A few windscreen questions

[VladTepes]

1. Has anyone else experienced the edges of their windscreen being 'cloudy'? I don't mean due to weather etc, I mean the glass has gone that way permanently. If so is there a fix?

2. What's the best way to clean ingrained dirt on a Defender windscreen?

3. It is possible to remove a windscreen without breaking it? (Needs a new seal as it leaks every time it rains. The seal literally isn't long enough - there's a gap water - and light - comes through)

4. How much does it cost to replace a defender windscreen (supply and fitting by someone who knows what they are doing i.e. not O'Briens)?

[JDNSW]

1. Has anyone else experienced the edges of their windscreen being 'cloudy'? I don't mean due to weather etc, I mean the glass has gone that way permanently. If so is there a fix?

Never had it, but I think I know what it is. It is due to water penetrating into the laminate from the edge. And no, there is not a fix.

2. What's the best way to clean ingrained dirt on a Defender windscreen?

I use any of the commercial spray glass cleaners, with a squeegee with a sponge one side and rubber squeegee on the other. Repeat as necessary, without letting the dirt you wet on the first get dry again. Can take three or four repeats.

3. It is possible to remove a windscreen without breaking it? (Needs a new seal as it leaks every time it rains. The seal literally isn't long enough - there's a gap water - and light - comes through)

Yes, but I have not tried myself but I have paid professionals to do it to fit a new rubber.

4. How much does it cost to replace a defender windscreen (supply and fitting by someone who knows what they are doing i.e. not O'Briens)?

Last one I got done was by O'Briens in Dubbo, before covid. For a new windscreen and a genuine rubber, it was a few hundred dollars, although I cannot remember how many. The one before that was by a non-O'Briens one in Yass, and I have no idea how much that was.

[muddy]

Hi Vlad

I know you don't want O'Briens but 2 years ago my insurance have a free windscreen replacement and got O'Briens to replace it.

July noticed that the edges were becoming opaque so rang them up to see what could be done

asked for new windscreen price$430 and rubber $147 (110 ).

took the vehicle for inspection and said windscreen defective and would replace free and either use existing rubber or purchase a new one.

came out home and replaced no problems

just my experience

[POD]

I think the cloudiness around the edges is delamination of the glass sandwich, only fix is replacement. I replaced mine recently, O'Briens quoted about $800, I got it from Protector Autoglass for less than half that. Ingrained dirt; sounds like the typical 'sandblasting' effect of a windscreen with a few years on it, didn't use to happen with the old toughened safety glass but the laminated glass is as soft as a nice camembert, it gets pits just from looking at it hard.