HUD issue post windscreen replacement

[tmase 19]

I've just had a windscreen replacement done on insurance. Due to the HUD insurance approved an OEM windscreen. After getting it back I've found that there is a distinct double image in my preferred HUD position. If I lower the display or slouch down it goes away. I've had it back to the installers this morning. They agree that its not quite right, but suggested that I was being hyper aware post windscreen replacement and that so far their preferred solution is that I drive around and experiment with a different driving position or HUD position and see if I can find a comfortable spot that doesn't show the double image.

My preferred position;

If I slouch;

Otherwise they indicated that they might try to get the HUD looked at via a dealer.

My thought is that maybe the screen has a fault in it. Does anyone know if the dealer really could adjust the HUD to bring the images back to normal in my preferred position without screwing it up in some other way? My intuition says they can't.

Am I being unreasonable here in thinking that trying to adjust my driving position or the HUD is not really a solution, or am I just being a bit pedantic? Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[Palazzo 477]

Mine doesn’t do that no matter where it’s set. Top image would drive me nuts.

[tmase 19]

Yeah, it's starting to annoy me, and it definitely didn't do this before. 

[TonyT 48]

Been through this a year ago. Was it AA autoglass who installed the new screen? They broke my kafas camera doing the install and were really horrible and rude to deal with. But anyway, you need to get the HUD calibrated to the new screen by the dealer. Its a 10 minute job for them, and your insurance should cover the cost as part of the replacement. In future, always nominate the dealer as your preferred repairer, and the whole process gets taken care of by them from start to finish. 

[tmase 19]

Oh jeez that sounds like a nuisance. Wasn't AA Autoglass, I went with my insurers preferred supplier which was Novus, which I guess is ironic because my insurer is AA. 

Does seem odd that a major player in the windscreen game doesn't know it requires dealer calibration after an install considering they have all the required equipment to recalibrate the front cameras and light/rain sensors. 

I'll suggest Novus get in touch with the dealer. Cheers. 

Edited May 30, 2022 by tmase
Typos

[tmase 19]

Novus tell me that they perform the same calibration as the dealer. They now are suggesting we try to get my insurer to pay for a dealer diagnostic test on the HUD. I still feel like it'll be an imperfection in the new screen.

[gjm 3258]

I don't now recall whether it's Novus or another mainstream installer, but they state on their ads that they "recalibrate your vehicle's safety features'.

Sounds to me like the fitter has not been able to perform whatever calibration is required. They had the job, they will have known the HUD was a part of the job - if they are unable to complete the job to your satisfaction, they don't get paid. At all. I appreciate that is an insurance matter, but it really shouldn't be up to you to make all the arrangements to get your car back in the condition it was pre-screen replacement.

[tmase 19]

They reckon that they have calibrated the HUD in house, but they still want me to go to the dealer to see if the HUD is faulty. Pretty sure its a defect in the replacement windscreen, but I guess they don't want to re do the install if there is a slim possibility that they don't have to. I'll have to see what the insurance says, but on the whole its a bit of a nuisance, especially considering I had to wait two weeks for the current windscreen to arrive in the first place.

[Spinner99 55]

I'm going through this exact same problem with my E61 at the moment.  As soon as I jumped in the car when I picked it up from the windscreen repairer it looked fuzzy like yours and made me ill to look at it.  The dealer has had a look at my car and thinks the replacement windscreen is defective. I'm currently waiting for a replacement windscreen to arrive.

 

[Gaz 1060]

HUDs don't need calibration, only the camera and sensor do and not all models.

At a guess I'd say the glass is defective, the area for the HUD in the glass is in the wrong place

[tmase 19]

1 hour ago, Gaz said:

I'd say the glass is defective

That is my first thought too. If I bob my head up and down with the ignition off I can make out some slight distortion in the what I see outside especially if I line up with a fence or something with long vertical and horizontal lines.

[freaknout 47]

Bit of a confusing thread to be honest.

Are you sure the correct windscreen has been installed? There are HUD and non-HUD versions and all many of permutations with different safety gear etc.

As an aside, typically what's the cost of a HUD recalibration by a dealer likely to cost?

[tmase 19]

I can't say for certain what the installer ordered other than its OEM and they knew it had a HUD. To be fair that's not my job to tell them the part numbers. They'd seen the car before as this all started from a chip repair that failed. 

Insurance have agreed to let the dealer take a look. 

[freaknout 47]

Oh yes I agree it’s not your job. Just raise it as a possibility given the different configurations available and that we’re located at the bottom of the world…

[M3AN 4016]

On 5/31/2022 at 11:54 AM, tmase said:

Insurance have agreed to let the dealer take a look. 

I'm glad you've got that outcome but be wary, you shouldn't have been dealing with the insurance company, they're paying Novus to do the job correctly.

So, to ensure it doesn't get worse, be sure to let Novus know that they should take it to the dealer and you only want it back when it's fixed or certified by BMW as working as expected. If Novus are left in any doubt it's their job to call up the insurer and sort it out, not yours. As for a dealer loaner also if it's going to be in there for more than a day.  

[tmase 19]

I'm letting Novus deal with insurance, I'm just annoyed that I have had to prod them along by contacting the dealer pro-actively. They would have been far happier if I had just mucked about with seat position and found a spot where it looked better. I'm fairly sure the trip to the dealer will be a waste of time in any event as I feel it is a defect in the glass. It's just the hassle as well - two weeks before the dealer can fit me in, and if it does need another windscreen, well the last one took about two weeks as well. So if its going where I think its going it'll be July by the time it's sorted, considering I had the chip claim approved on May 2 it's a nuisance! Happy to be proved wrong though!

[tmase 19]

Dealer confirms fault in OEM glass replacement. They are getting it back in a week or two to do the replacement in house and apparently there is an EGR cooler recall at the same time, two birds one stone. Hopefully that's the end of it! 

Edited June 26, 2022 by tmase
Forgot something

[tmase 19]

Would you believe that the second OEM replacement windscreen also has a fault in it! New one arrives Friday. 

[Spinner99 55]

Was it third time lucky in the end?

[tmase 19]

Just now, Spinner99 said:

Was it third time lucky in the end?

Yep! Left the car in at the dealers for a week while I was away with work, picked it up last week. All sorted now.

Not bad for a stone chip in April!

[Spinner99 55]

Excellent all's well that ends well