Just got a new windscreen and not sure if they did it properly...?

[Young Angus]

Okay got a windscreen installed for a RWC and it all looked like it was done nicely. Something I noticed right away was that the head lining was a little messy where it joins to the windscreen from the inside around the rear view mirror as well as in a couple of other spots. I can live with that even though I probably shouldn't have to.

One thing I'm worried about though is the outer seal. It kind of feels like there's a bit of a gap in it along the top seal when I press it which I checked on my other Disco and it feels the same so I'm not too worried about that. On the top passenger corner of the windscreen seal though there looks like there is an actual opening where water and whatever else could get in. Not that big but certainly big enough if it's actually meant to be completely water tight. I checked my other car and it doesn't look like that, it's completely closed.

Should this all be sealed and stuck down pretty well (some of those bits around the top corners of the seal also felt like they weren't stuck down very hard, like I could lift them up)...? It wasn't a very cheap job either.

[big guy]

Ben
Strange to hear you had to have new windscreen as the car came from melbourne and the chips been there for ages and had passed the RWC.
Also you mentioned new Pads, on my last service at 160k km's they were fine. Did you see the old pads? Strange.

[DustyDisco]

if I were you, I would take it back and have them look at it again. There is no reason to accept second rate work and you don't have to "live with it".

By the way, once a new windscreen has gone in, its a bugger to get it out again and refit it without damaging the rubber seal - it can mean a new seal - which cost a few hundred $$ on a series 1 disco - so dont let these guys fob you off if its a shonky job in the first place - if they have stuffed it they have to fix it.

[bell1975]

Your post mirrors almost exactly what I was planning to type this evening...[cue "Twilight Zone" music]

I had a new screen put in a couple of months back by an independent LR workshop in Brisbane - well, they outsourced the job to another company but it was on their invoice.

The picture I have posted shows the same kind of gap I think you're referring to.

And, the photo also shows that the top finisher (rubber strip) that was there before the new screen actually went further over the gaps that are there on each side now. this made me wonder whether the correct part had been used or whether the replacement one was non-OEM or the part had been altered since the vehicle was produced.

The reason I became aware of this issue was because water had leaked into the vehicle after it had been raining recently.

I contacted the LR workshop and spoke with the manager. He indicated that the top finisher is only cosmetic in one sense as the sealant that is used to seal the windscreen into the frame that receives it should keep any water/dust out 100%. The fact that mine leaked indicated that the sealant has not been applied correctly.

I'll report back in a couple of weeks when it's been fixed. As mentioned, the top finisher needs to be destroyed essentially in order to have the screen sealant reapplied. And the top finisher for the Disco is a generic part - it's not as if an incorrect one could have been used apparently.

It's quite hard to photograph so I'll try to explain - does the inside surface of the windscreen have a big (eg. 5+mm) gap between it and the edge of the headlining? I can't say I was aware of the gap prior to getting the new screen put in but it seems like it's too big a gap.....yeah, I know it's a Landy not a Lamborghini...but still.



Okay got a windscreen installed for a RWC and it all looked like it was done nicely. Something I noticed right away was that the head lining was a little messy where it joins to the windscreen from the inside around the rear view mirror as well as in a couple of other spots. I can live with that even though I probably shouldn't have to.

One thing I'm worried about though is the outer seal. It kind of feels like there's a bit of a gap in it along the top seal when I press it which I checked on my other Disco and it feels the same so I'm not too worried about that. On the top passenger corner of the windscreen seal though there looks like there is an actual opening where water and whatever else could get in. Not that big but certainly big enough if it's actually meant to be completely water tight. I checked my other car and it doesn't look like that, it's completely closed.

Should this all be sealed and stuck down pretty well (some of those bits around the top corners of the seal also felt like they weren't stuck down very hard, like I could lift them up)...? It wasn't a very cheap job either.

[Young Angus]

Ben
Strange to hear you had to have new windscreen as the car came from melbourne and the chips been there for ages and had passed the RWC.
Also you mentioned new Pads, on my last service at 160k km's they were fine. Did you see the old pads? Strange.

