W124 Windscreen Crack

[CreosoteChris]

Just noticed a crack in the windscreen of my 220CE - top corner driver's side, edge-to-edge, about 8-10cm total length.

I think it's new, haven't noticed before, and the car passed MOT a couple of weeks ago so that's not an immediate problem..

Is this illegal? MOT fail next time round?

What are my options here? The car is a daily driver - not show-quality / garage queen, so if it's safe and legal to leave it then that's my preferred option. But not really sure whether that's a good idea......

.....guess I could put an MBClub.co.uk sticker there to make it less obvious......

Any advice appreciated

Chris
93 220CE, auto, red / black leather, 104k, Manchester

 

[Charles Morgan]

Have you got windscreen cover on your insurance?

I'd replace it, it's not something you want going crack at speed - I think I paid under £200 fitted for a non-MB replacement for my 190 from a local windscreen guy.

 

[CreosoteChris]

Thanks Charles - sound advice

The insurance option never occurred to me - actually I renewed that exactly a week ago, as a fully comp policy (unusual for me but it worked out that way after my insurer attempted to charge me £1550 for TPFT).

I'll take a look at the T&Cs - and aim to get it fixed whatever the outcome insurance-wise.

Regards Chris

 

[Glassman]

Run the tip of a scriber - or Bic pen - along the crack. You should feel the impact point; if not, there may be a rust issue below the surface (and has expanded causing the glass to fracture under stress). It's a worse case scenario but still worth checking for.

As for replacement windscreens, OE - genuine, MB branded glass - is best. Anyone who says the non branded stuff is 'just as good' or the same doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

[CreosoteChris]

OK - re-examined the damage, and

The Good News
- there's a clear impact point with small "starburst" crater near the top of the crack
- my shiny new fully comp insurance policy does indeed have window glass coverage - I can get a replacement for the princely insurance excess sum of £15.

The Bad News
- a few months ago I had some bodywork stuff done to the car, including dealing with three minor rust bubbles - one of which was pretty near that area, alongside the leading edge of the roof rail above the driver's door.

I'm pretty sure that the bubble treated by the body shop didn't go right up to the edge of the windscreen, and it wasn't severe, but you never know what's under the surface....


Beginning to feel a bit queasy about that possible worst-case scenario - glass-fitter turns up, extracts the windscreen, and declares that it's not possible to fit a replacement because it's too crumbly.

Guess I need to try and figure out how I can get a view of the suspect area before I take the plunge and tell the Insure to send their appointed glass-fitters along

Cheers

Chris
93 220CE, auto, red / black leather, 104k, Manchester

 

[Martyn_n]

I had a virtually identical crack appear on the winscreen of my 124 earlier this year, only mine was along the virtical edge of the screen. The car hadn't been driven for 18 months so pretty sure it wasn't impact damage!!

I put the car on the last 6 weeks of a multicar policy and got the screen replaced for the cost of the excess plus the £25 premium.

The cause of the crack was indeed rust bubbling up under the sealant putting pressure on the screen, sorry to tell you that. The rust wasnt particularly severe but there were spots of it all around the screen. Be aware that as it lifts the paint it stops the new screen bonding correctly (the screen bonds to the paint which is no longer effectively bonded to the car) so if rust is present it needs dealing with. I persuaded the fitter to leave the screen out for a week to enable me to rub it all back and treat it (Even had to fill a couple of pin ***** holes), someone then came back the following week and bonded in the new screen. There was no additional fee for the revisit.

Look on the bright side, when you get a new screen it will be free of all the residue left by the old tax disc holder, every cloud...

Only problem with this approach is where the old screen was taped back in for a week the tape took patches of laquer off from around the screen.

 

[Glassman]

The car hadn't been driven for 18 months so pretty sure it wasn't impact damage!!

I put the car on the last 6 weeks of a multicar policy and got the screen replaced for the cost of the excess plus the £25 premium.

The car was not insured - no windscreen cover in place - when the damage appeared; you then added the car to an existing policy and got the insco to pay for it??

