Why does all windshields have...

B

bbquer

New member
spots or areas where water beads differently ?

The areas where the wiper movement ends..

i have strips along the wiper path that appears to have the surface " worn away'? by wiper action ?

certain paths where one spot of the wiper seems to be exerting more pressure onto the surface than the rest.



You can't see these areas when it's dry, but you can see them when it's wet.

How do i get rid of these areas ? paint cleaner ?

GOD ! why am i always having problems with the wipers ?? I just changed them :(
 
Depending on the age of your car you may need new wiper arms, the springs wear or the arms get a little warped from the wind, causing uneven movement. Avoid using all Rain-X type products and your problem should go away. To clean your windows according to most people on here, use lighter fluid or kerosene, rinse and wash well. Then apply your favorite wax or polymer based product. Throw all Rain-X type window products away. They may work well when it is raining hard, but when there is a light sprinkle forget about it.
 
What happens if these problems remain after using lighter fluid, vinigar and alcohol (not at the same time). I have never used RainX (previous owner might have). I have also tried a glass polish designed to remove RainX (Halfords glass polish) seems to be similar to the RainX polish.



Steven

Alfa 164
 
Please try a Bon-Ami paste and a good quality foam applicator on your glass. It will remove the tracks left from years of wiper action and it will allow your favorite window treatment to bond very well.



I agree about Rain-X, THROW it away!!! You can use it on side windows and rear windows, but it messes up the front windshields big time.



Remember: Bon-Ami, very cheap and VERY safe, yet will do a fantastic job :)
 
Ron Ketcham, a car paint and clear coat expert on here(he is overseas right now), stated the lighter fluid will work and others have also said the same.
 
Irvin

Whilst doing some research on BMW's I found that BON-AMI is recemmended by BMW for cleaning windscreens. I also found a reference to a company called the S.C. Johnson Company who used to be the distributers for BON-AMI. This reference was dated 1996 so it may no longer be useful but it might be a try. Here in the UK I cannot find this stuff at all.



Waxman, your right, Ron K does state that lighter fluid works. I have used it several times, waited 5 minutes, flushed and cleaned in the normal way. But it has no helped the problem I still have the ghost marks of the wiper blades. Is there any other (safe) product which will remove these marks?



Steven

Alfa 164
 
Yes windscreen(windshield for the US people) replacement. :) If that is not possible, try kerosene(stronger than lighter fluid), or igniting the lighter fluid. :) I am wondering if you used just any metal powder type polish, if that would work. It may scratch the glass, though. Your windscreen alignment may have somehow become misaligned or warped or something. If it is doing it with new wiper blades and arms, and you have used the lighter fluid option, it could most likely be a mechanical problem.
 
Yeah maybe all the chemicals on the windshield like RainX degraded the rubber into a gluey type of substance and it did overtime rub off on your windscreen.(not a rubber expert here)
 
Bon-Ami can be found in any grocery store in the lower 48 states in the U.S.A.



The thought of using lighter fluid scares the hell out of me! Not to mention it's bad for the environment. Think of your front yard near your driveway. Bon-Ami on the other hand is very safe and effective in removing contaminations from very soft surfaces.



It works so well on glass as a paste with a touch of elbow grease, you'd be very pleased.



For anyone that can't get it, just send me an email and I'll get a can for you and send it C.O.D to your home.
 
Zaino makes a glass polish that has good reported results. It contains mild abrrasives, designed for glass. It is not intended for daily use, but, rather, to correct the sort of problem you describe.
 
Glass will get abraded by road debris (dust, sand dirt etc) and will put small scratches and chips in the glass. These small indentations effect water beading and wiper action.



Wipers will tend to wear the windshield as well. Where the wipers rub the windshield the glass will have a different texture than where it does't. Water spots and etching tend to form where the wipers do not wipe because the water will dry there and the minerals in the water will etch the glass.



Since windshields are curved it is impossible for the wiper blade to exert the same pressure on the glass throughout it's stroke so the rubbing pressure is different as well.



All these things effect how water beads on glass and wiper action. To repair, the glass has to be polished or replaced.



I sugest buying a glass polish that is designed to actually polish the glass. Call your local glass company and ask them what they use. Maybe they would have some samples or could do your windshield for you.



Bon Ami is a another brand of COMET powder cleaner. The ones your mom uses in the sinks and bathrooms. It has abrasives in them. They do make no scratch formulas. The Bon Ami acts as a mild polish.



I hope this helps.
 
There are two different types of Bon Ami. The most common is a white powder. It looks just like Comet- even the can is virtually identical- and can be found in the same section of the store.



The other Bon Ami product is an aerosol spray. It is extremely hard to find. I have never seen it at a grocery store, or at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. The only place I have ever seen it is at Ace Hardware- and not all Ace Hardware stores carry it. It comes in a big yellow-gold metal can with an aresol spray nozzle on the top. It may even be labeled "glass cleaner", but I just don't remember exactly what it is called.



The aerosol spray is an outstanding product. My last car had 125,000 miles on it when I bought it. Its exterior had been poorly maintained, and no glass cleaner I tried removed the accumulation of crud that had built up on the windows. Rain-X glass polish helped, and given enough time and elbow grease probably would have achieved similar results, but the Bon-Ami aerosol spray took care of everything right away with no effort.



The windows on my current car are in good shape, and I do not need the Bon Ami. However, I will start looking for it so that others can get it if they have dirty windows which need extra care. If anyone else knows where it can be found, please let us know! I used to live in Chicago, and I know that some of the Ace Hardware stores there carry it. The one on west Diversey near Southport does, I think.
 
After visiting a lot of car dealers and bodyshops, I think I may have found a (partial) cure. Jaguar Screen Clean Paste (product code DBC5676), it is a white paste that requires a clean windscreen, polish with a MF towel, leave at least 20 minutes and then wipe with another MF towel.



It has not completely rid the windscreen of these ghosts but it has diminished them. So I will do the glass again when it is next dry.



Not sure how available Jaguar products are in America but maybe worth a try.



Steven

Alfa 164

Autoglym & Blitz
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top