Written by Paul
In this post, I’ll give you the lowdown on why this German stunner is such a hit on British roads and why we’re always kept busy sorting out their glasswork.
Mercedes C Class Enthusiasts and Experts Reveal All You Need to Know
Owning a Mercedes C-Class can be an extraordinary experience when you have a car with good performance and technology. Not to mention this model is sleek, and it’s beautiful – oh wait.
Oh god, why is there a crack on the windscreen? Oh god, it’s ruining it. Oh no, why is it so expensive? Oh man, what the hell do I do now? Why is this happening?
Don’t worry, relax- we are here to help you answer all these questions and a few others. So, let’s delve into the world of windscreen replacements and car glass repairs concerning your stunning Mercedes C-class together.
NEW MERCEDES C CLASS WINDSCREEN
Why is the Mercedes C-Class such a popular car?
One of the Mercedes C-Class standout characteristics is its striking style, which outdoes itself each year. The interior cabin is overhauled from top to bottom with top-quality decorations and refined materials. Door panels marry with soft-touch covers, wood trim, and mineral stresses in a remarkable way. This style is a deviation from the ancestral Mercedes-Benz designs and aesthetics.
Mercedes-Benz is famous for delivering safe vehicles, and the C-Class is undoubtedly no exception to this rule.
The Mercedes C-Class boasts above-standard traction and stability control, strong anti-lock brakes, multiple airbags (including a driver knee airbag, because hey- why not?), and safety and collision prevention assets.
The C-Class has delivered incredibly in safety tests. In brake tests, the Mercedes C-Class is on par with other luxury vehicles of its class.
How is the windscreen glass for my Mercedes C-Class made?
It’s a valid question, and might end up answering a few others you had about the Mercedes C-Class windscreen capabilities.
Firstly, you should know that the car glass that makes up the different sections of your C-Class comes in two different forms; tempered and laminated.
But what the difference? And why use two different types?
Well if you’d let me get a word in sideways, I’ll explain it to you.
Tempered
This variety is the more brittle counterpart (which is still stronger than your normal glass).
You create tempered glass by subjecting a sheet of glass to incredibly high levels of heat inside a large oven, reaching over 600 degrees celsius.
The glass then gets quenched, where it is hosed down and cooled rapidly with water. This gives you the tempered glass, which, unlike standard glass, fractures into small and relatively harmless pieces when broken.
Because of these characteristics, we tend to use tempered glass in environments where human safety might be a concern, such as a side and rear window in vehicles.
The downside is that this glass cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced whenever a slight bit of damage is done to it.
Laminated
Now, this glass is far more durable than its tempered counterpart. You create it by melding two (or more for the expensive bits) layers of glass with one plastic layer in-between, customarily a vinyl-type plastic.
These layers are forced together with incredible pressure and then exposed to extreme heat levels in order to bond. This produces the durable glass we use for windscreens that can take substantial amounts of force before cracking.
We make windscreens with laminated glass to prevent shards from flying towards the driver and any passengers if there is a sudden impact.
We can also repair laminated glass if a minor amount of damage shows up, which is very beneficial and money-saving – considering how expensive windscreens can be.
Can I repair cracks on my windscreen myself?
Whether created by stones being flung up from the street or some other cause of impact, chips and cracks will grow with time; it’s just an unfortunate fact. If they should become too extensive, the entire windscreen may require a full replacement. However, there are a few cases where the cracks are small enough that you can simply repair them yourself.
Simply follow the steps below for a simple DIY windscreen repair for your Mercedes C-Class:
- Buy a windscreen repair kit from a reputable store
- Clean the glass very carefully around the chips or cracks
- Place the adhesive patch and plastic pedestal that comes with the kit.
- Inject the kit’s epoxy resin with the speciality syringe
- Allow it to cure/harden and remove the pedestal from its place
- Remove any excess epoxy resin and thoroughly clean the glass, making sure there is no mess remaining to marr the surface.
When is the crack too large to repair?
Chips more extensive than a £2 coin and cracks larger than 6 cm long cannot be fixed with a windscreen repair kit and should be either repaired or replaced by a professional and accredited glass service provider.
If any of the following conditions occur when a crack appears, you need to have your Mercedes C-Class taken to a professional:
The location is closer than 3cm away from the Mercedes frame pane side.
If the crack or dent obscures the driver’s vision.
If the damage is on the inside of your Mercedes C-Class’ windscreen, not on the outside like it normally is.
How much does a Mercedes C-Class windscreen replacement cost?
Unfortunately this question doesn’t have a simple answer. Many factors have to be considered before the final quote for your windscreen replacement can be sent out.
We first have the very basics. The year of production, the number of doors, and the style.
The Year of Production
There is a large difference between finding a windscreen to replace a 1993 Mercedes C-Class model and one from 2021.
1993 Mercedes C-Class model with all the windscreen features available at the time: £402.57
2021 Mercedes C-Class convertible with all the latest windscreen features available: £1216.18
As we can see by the cavernous difference in pricing between the two, the later models always have more powerful tech installed into their windscreens, thus requiring more parts and expertise when replacing them.
Quite a startling difference though!