I know Frank, I didn't like the news either. Honestly that's the last time I take a Rover to anywhere but a Rover specialist, I'm really not happy with myself for even taking it to this other guy this time for the RWC. He showed me the printouts from their testing machine for the brakes and fair enough they read that it wasn't braking as well as it needed to for a RWC, but still it's not like it felt any different from my other Disco on the drive back from Adelaide and they tested that one and said it was fine a while ago. Having said that he always shows me the old parts so he's not a shonk or anything, but in this case he was in a big rush and didn't show the pads but if I had asked for them I'm sure he would have. He did say however that the new pads made a big difference to the braking so if he's telling the truth with that then it's not all bad.

The windscreen is one of those touch and go things that probably depends where you go for an evaluation, but I know Victorian RWC are pretty strict on them, but I told him Vicroads wasn't going to need to see the vehicle at all so he should have left it. Oh well, looks like I'll be taking it back for him to fix up the seal so hopefully that'll pi$$ him off a bit ;) Another mechanic also saw the car a day before for a Youi inspection and I asked him about a RWC and he too said the windscreen was right on the borderline for a new one or not, only with respect to a RWC of course, it was more than fine to drive with. I'm so annoyed about the job that I'm almost thinking about not even taking it back to them to try and get them to fix it for nothing and going straight to Ritters or Range Rov Automotive and just getting it sorted by them, at least I know they'll know what they're doing. What annoys me the most is that I got a quote from Range Rov Automotive for the windscreen and they were $100 cheaper than what I paid and there would have been much more chance of them getting it right the first time!

[Young Angus]

Your post mirrors almost exactly what I was planning to type this evening...[cue "Twilight Zone" music]

I had a new screen put in a couple of months back by an independent LR workshop in Brisbane - well, they outsourced the job to another company but it was on their invoice.

The picture I have posted shows the same kind of gap I think you're referring to.

And, the photo also shows that the top finisher (rubber strip) that was there before the new screen actually went further over the gaps that are there on each side now. this made me wonder whether the correct part had been used or whether the replacement one was non-OEM or the part had been altered since the vehicle was produced.

The reason I became aware of this issue was because water had leaked into the vehicle after it had been raining recently.

I contacted the LR workshop and spoke with the manager. He indicated that the top finisher is only cosmetic in one sense as the sealant that is used to seal the windscreen into the frame that receives it should keep any water/dust out 100%. The fact that mine leaked indicated that the sealant has not been applied correctly.

I'll report back in a couple of weeks when it's been fixed. As mentioned, the top finisher needs to be destroyed essentially in order to have the screen sealant reapplied. And the top finisher for the Disco is a generic part - it's not as if an incorrect one could have been used apparently.

It's quite hard to photograph so I'll try to explain - does the inside surface of the windscreen have a big (eg. 5+mm) gap between it and the edge of the headlining? I can't say I was aware of the gap prior to getting the new screen put in but it seems like it's too big a gap.....yeah, I know it's a Landy not a Lamborghini...but still.

Haha hey a Landy is still classed as a pretty nice car, and dammit just like anyone getting work done we're entitled to have it done RIGHT! It just might not go as fast as a Lamborghini...but you'll certainly be able to take it more places ;)

I only noticed my gap when washing the car yesterday, but thankfully nothing has leaked in even though a bit of water would have gone down the hole during the wash for sure. Here are some pics.

This one is of the drivers side top sill corner seal area, it doesn't look "tidy" but there is no gap I can see:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/05/1463.jpg

This one is of the top seal and how easy it is to pull up, meaning it's either not stuck down properly, or it's not meant to be. I checked my other Disco and it's exactly the same. Is this normal?:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/05/1464.jpg

This last one is of the passenger side top corner seal which has the gap you can see that water can obviously get into:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/05/1465.jpg

Like I said none of this seemed very different to the seal on my other Disco and I'm not sure that windscreen has ever even been replaced. Is this just how they are and it doesn't actually matter if water gets into these bits?

