT documentation and tell them that it's being exported and the Polish rego is on its way ;-) (I guess you can't re-reg a car until it's got a valid MOT for the new country of reg). Zillions of Brits living in France pull this stunt all the time. Out of curiosity, do you keep a valid UK tax disc on the car? That's more likely to catch their attention isn't it? I used to keep a UK-registered car in France for months at a time, through a UK insurer, but I made sure that the tax and MOT were up-to-date, i.e. I was trying to stay squeaky clean with the authorities in one of the 2 countries. I did get stopped at random a couple of times late at night and the French gendarmes had no interest in the car when they saw it was British... Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 27 Jun 11 11:11   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

Failed MOT. Excessive play in offside track-rod end. Slightly miffed that the Polish garage didn't pick up on that, but overall relief to get the first MOT under my ownership out of the way. I'll collect it this afternoon from the garage opposite the MOT shop, all fixed and legal. No need to thank me for bringing a heat-wave to Manchester. You're welcome. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 27 Jun 11 17:43   Chip - Runfer D'Hills

Can they get Lexus parts in Manchester? Would've thought they'd have to send to London for them... :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 28 Jun 11 09:41   Chip - BiggerBadderDave

Funnily enough, I got a phone call in the afternoon saying they can't get lexus parts in Manchester and have to send to London for them. Car will be ready "after dinner" i.e. about 1pm. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 28 Jun 11 09:49   Chip - Zero

>> Funnily enough, I got a phone call in the afternoon saying they can't get lexus >> parts in Manchester and have to send to London for them. Car will be ready >> "after dinner" i.e. about 1pm. Lets hope they have that right, cos down here in London, dinner is at 7:30pm for 8:00pm Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 28 Jun 11 10:41   Chip - Duncan

>> Lets hope they have that right, cos down here in London, dinner is at 7:30pm >> for 8:00pm >> White tie, or black tie, old chap? Reply to this message | Report message