Applying Rain-X to side windows

J

Jon718

New member
Is it ok to apply this stuff to my side windows and rear window? I also plan on applying this to my side mirrors as well. My only concern is that I have heated side mirrors. Would the heat affect the Rain-X coating?
 
ejant said:
Hi Jon, welcome to Autopia. :wavey



There is a search engine located at the top menu. Use it to search for answers to specific questions that you may have.

The database is quite extensive.
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Thanks I've actually been reading stuff on this forum for a month. I made a few posts before but I guess somehow my acct got reset. Anyway I did do a search and it seems theres are mixed reviews with using Rain-X.

So as u can tell i am a bit apprehensive....
 
I've used it without major issue on my car for over two years. The only concern is that it may be the potential cause of why my wiper blades will sometimes chatter. That being said, it only seems to happen for the first few minutes after a rain storm after putting on the product.



I live in a pretty dry area so it could just be that the blades have lost some of their suppleness and it takes time for them to flex across the windshield or that the excess Rain-X just needs to be worked off by the blades.



In any case, on the side windows it'll be fine. Just don't waste your money on Fog-X, that stuff don't work and I think it may be why my tint has started to bubble and develop other issues.
 
Gasp! You put fog-X on tinted windows? Yeah, that could definitely be the cause for the bubbles you're getting.



Jon718



Rain-X products are loaded with solvents...which are murderously bad on your plastic and rubber trim. They should be fine for your heated side mirrors and windows....just be sure you don't get a single drop on your trim.
 
Intermezzo said:
Gasp! You put fog-X on tinted windows? Yeah, that could definitely be the cause for the bubbles you're getting.
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Yeah, I know very dumb, but it didn't happen right away - only after several months even though I just applied the stuff once. I didn't read anywhere on the package not to use it on tinted windows so I thought I was okay.



For the side mirrors, be careful. Acuras and I imagine other cars have a coating on the side mirrors that should only be ctouched by water, no chemicals. Friends have used Windex or other glass cleaners (I told them to windoex shouldn't be used on cars) and it's removed the coating so now the autodimming feature doesn't work.
 
Jon- It will be fine to apply the Rain-x to your side and rear windows. Unless there is a special coating on the side mirrors, as others have mentioned, it should be fine there too. Remember that your front and rear windows are directly heated also, so the heating won't be the cause of problems.



Run a search to find all the tricks of Rain-x application. I discovered that covering a foam pad with a MF (or MF bonnet) and using a Griot's hand holder to buff the haze works terrific. I was able to eliminate the streaking that a MF in bare hand left behind. :)
 
My Dad applied Rain-X to the side windows of his Caddy.



Everytime it rained and he cracked a window, the glass was so slippery that the rain flew off the top edge of the glass and into the car.



He doesn't apply Rain-X to the side windows of his Caddy anymore.
 
Ever since I applied it to the side mirror (or any nearly vertical window), I find it actually makes the sheeting effect worse and makes visibility difficult. For me, only on the front and rear windows.



Paco
 
I have no opinion vis-a-vis mirrors, but I have applied it on side and rear windows for years with no ill effects. Rain-X is wonderful stuff, and I apply it to every possible surface!



Fog-X is a worthless product. Tinted windows, non-tinted windows- it doesn't work on any of them.



The Rain-X windshield washer fluids, on the other hand, are great. I have used the both the do-it-yourself additive and the premixed gallons of pink fluid. Both are fantastic.



Sometimes I actually wish it would rain more here in California so that I could use Rain-X.
 
I only use Rain-X on my side and rear windows. I agree with medic - I've always had mixed results on the front. My wiper blades don't work as well when I use it on the front. They chatter and make the windshield blurry when wiping.
 
In the summer I only use it on my front windshield. I apply it before washing the car and then wash the windshield very last. That takes care of all the glare that a lot of people get with RainX.



In the winter I put it on all my glass. The only reason I do that is because the ice doesn' t get as thick on the glass with the RainX on it. My windows will actually stay clear longer when I have it on there. I'll RainX half my back windshield this year and take a pic of it when it freezes. You can totally tell the difference in ice. It is much easier to scrape off if you have RainX on your glass. For a guy with such a low tollerance for cold (Raynauds disease) RainX is the best thing I've ever found to help with the ice on windows.



I'll chime in and say that FogX sucks big time. I didn't even know they still made it. That stuff is crap. I applied half to my mirror in my bathroom and it did nothing. I tried it on my windshield waaaaaaaay back in the day when I first got it. What a nightmare that was. I never got the glare out of it. I actually jumped for joy when a rock popped up and cracked my windshield. "At least now we don't have to worry about the FogX glare anymore." I told my girlfriend. lol FogX sucks big time.
 
beachnut said:
I only use Rain-X on my side and rear windows. I agree with medic - I've always had mixed results on the front. My wiper blades don't work as well when I use it on the front. They chatter and make the windshield blurry when wiping.
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What is a good way to remove Rain-X? I also have a problem with windshield chatter after using the product. I wish I had done my research first before buying it.



I have done a search and, so far, hasn't seen a post regarding removal of Rain-X.



Thanks.
 
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