Glass polishing techniques?

[KWANG-SEOK]

Ejant said:

In 2000 PPG started shipping coated windshields to auto manufacturers for certain models.

GM is a big user and I have noticed it on Honda and Toyota cars.



Maybe there is a coating that is getting the scratches.

Ejant, do you know whether that coating is on the inside or outside of the glass (I imagine inside)? I've definitely seen that checkerboard pattern you mentioned, so I know my glass is coated somehow. The reason I ask whether the glass is coated on the outside is because I tried to polish some minor scratches out of my glass using Z-12 and instead got a weird haze on the glass. I've tried everything I can think of (foam pad/PC/SMR, foam pad/PC/FI2, CMA glass polishing kit for PC, professional detailer) and nothing will remove the haze. I've pretty much given up hope, thinking that maybe the glass itself is defective. So, to those who might polish their glass (especially areas that are black underneath), be careful!!

 

[thevolvoguy]

Schwa72--



Personally I would say the coating is on the outside. What would be the purpose of having a weather resistant, protective coating on the interior part of the glass?



I do also think the reason why new winshields are so prone to scratches is becasue the synthetic coating manufactures are applying now is much thinner than ordinary glass is. Light polishing should not hurt, but watch out for that heavy grit stuff, as it may induce more scratches than it takes out.



Just my 2 cents. :nixweiss

 

[KWANG-SEOK]

Cody-



Also just my opinion, but unless it were super-durable, I'd be surprised if the coating were on the outside...if what I did hazed the coating, wouldn't windshield wipers, acid rain, and the like simply destroy it? I thought most factory glass coatings were primarily glass tints or safety laminates and were applied to the inside of the glass. I've never heard of weather-resistant, protective outer coatings for glass, though my experience is very limited.



What else is strange about my situation is that after the initial glass hazing appeared on my car, nothing I did changed the appearance of the hazing. I'd expect that if it were a coating that was wearing away as I polished that the appearance of the haze would've at least changed.



Of course, I could be very wrong. No matter...at this point I think my only recourse may be to pursue it as a warranty claim.

 

[Lowejackson]

I got Autoglym and tried on the smallest window, I am trying to get these ugly baked on water spots, and I dunno if I did something wrong because I think it started scratching it





Or maybe is that I didn't use a new towel?????.



Help!

There must have been something else on your towel. Autoglym is not a true polish, but a very good glass cleaner, there is no way this product could scratch glass.



A very good product for cleaning glass is sold by Jaguar cars. It seems to be like a deep cleaner and works very well, so if you have a Jaguar dealership nearby, give them a call.



Steven