windshield chip
 

I now have a small but annoying small cluster of chips in my windshield. The dent is not deep, but the scar is right in my line of sight.
How do I go about correcting this? Will my home dealer or one on the road help me or must I go to a glass company and use my insurance?
For the record, I was on the interstate the second vehicle behind a tractor/trailer with a back door not completely closed. I could not identify what the load was but it hit my windshield at speeds of 75+ and felt solid, not unlike a rock. The matter was discharged when the truck hit a bump on one of the interstate bridges.

Sounds like you need to turn it into your insurance if you want the windshield replaced. If you want BMW glass, go to the dealer...

Craig

I'm fairly certain that if you go through insurance they will replace the windshield as it impacts your line of sight.

If you are looking for replacement, as opposed to trying a fix,
the insurance "coverage" really varies by state; here in NC, the
deductible comes into play, unless one has a special rider. And,
with many deductibles in the $500+ range, one ends up paying
it themselves...other states, like FL, et al, provide for diff.
windshield provision coverage. Check your ins., for a start.

Fwiw, I have had very good luck in the past having chips "fixed"
by windshield service companies, though not on our X.
GL,mD

Dealers sub out glass work labor to glass shops.

Most insurance companies are totally adamant that you use their installers and aftermart glass. Be careful as the insurance companies often hook up with real bottom-feeder shops.

As with everything now, even a windshield tends to be a big deal and real expensive. You may even need new moldings or seals. Some are cleverly not reusable.

So, what to do? I would make every attempt to find out which is the best glass shop around and ask them to do the work. It is likely that the dealer would use that shop for critical work. Ask the Lexus and MB dealers, and the best body shop, who they use. It is very likely that one or two names will come up.

The better glass shops often know how to get the insurance voucher sent their way and can often work things out. I would go with the shop's recommendations. It is their life and they probably have done a number of jobs like yours.

I would stay away from anyone but the best available or you will come out worse than how you went in.

In view of what everyone is saying, I do want to take a stab at seeing if the problem can be "fixed" rather than immediately replacing the windshield, etc. Can you give me a better idea of how this works and what kind of company you used?

In the three cases where I had the windshield repaired, (3 diff. cars,
all Compnay cars, back in NY/NJ area, mid-late '90s), I used this co. :

http://www.safelite.com/

Imo, the local franchise guy I used was very, very skilled, and careful
and would not try to fix any section that wasn't "fixable" by him.

You may get some opinions that this co. or, the local franchise guy and
his methods suck, but also like my experiences, it's all anecdotal...but,
I had chips, cracks, etc., repaired to the extent that the cars passed
ball buster NJ DMV annual inspection.

Worth a shot, depending upon your windshield situ and cost considerations, IMO.
GL,mD

I had to have the windshield of my X5 replaced just this week. A rock chip I got on my recent vacation suddenly expanded into a long crack line. I called my insurance agent, and was told "just call any glass shop you like". In FL, you get your windshield replaced at absolutely no cost (you don't even pay your deductible). I got the factory-quality PPG glass (and could have gotten the same exact glass with the BMW logo, if I had wanted to wait a few days for delivery).

Most insurance companies do the chip fix for free and if it expands into a crack later on, they will cover it as well. A good deal.

I didn't mention this option because the chips were in the line of sight and usually they won't do this repair in that area of the WS.

I recommend you check locally to see who is good at that repair in your local. Again, luxury car dealers and the top body shops give the best recommendations.

safelite is always the best in my opinion.. used them a handful of times on a few cars.