Chris H Posted March 7, 2003 Posted March 7, 2003 Has anybody had problems with the optical quailty of the windscreen ? We have a C3 HDI exclusive, and looking through the windscreen is like wearing glasses made for somebody else. The Dealer has been very helpful and has changed the windscreen which has changed the problem making the drivers side slightly better but now the passenger side is worse. I'd be really interested to know if others have noticed similar problems. I'd also like to hear if yours is OK. Quote
mooseshaver Posted March 12, 2003 Posted March 12, 2003 My windscreen seems fine, wow something correct in my C3! Not really tried it from the pasanger side but noone else has complained. Quote
Guest Mark A Posted March 12, 2003 Posted March 12, 2003 Not really a problem, but it's noticeable that the way the windscreen is fitted tends to 'spring' the shape of it somewhat away from what the designers might have intended at one point. Only really notice this with reflections caught from outside the vehicle from some distance (and that sets a rigorous test of the shape of something that reflects) - this isn't a problem at all looking through the thing. I don't know nearly enough about how windscreens are formed to say whether they can end up with a 'thick' bit - or material of differentiating refractive index in 'em - which sounds a bit like your experience. I'm sure Mr Pilkington will know ... Quote
mitch Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 We bought our HDi Exclusive in June 2002. During the first drive away from the dealer, my wife commented on the distortions she was seeing through the screen. A couple of weeks later, we took the car up to northern Sweden via Denmark and the new Belt bridges. While happily cruising up the E4 somewhere near Jonkoping, we were overtaken by a Polish artic which was spraying gravel everywhere. I saw the rock heading for the screen but couldn't avoid it. The impact left a 50p size hole in the outer layer of glass. We took the car to a Citroen dealer in Jonkoping. He told us the screen was safe and wouldn't collapse. He also told us that Citroen Sweden were not happy with the quality and fitting of C3 screens. He thought that some screen were being fitted slightly twisted and under tension, and might suffer damage from stone impacts far too easily. The launch of the C3 was being delayed in Sweden while this was being sorted out. Back home, we took the car to Autoglass. The fitter was not impressed with the OEM screen. He fitted a replacement screen made in the UK by Pilkington. Since this was his first C3, he took a day to do the job slowly and properly.The difference is amazing. Crystal clear, no distortions. We also noticed that the replacement has a bronze colour - the original had the moisture sensor but was blueish in shade. A combination unknown to Autoglass. Did Citroen accept a dodgy batch to meet orders or perhaps the factory fitters weren't trained properly during early production? Quote
mooseshaver Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 "We also noticed that the replacement has a bronze colour - the original had the moisture sensor but was blueish in shade" So does that mean your rain sensative wipers no longer work? Quote
mitch Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Windscreen sensor works fine. It's part of the car, not the screen. It just unclips when necessary. The screen has mounting lugs for the sensor - it seems to be a push on fit - and a little window thingy for it to operate through. Screen for the Exclusive also has the heat reflective coating, hence the bronze colour. Quote
Badlass Posted April 2, 2003 Posted April 2, 2003 I took delivery of my C3 yesterday and have noticed distortion on the screen. It doesn't help that I have concussion at the moment, but I wondered if the others who had noticed distortion wear glasses...I do, but my fiancé doesn't and doesn't have a problem with the screen. Quote
Chris H Posted April 4, 2003 Author Posted April 4, 2003 We both wear glasses - the heat reflective coating could be significant . Does everyone with the problem have an exclusive ? Quote
Badlass Posted April 5, 2003 Posted April 5, 2003 I have an SX auto which comes with the heat reflective (bronze) screen. Quote
Guest Mark A Posted April 11, 2003 Posted April 11, 2003 Having had the opportunity to park in front of an eleven foot high tennis netting fence I've found a patch of windscreen which does lense things very slightly but it's not exactly in a line of sight position. Having also cast an eye over other windscreens optical properties i.e from a distance, an overcritical test of things, Citroen C3s are by no means the only offenders - the view through one particular Yaris screen at forty paces resembled something a fly might see (though close to it was fine). This might simply be a quality control thing, and yes, it's possible to get a bad windscreen - or even two in a row. But the original poster will know that as it is what they have experienced. Quote
svpilot Posted April 12, 2003 Posted April 12, 2003 I hadn't noticed any problem with ours untill I was travelling in the back seat the other day. The distortion was very apparent when looking at the bottom right of the screen (when sitting in the rear left seat). Also this morning, when I was driving, I noticed cars in the rear view mirror appear distorted. Geeze - quality at low, low prices eh? Quote
kelby Posted April 14, 2003 Posted April 14, 2003 Same here, the distortion is only at the very bottom of the window. makes the white lines on the road all curvy :) Quote
SandyBrook Posted April 15, 2003 Posted April 15, 2003 We bought our C3 last December and have both commented on the distorted view through the windscreen (a bit like looking through a heat haze in centre of screen and like looking through water at side and edges - view also feels as though things look too small, sizes change as items move across screen and onto side windows. Dealer has agreed to change screen under warranty so hope that will fix problem - will let you know. I'm very unhappy with my C3 over this problem and was ready to p/ex it at a loss just to get rid of it - however sense said it can be 'wifies' car and I'm looking at a Suzuki Wagon R+ (how desperate can you get Quote
Wiltshirelass Posted April 23, 2005 Posted April 23, 2005 [quote name='Chris H' date='Mar 7 2003, 12:48 PM'] Has anybody had problems with the optical quailty of the windscreen ? We have a C3 HDI exclusive, and looking through the windscreen is like wearing glasses made for somebody else. The Dealer has been very helpful and has changed the windscreen which has changed the problem making the drivers side slightly better but now the passenger side is worse. I'd be really interested to know if others have noticed similar problems. I'd also like to hear if yours is OK. [/quote] Hi. I've just bought a C3, 2 years old and have been driving it for a week. When I test drove it I mentioned to the salesman that the vision seem funny but I had a migraine at the time and put it down to that. The salesman never mentioned anything to me after my comment. Since picking it up a week ago I've had real problems seeing properly. It's as if I'm wearing someone elses glasses. Eveyone who has been in the car with me has mentioned it saying how weard the vision is. I can see through the windscrean but it makes me very nervious driving the car I'm sad to say. I was so excited to get this car and now and so upset at having spent so much money on something I don't want to drive! I wondered weather to go back to the dealer, not knowing what else to do! Quote
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