Replacing a windscreen ...

A star from the line of sight is not a MOT rejection for a windscreen. But if the window is really broken, then it's time to:

Replace the windshield

It was not a bird or a stone. It was a baseball bat. The windshield turned out to be a laminated, glued copy. So that had to be replaced. The other windows were made of ordinary safety glass.

At the windshield first the lists had to be removed. They are fitted ex works with click plates. If all goes well, they will come neatly from their place with a little tilting lift. Set them aside carefully. They are vulnerable. Just like the clips that hold them in place. These clamps were later, together with the windscreen, available and affordable. The rest of the glassware came from various brand specialists and Marktplaats.

If the frames do not come off easily, then they were glued to an earlier window replacement and with that they are virtually lost. Ruitenkit has unimaginable adhesive power.

When the trims are finished there must be room to feed the saw wire. Prick between the glass and the mounting surface with a sharp awl. Beware of fine, jumping splinters. Wear safety glasses. Wear gloves.

Insert the saw wire without kinks or loops, pierce it and connect it with the loose handle. Now the window can be cut out. That sawing is done through the sealant layer. Make long, quiet strokes and hold the saw wire so that it follows the glass line without touching the sheet metal or interior parts. Smoke can come off the saw wire. That indicates taking it a bit easier. An overloaded sawing wire easily breaks.

If the window is 'loose' around it, it must be pressed out of the rebate. Do that with a minimum of two, preferably three people. The two outer catchers support the window on the corners and in the middle. The third man sits inside and presses the window - with a large piece of cardboard between his hands and the glass or with his flat soles. To work very nicely, there are people who beforehand sandwich the window between two layers of self-adhesive foil. This prevents loose glass particles from leaking out and ending up in eyes or interior. Carefully carry the broken window to the container and place - do not 'throw' - it into it. Now we are ready for the second phase: cleaning the rebate and using the new window. It goes like this:

The rebate must be cleared of glass residues and sealant strands. This is fine with a sharp wood chisel with the same width as the rebate. When parting off, try to prevent the chisel from penetrating the lacquer on the steel. Assume that a generally smooth surface is good enough.

Reinstall the spacers and decorative trim clips.

For the work that is now coming, other work gloves are needed. We are going to degrease the rebate with industrial thinner. That stuff is very unhealthy with skin contact and inhalation. Moreover, it is highly flammable. So wear fluid-tight gloves, ensure adequate ventilation and ensure that there are no sources of ignition nearby. Let the used cleaning cloths evaporate in the open air and make sure they don't fall into it.

The sticky side of the window should also be completely clean and free of grease. The cap can therefore be removed from the thinner bottle again. Then we take a can with an even more toxic substance: the window primer. It is best to do such a sticking session with products from 1 brand. Those products are coordinated. In this case, Teroson is the brand that glued window and car into one unit. Read the advice on the back of the adhesive primer carefully! It is not well-intentioned hobby stuff. The mix of solvents is for people with a very professional nature! And the two exclamation marks are here for a reason.

Now the best part of the story comes. The kit strand can be sprayed on the window. The included nozzle on the kit canister has the appropriate dimensions and it might be a tip to first practice with the most inexpensive supermarket kit there is. After all, there were a few extra nozzles at the Terostat that we bought? We practiced a tube of GAMMAkit empty on a piece of board until the really thick string kit was nice, full and rich. It is all a matter of coordination between the pumping hand and the smooth moving of the caulking syringe. Then it was time for the real thing. The windshield was placed upside down on trestles and the spud was supported on the glass. "Try to lay the kit string continuously." That is the golden rule. After the kitstring has been laid on the window, there is enough time to continue working. Our 1K PUR 8590 kit is a standard kit that must be processed within 30 minutes.

The window was lovingly flattered into place and held in place by a pair of straps via the A-pillars and a few strips of two-inch tape until it was stuck.

We only let him sleep on it for one night ...

In short:
Replacing a stuck windshield is easy to do in-house. The special tool can be purchased at stores such as Brezan. Work safely. Work clean. Because glass is sharp and spilled window kit more tenacious than a Sunday doorman.