W124 Delamination repair

[shanksy]

Hi all,
I have the usual delamination around the edges of the rear window in my W124 coupe.
It is not too bad and is within the area that has the black tinting so I was thinking of just spraying it with something to cover it up as a quick fix.

Has anyone else tried doing this and if so what would be the best thing to use?

appreciate any help......

 

[Howard]

I got some 3 inch black vinyl tape and a nice sharp scalpel and sorted mine when i had a w124 CE .... looked OEM. You have to be careful to avoid bumps and bubbles in it , but it looks smart if you are careful.

Matt

80mm Matt Black Vinyl Stripe for car caravan or boat. on eBay (end time 04-Nov-10 21:47:22 GMT)

Gloss

90mm Black Vinyl Stripe for car caravan or boat. on eBay (end time 15-Nov-10 21:57:05 GMT)

 

[shanksy]

has that lasted ok over time ?

 

[grober]

You can use a thin bead of clear silicon sealer down the junction of the glass and black surround trim moulding. This can help slow things down a bit but is not a cure obviously. Probably get something suitable in HALFORDS. Keep it as neat as possible.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_749361_langId_-1_categoryId_165691#dtab

 

[Howard]

Yes , lasted fine from when i bought the car to when i sold it ( 4yrs )

Links added above !

 

[shanksy]

Cheers guys, will try the clear silicon sealer to stop getting any worse then try the vinyl out.

@Howard, did you use the matt or the gloss ?

 

[Howard]

I went for gloss in the end as it matches the edge of the screen closer.

It's important to make sure the glass is clean ( meths ) and do it on a day when it isn't windy , and use a brand new scalpel , so the edge is super sharp .

I put it on and followed the inner curve of the screen ( the other curve you can cut up against the black chrome surround of the screen)

It's nerve wracking , but worth it.

 

[shanksy]

Is it possible to get away with covering just the delamination bits up or would you recommend covering the whole black tinted area

 

[Howard]

You could just put a strip along the bottom .

 

[shanksy]

cool, cheers for the advice Howard

 

[BillyW124]

OR...

Thank you for contacting Autoglass® recently via email, to obtain a quotation for the replacement of the Windscreen and Backscreen on your Mercedes. Based upon the information you provided we are able to give a price of:

Windscreen
Retail Price: £745.91.

As an incentive to our customers we do offer discounts, please find the discounted prices below:
Online Discount Price: £673.13

If you call us back and book in today you will receive a further saving, the updated price is: £600.35

Also if you have an AA Member number or decide to pay the full amount today, we will give you the maximum discount we can offer, the final price would be: £527.27

Backscreen
Retail Price: £1405.19

As an incentive to our customers we do offer discounts, please find the discounted prices below:
Online Discount Price: £1266.02
If you call us back and book in today you will receive a further saving, the updated price is: £1126.86
Also if you have an AA Member number or decide to pay the full amount today, we will give you the maximum discount we can offer, the final price would be: £987.69

 

[shanksy]

tough choice but I think i'll go with the £1.30 option

 

[zaphod_b]

Alternativly.. a small hammer, fully comp insureance.. and a small amount of cash...

 

[Howard]

Thought that was just for front windscreens ?

 

[Glassman]

The vinyl is a good suggestion, I've seen some very good examples of this on TVR windscreens. Have also heard of model paints being used - if the affected area is small, in the trade we use a back primer which, when applied with a foam applicator (masking up edges etc) can also do a fairly good job.

You can use a thin bead of clear silicon sealer down the junction of the glass and black surround trim moulding

...yes, it will keep out a lot of water but if the glass is to be changed / trims are to come off, it can be a nightmare to clean/get off if it grabs hold of the surface enough.

 

[zaphod_b]

Thought that was just for front windscreens ?

No, normally it covers any glass that has broken, certanly mine has in the past repalced wirndows after the car has been broken into

 

[Glassman]

Guys, as this is the internetz, if you're planning on defrauding an insurance company... because it would be fraud, technically speaking; may not be a good idea to discuss openly?

Just saying (not suggesting anyone here is dishonest, or would do such a thing of course)

 

[219]

I once accidentally broke the tailgate window on a VW Polo I had when I slammed it shut too hard ; another time I had to break the rear quarterlight on a recently bought W124 after reconnecting the battery caused the central locking to close with the only key inside the car .

Both times I claimed on my insurance and paid only the glass excess .

One basic principle of insurance is that you cannot be negligent towards yourself so if , for argument's sake , you accidentally put a ladder through your car window , you would have a legitimate claim .

Deliberately breaking then claiming for a new window would indeed be fraudulent , though .

 

[BillyW124]

glassman, is there no way of removing the milkyness?

 

[Glassman]

glassman, is there no way of removing the milkyness?

AFAIK, no. This short clip shows how a laminated windscreen is made. The 'laminating' process is towards the end (3 mins > on)