[Gavin]

As a windscreen fitter for over 15 years there are a few things you need to know. To do a series 1 disco properly the moulding shouild be replaced with new ones, but they are only cosmetic they serve no purpose but to cover the edge of the glass.If there is leakage that means there is a break in the addesive under the glass. Disco's 1 or 2 most often have to be double beaded with addesive to make up for poor build quality
The cause of alot of leaks are roof rails not sealed and body cracking on cars used off road. I've allso found alot of leaks in cars due to cables being run through the firewall for radios ect not being sealed
Thats just my two bobs worth

[Young Angus]

Well that sounds a bit more positive...so if and when water gets into these little gaps in the seal/moulding i assume it has somewhere it can drain out so as not to rust whatever is underneath. Is this correct?

[Pierre]

YA, IMHO, that's a @#$% job. The windscreen sits in polyurethane bed, and that's the main seal, but the dress moulds are 90% of the time NOT reusable and should be replaced.

What sort of damage was done to the headliner??

Pete

[Young Angus]

Hi Pete,

The headliner wasn't really damaged it just looks like it is slightly looser near a small part of the edge closest to the windscreen and also around the mirror, maybe even a tiny tear around the mirror but nothing bad.

It sounds like they should have replaced the moulding but my other Disco looks exactly the same...maybe that means that was replaced once and also not done 100% properly. Are those dress moulds expensive or should they just be included in the price of a newly installed windscreen? Either way it doesn't look that flash so I'm not really happy with the job but I don't have time to keep going back and forth taking my car for them to fix it up, if they're going to mess it up they should bloody well come to me! ;)

[Gavin]

Yes the mouldings are expensive the series 1 disco needs the top and both sides 90% of the time at around $140 a mould
The disco 2 needs the top one only around $180
Prices are just off the top of my head. That's the best reason for insurance on disco's

[big guy]

Ben

Remember, poor man pays twice.

Landy mechanic every time no matter what.

This is what has potentially brought the undoing of land rover in Australia.
When they were 1st imported, there were virtually No service centres that knew about Landy's and of course some bloke used to working on FJ Holdens is never going to know what to do with a imported Landy.
Its still a bit scarce to get a good mechanic but the ones you mentioned will do the right thing.
Do it right the 1st time and you be fine.:)

[Young Angus]

Oh well it sounds like im just stuck with that unless I can go back and claim they didn't take enough care but I can't see them fitting the bill for new mouldings no matter how hard I try. If it's not going to leak or rust then I'm not too fussed about it. It doesn't sound like anyone quoting for these things would be quoting for new moldings as well, they just should be taking care in the first place to keep it intact. Has anyone ever got a new windscreen installed and had the quote include new mouldings or were they just good enough not to wreck the original ones?

Lesson learned, it's nothing but proper landy mechanics from now on, I'm more mad at myself for going there in the first place than at them for not doing the job as carefully as they should have.

[Young Angus]

Would anyone be kind enough to post up pics of the same area of the seals but on one that's either had its windscreen PROPERLY replaced or not ever replaced at all so I can actually see what it should look like?

I feel like I might be being a bit fussy with it but I just got the car dammit, even thought it's about 14 years old it's new to me! :D

[dullbird]

why dont you post a pic of yours and others can tell you whether your being fussy.

[fev]

I think he did that already dullbird.

I believe mine is orig on a 94. It doesn't look as bad as yours but does come away abit in the bottom corners.

Phil

[EdC]

Regarding Vic RWC laws and windscreens, they have actually relaxed them quite a bit (I'm a licenced tester for vic rwc).

You are allowed chips of any size outsides of the wiper arc, and chips up to 16mm diameter inside wiper arc. Cracks up to 150mm long are ok inside wiper arc, outside arc cracks of any size ok.

However, there are plenty of "old school" testers/mechanics, that can any chip/crack.

All the best with the screen repair. You don't have to live with second rate work.