 

[CreosoteChris]

Thanks for the additional info Martyn - best that I have a good understanding of what I'm likely facing, even if the news is rather unpalatable.

Think I'll arrange to
- take the car back to the local body-shop
- arrange to have the insurer's windscreen guy show up there
- get the replacement process aborted if the screen surround needs attention, and have the body-shop see to it before glass-fitter returns.

Regards Chris
93 220CE, auto, red / black leather, 104k, Manchester

 

[WDB124066]

Don't forget to ask for a Genuine replacement, there is a seal strip clips across the bottom of the screen that ties in the big wide rubber seal you can see at the bottom of the screen and around the wiper. Non genuine screens often have had, and may still not have the retaining clips.

A nice new screen is a wonderful thing, no chips, no scratches, it really does make a difference...

 

[Martyn_n]

The car was not insured - no windscreen cover in place - when the damage appeared; you then added the car to an existing policy and got the insco to pay for it??

I know, I'm a bad bad man!!!

 

[Glassman]

The car was not insured - no windscreen cover in place - when the damage appeared; you then added the car to an existing policy and got the insco to pay for it??

I know, I'm a bad bad man!!!

Fair play; at least you're honest about your dishonesty.

 

[CreosoteChris]

For anyone who’s interested, and to bring closure to this thread…..

Even though there was a definite impact point visible in my crack, there was decay in the same area of the frame – so the crack was probably the result of a minor impact on an area of the screen already stressed by hidden rust bubbles. Getting the procedure carried out at the local body-shop turned out to be a prudent move. New screen now fitted and car back on the road.

Thanks to everyone who posted with advice on this matter, you’re helping to keep a classic Mercedes on the road, and keep me a happy man. Using a 22-yo vehicle as a daily driver certainly has its costs and hassles, but owning and driving my W124 coupe, for some reason, makes me so happy and proud. I’m old enough and ugly enough to know better than getting emotionally attached to cars…. but I can’t help myself - I totally love it.

Just need a new MBClub sticker now, to replace the one that went missing with the original screen……


Cheers

Chris
93 220CE, auto, red / black leather, 105k, Manchester

 

[Glassman]

I'm puzzled why they didn't remove the clip?

 

[CreosoteChris]

I'm puzzled why they didn't remove the clip?

Dunno, didn't ask - I'm too unfamiliar with the process to have wondered. I was quite surprised the body-shop (Motortech, Chorlton, Manchester) took the time to do some snaps as requested.

Regards Chris

 

[Glassman]

Dunno, didn't ask - I'm too unfamiliar with the process to have wondered. I was quite surprised the body-shop (Motortech, Chorlton, Manchester) took the time to do some snaps as requested.

Regards Chris

For the sake of drilling out the one rivet which holds it in, it would have been a far more thorough job of getting to all the rust. If they've painted over it without removing it, the cancer will still be in there.

 

[CreosoteChris]

If they've painted over it without removing it, the cancer will still be in there

Guess you're right there, Glassman.

Truth is - even though I love the car to an irrational degree - I know it won't last forever - using it as a daily driver, all weathers, and I have no garage. It's a reasonable example, not a show car, so I use cheap repair shops and I suppose that I'm gettin' what I pays for. If I get another couple of years out of it, that's a decent result.

Cost me £120 + VAT for Motortech to do their stuff (over and above the insurer's standard excess) - I was expecting it to be more

Cheers, Chris

 

[Glassman]

Guess you're right there, Glassman.

Truth is - even though I love the car to an irrational degree - I know it won't last forever - using it as a daily driver, all weathers, and I have no garage. It's a reasonable example, not a show car, so I use cheap repair shops and I suppose that I'm gettin' what I pays for. If I get another couple of years out of it, that's a decent result.

Cost me £120 + VAT for Motortech to do their stuff (over and above the insurer's standard excess) - I was expecting it to be more

Cheers, Chris

In that case, who am I to argue/criticise/question!

I live in a world where half a job is not an option. If someone wants me to lash something up, they're asking the wrong person. There are plenty of people who will take a punter's money over standards.