The Style of the Mercedes C-Class
Since 2001, you’ll find there are various options of style to choose from for your Mercedes C-Class.
Each one is beautiful in its own way, and each does come with select features and visual appeals. Some are definitely more expensive than others…
Estate: Typically a more family-owner sort of style. It is bulkier than its cousins, with more room and slightly less flashy features. Practical but still stunning.
The average cost for an Estate Style with all windscreen features: £562.27
Saloon: Sleeker and smoother than its Estate relation, this is the most likely model of the car you’ll see on the road. It encapsulates all the features and lines that make Mercedes so popular.
The average cost for a Saloon Style with all windscreen features: £562.27
Coupe: This version of the Mercedes C-Class has been souped up a bit and designed in mind to be larger than the Saloon, but still with all the elegant lines of luxury embedded in its style.
The average cost for a Coupe Style with all windscreen features: £578.94
Convertible: The Big Daddy Warbucks of the family. This is the latest design, with all the tastiest features and modern lines that make up the epitome of “cool.” The convertible takes no prisoners.
The average cost for a Convertible with all features can cost up to: £1216.18
What are the windscreen features for a Mercedes C-Class?
One of the most significant determining factors of your windscreen replacement expense will be what windscreen features your Mercedes C-Class has installed.
Stereo Camera
You will see two triangular shapes in a black field near the rearview mirror if you have this type of camera.
Stereo cameras are installed in cars to detect the lane’s width and an object’s closeness on the street.
A twin-lens reflex camera uses one of the lenses to broadcast the image to a composition screen and the other one to capture images on film.
Green / Grey sun strip
On the older models, you will find that the car glass and windscreens are tinted a grey or greener colour. This is to help combat the sun’s harsh UV lighting on the driver and passengers’ skin and eyes.
This is especially helpful during the morning and evening hours when the sun shines directly into the driver’s eyes. Thus causing them visual issues.
Camera
Similar to the Stereo Camera mentioned earlier, this camera is a slightly different quality. It works more on filming recordable footage that might help with proving your innocence in any mishaps or car accident.
Rain Sensor
A rain sensor is found mounted on a specific bracket behind your Mercedes C-Class’ rearview mirror.
It is a small tool that uses light sensor technology to define the levels of rainfall and moister that touch your windscreen’s exterior and consequently sends signals to the wipers to regulate their speed accordingly.
Noise Reduction
Individual front windscreens have been fixed with an extra layer within their creation phase. The additional layer is a vinyl-type layer with sound-dampening qualities that leave your Mercedes C-Class quiet and cosy interior; an absolute sanctum from sounds.
Built-in Antenna
Built-in antennas have been proven to have more stability and energy receiving abilities than the alternative.
Sure, it needs to be replaced each time with every windscreen replacement – which can be a hassle and more costly – but the more transparent quality and extensive radio wave radius reach more than atone for it.
What happens if I drive around with a cracked windscreen?
There are three significant consequences towards driving around with a cracked windscreen on your Mercedes C-Class; law enforcement issues, safety issues and moral ethics.
Law issues
With the UK safety law, an officer is authorised to fine you a substantial fee or administer three penalty points or even both, if you have adequate damage towards the windscreen your car. The degree of the punishment depends upon the extensivity of the cracks and how obscured your vision is.
Safety Problems
The windscreen and additional car glass sections (the rear windscreen and side windows) serve various safety functions within your Mercedes C-Class.
Yes, they assist with clear vision while being guarded against outside elements, but if they’re cracked or damaged, that means the car’s structural integrity is compromised as well.
Car glass also labours to hold the frame securely in place should your Mercedes C-Class get into a collision or rollover in any event.
If the glass was degraded, it is far more prone to shattering, which will then not be able to limit the frame from crumpling and pulverising the inhabitants.
Moral Ethics
Suppose you choose to drive around with a damaged windscreen or any other section of car glass, and not get it repaired immediately.
In that case, you’re wilfully putting your life, the lives of your passengers, everyone near you on the road at unnecessary risk.
Attempting to save some money by overlooking it, or delaying due to the admin annoyances of fixing it is not worth a mark on your permanent record or living with the guilt of injuring/ending another life.
An interesting fact about the Mercedes C-Class!
It was the baby
Back when the W202 started, the C-class was viewed – and regularly/playfully called – the “Baby Benz” due of its place at the bottom of the rung, as far as Mercedes passenger vehicles were involved.
The C-class endured as the entry-level vehicle in the German manufacturer’s series until the A-class initiation in 1997.
Of course, since then several other cars have slotted into the range below the C-class in terms of size and price and production value.
Now its the most internationally recognised Mercedes model
While the C-class is famous for being a quintessential German car, it’s actually very much a world resident and is produced in more nations than any other Mercedes design.
As well as being built in Bremen in Germany, the C-Class is also produced all-together in India, China, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia and the USA.
It is also looking increasingly likely that the C-class production could be transferred from the USA to make room for the all-electric models should electric vehicles prove to become particularly popular in the future.
Read more in our Mercedes series:
Mercedes-Benz: A German Stroke of Genius
Mercedes A-Class Windscreen Replacement Service
BOOK YOUR WINDSCREEN REPLACEMENT
Paul
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