Cracked windscreens and MOT tests

[GPT27]

I have just noticed a crack in my windscreen. It is about 2-3" long and starts at the bottom of the glass on the passenger side below the line of the wipers. I only noticed it when the sun reflected off it the other day.

The things I want to know are:

The likelihood of the crack spreading, whether it is reparable, whether it will cause me to fail an MOT, the cost of a replacement 900 screen.

Thanks guys,

GrantPT

[tandino]

Im pretty sure im correect in saying that any crack over approx 1" :-?? is a fail no matter where it is.
As for windscreen prices ive had one fitted to my car (bronze tint) for £105 all in.
My latest top tint tinted screen was on the nice insurance man - it only cost me £50 :!

Pete

[Paco]

If it doesn't enter the wiper arc you should be ok, that 3" crack on the Carly is still there (if you remember Pete) and it passed (although the guy made me take off a tax disc holder that was in the passenger "arc" so he was pretty picky!

A screen seems to be about £100-£120, I've had two (on two cars), the latest was "on" the insurance too, so just £50. It wasn't cracked either, just very chipped and old, so I thought I'd change it, transformed the car, especially driving at night.

Oh and it will probably spread, the windscreen takes a lot of abuse in a C900, particularly hatchbacks because they're so floppy

[Jezzadee]

Haynes MOT test section says the following: "The windscreen must be free of cracks or other significant damage within the driver's field of view. (Small stone chips are acceptable.)"

In Africa we used to drill a small hole at the end of the crack to stop it spreading - you had a 50/50 chance of the screen shattering. Keep an eye on it - every time I shut the door the crack grew. I'm on my third screen of the year, all paid for on insurance. Way too many flying boulders around here.

[Marrk]

Widscreen schecks....
Includes all items affecting the driver's view of the road: the condition of the windscreen, the wipers and washers.

Chips or cracks in the windscreen directly in front of the driver, in the area swept by the wiper blades, are acceptable if they are less than 10mm in diameter. In the rest of the swept area, up to 40mm damage is acceptable.

Official stickers (parking permits, tax disc etc.) in the swept area in front of the driver will result in a fail if they are more than 10mm in diameter (40mm elsewhere).

[kevitree]

drivers view of the road is also part of the MOT test this includes the whole road and not just the swept area of the screen!

The latest Ministy Information refers to the bonnet security as also being an item to check with regards Drivers View Of the Road

As the AE (Authorised Examiner)(doesn't mean I do the tests just I do all the paperwork) I would recommend the failure of any car that has a cracked windscreen.......sorry!

You cannot be sure that the crack will not extend in the near future and therefore affecting your Drivers View Of the Road even if its out of view right now.

[Jezzadee]

Sounds like you're the man to ask then... I have a stone chip that has caused a crack about 1 cm long. It is well above my field of vision, and is not near the edge of the screen. The crack itself is only on the outside of the glass - you cannot feel it from the inside, and it has not spread at all in over a month. Would that still constitute a failure? It's just that I'm about to break Norwich Union's record for windscreen replacements over a 9 month period, and I think they're getting a bit riled.

[kevitree]

Who is replacing the screens? I recently had my screen replaced by a national company and it went something like this

Weds :-booked in for new screen as excisting screen was badly chipped on passenger side and wasn't repairable

Thurs :-took car in for replacement along with insurance certificate, They cracked the screen fitting it

Fri :-took car in again for another screen, They cracked this one as well in the same place (Checked geometry of aperture to confirm hole was correct )

Mon:- Took car in for a 3rd time to have a better quality (Their words) Pilkington windscreen fitted

yippee and they waived the excess!

Is your screen being damaged during fitment?
It would be difficult to advise on whether to fail your car or pass it as along with a lot of the MOT it down to the testers opinion

(I wonder how many C900's have failed for poor handbrake when 7-8 clicks is SAAB recomendation?)

IMHO I would still reccomend failure due to points raised in previous post

[Jezzadee]

The first was the original Saab one - bit knackered after the car was in the scrapyard for three years. Autoglass put in the next one as part of a deal with the garage I bought it from. Next one, Volvo pulled out in front of me on a country road, threw a stone up and I had a 3 inch crack to the edge. Autoglass again, courtesy of Norwich Union insurance. It is a Pilkington, and he put it in alright - no damage that I could see, and I watched him pretty closely. Worlingham bypass was resurfaced, lorry went past me at 60mph, bang, feck, not again. I'm just unlucky. And I live in the back end of nowhere. I am getting jarred, though, and might try and get an extra tough one designed for the extreme conditions of darkest Suffolk.

[john-w]

jezzadee,

jarred or jarred off.

You will have to explain that one to anybody who does not or has never lived in Suffolk

[Jezzadee]

Gutted? Riled? Vexed? I didn't expect the old accent to come out when I type. Oi hent bin'ere 'at long, oither. Lived in Narfolk afore. Tootally different. Norfolk 'n good.