Well, it had to happen....

Travelling down the A9 last night, just a thousand miles on the clock and a hot hatch flies by at Warp 9 and ‘bang’ – a stone hits my windscreen and puts two chips in it on the O/S. $%&%%!!!

So I guess I’m canvassing for opinions here. The chips are ‘white’ and about match stick size i.e. less than 2mm x 2mm. Do I live with them, do I try and polish them out with say jeweler's rouge or do I go for one of these Windscreen Chip Repair DIY Kit’s and fill the hole/mark with resin? Has any member any experience of using the latter?

I had about 9 little chips in my windscreen. I was going to let them crack as they didn't bother me, but a large stone hit the window a few days later and cracked the screen. I had to get it replaced.

A bit off topic, but is it true that you have 2 FL2s?

Last edited by chrisr1806 on 22nd May 2013 2:21 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Thanks for your reply chrisr1806. Since I posted this thread I’ve gone ahead and ordered a DIY resin repair kit and will give that a try.

Re the Freelanders yes we do have two. In 2010 my wife got an MY10 GS in Bali Blue, and once I drove it I was hooked - so 3 weeks later went and brought an MY11 GS in Kosrae Green! Back in late February this year my wife’s dealer then contacted her re a change, offered us a ‘silly’ deal if she traded in the MY10 against an MY13 XS. It was so good in fact that the next day I went in and did a similar deal with them re my MY11 against another MY13 XS. So my wife’s is Indus Silver/Ebony and mine is Santorini Black/Almond. And for ‘snob’ appeal they are consecutive registrations!

Sounds great! It would be great to see some pictures of them together.

Quote:

Thanks for your reply chrisr1806. Since I posted this thread I’ve gone ahead and ordered a DIY resin repair kit and will give that a try.

Let us know how you get on with the DIY option, please?

 Joanne

Freelander 1.8 Petrol XEi Jan 1998 - 2004
Freelander 2 (MY13) SD4 Auto XS (Mauritius Blue) - May 2013 onwards

Are these small chips not the type which get fixed for free under your insurance?

http://www.autoglass.co.uk/Windscreen-repair-cost.192.0.html

Chips really annoy me. I let them crack and get a new windscreen. I had a new windscreen fitted the other week by auto glass. The only difference is that the wipers don't wipe as well, is this because the windscreen is a different shape?

I believe from reading other forums because they are so small they don't warrant a screen replacement and pro's like Autoglass say they are too small to be repaired.

And Joanne of course I'll report back on what I did and how the repair looks

Maybe some pics aswell?

Ian,
I have quite a few chips on my windscreen. Prob around 6, 1mm chips & 1 or 2, 3mm chips. I tried the diy repair resin. Followed instructions, seemed to fill chips. Week later, resin has gone, chips still there Will leave them now, until they crack the screen. Then replace screen.
The 3mm chip passed MOT (just), but was an advisory. Not an issue to me at the moment, think I'll be lucky if it lasts until next MOT. As it now has a few hairline cracks to it. Landy has now gone.

Boroboy - thanks for the reply. Hmmm... puts me off trying to repair but hey ho the kits on it's way from Amazon so will still give it a try. BTW did you de-grease the repair area before you started? I was going to clean the section with white spirit.

IanH,
Yes I cleaned the chips with a de-greaser first. I used a vacuum type syringe (came with kit), took me ages to work out how to use it Got there in the end, after resin had dried. I then cleaned off any raised areas with a razor blade, which was provided in the kit. The chips were defiantly filled. Went to wash the car a week later, chips still there, resin wasn't Think the kit cost me just over a fiver off fleabay. First & last time I shall ever use one
Hope you get lucky with yours
I have a £70 excess on my insurance, so not too bad for a new windscreen. As & when I need one. Landy has now gone.

Hi Boroboy

As we speak I'm still waiting for my kit to arrive from Amazon and yep it was only about £7 -£8.

The 2 chips I have are quite shallow (white in appearance and probably only 2mm square) so not worth replacing the full windscreen (and I don't know if the insurers would allow it for such minor damage (its heated too)).

I've taken on board what you've said here (thanks) and will still give it a try and feed back the results. So watch this space.

Ian

Think it's only if the windscreen cracks or chip would be an MOT failutre, for the insurance company to repalce it. Don't think mine will be too long, as have some very fine cracks coming off one of my chips now.
Only ever had one front windscreen replaced in 27 years of driving. Was last year on my wife's Tig B. A crack started for no reason at the bottom, middle of screen. Within a day, had spread right to the top. Landy has now gone.

I got a decent sized chip last year (2mm perhaps) and intended to leave it. A mate of mine owns a windscreen repair business and asked if I was going to repair it. I said no, but he then explained how chips often lead to cracks and joked about my insurance cover. I checked and didn't have any specialty windscreen "annual replacement" smallprint so would either have to fork out $1000 to the insurance company for the basic excess or even more to replace the windscreen myself. Suffice to say I got him to fill the gap (yes, still full of resin) and went back to my insurance company about the level of cover and paid $70 extra per year for the excess on windscreen damage to be reduced to $50 if I claimed.