[Pauline]

I found a rather large chip in my front windscreen while I was washing the car this morning.

My front windscreen is heated....does this mean it's going to cost an arm and a leg to replace?

And will someone like Auto Windscreens have a heated front windscreen for a MINI in stock or will it need to be ordered especially??

[OBsminiS]

Pauline, This is a pretty significant problem with MINIs and you may be covered under waranty depending on how the crack started. Do a search for "winds*" or "chips" or "cracks" and you will come up with a lot of info

[PMM]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pauline

I found a rather large chip in my front windscreen while I was washing the car this morning.

My front windscreen is heated....does this mean it's going to cost an arm and a leg to replace?

And will someone like Auto Windscreens have a heated front windscreen for a MINI in stock or will it need to be ordered especially??

Depending on where and how big the chip is, the windscreen repair companies may be able to repair it. If so, it will probably cost you nothing, as the insurance company picks up the bill.

If you choose this option DO NOT under ANY circumstances let them come to you to do the job. Take it to the branch and get it done there. If you are not happy with the repair it is much easier to sort it out with the manager, rather than with the guy who has just bodged the repair (I speak from experience).

If it needs a new screen, then it will cost somebody an arm and a leg, just not you. All you will pay is the glass excess on your insurance, usually £40 or £50.

It is very unlikely they will have one in stock. When my screen was chipped (it is the top tint version), they said that if they couldn't fix it, it would have to come from Germany, take 3-4 days, and cost the insurance company over £500.

If you do need to get the screen replaced, DO NOT under ANY circumstances let them come to you to do the job. Carefully inspect the car surounding the screen (both inside and out) for any marks, scratches, etc, that when the screen has been fixed, you will swear were not there before, but the windscreen company will (take photos if you have a digital camera, before replacement). I am not being paranoid, just been on the receiving end of some rather poor workmanship by a number of the winscreen repair companies.

If it was me I would stand and watch them whilst they did it. The repair guy may think I am a *&^%, but it's my car.