Windshield streak, anyone knows how to fix this?

[rookiez]

Anyone knows how to fix this? The windshield streaks (I'm not sure if that's called streaks) and it's very hard to see through it at night + rain. I'm located in Seattle area which rains a lot

Here's a picture of it during the day, I also attached some videos at a night time driving. I've been having this issue for a while. I tried Rain-X Glass Polisher and Pinnacle Glasswork Water Spot Remover. Is there any suggestion here? I have Griot's DA and LC's orange and white pads plus some black and red pads.

Additional information is that this is a brand new windshield that was replaced somewhere around 2015 and even from the previous windshield, it's always been like this. Wiper's been changed a few times with dealer's OEM. This is a 2013 MB C250 btw. Thanks for the help guys!!

Products that I have that is designed for car's windows:
Rain-X Glass Cleaner
Rain-X Water Repellent
Rain-X X-treme Clean - Renews Glass & Plastic
Pinnacle Glasswork Water Spot Remover
Pinnacle GlassCoat Window Sealant with Rain Repellent
Pinnacle Crystal Clear Glass Cleaner with Water Repellent

I'm hoping that I could use the products I have with a different technique that may fix the issue, but willing to try another products per your suggestion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biMlmq-_Ud0&ab_channel=rookieqwe

More videos available on that same channel.

 

[rlmccarty2000]

It is difficult to diagnose from the pictures. How does the streak feel? Slick? Or the same as the rest of the glass? Try a dedicated glass polish to remove all of the Rain-x product. Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[Tpr1634]

I clay and polish when needed been using rain X for many years with great results I also install new blades once a year.

 

[ShaneB]

Can't tell from my phone, might have better luck on my PC when I have time.

I would say try something like carpro ceriglass polish. It's actually made with abrasives strong enough to actually polish the glass itself (cerum oxide I believe?). Use that along with their little hand polishing block (specifically for glass) and I bet you get the results you want. They also have glass polishing pads as well if you would rather go that route

 

[Stokdgs]

+2 ^^ These guys are right on !

I lived there 11 years; you have to change your wiper blade refills out every year; the factory refills work the best, and are cheaper than all those wipers at the part store or Target, etc...

Just get the rubber Refill and carefully pull the old one out, noting how it goes together in and out and pull in the new one..

It will always help to get a glass polish and carefully, evenly, polish out that entire windshield.. This will do more than anything else to get the most gunk out of the pores of the glass...

Your machine with a smaller pad say 3" or so, a white medium pad and glass polish will really help this...

I used to do this all the time to Clients from Bellevue, Seattle, and Issaquah...

I used Zaino Glass Polish with great results always.. Sometimes, I used Meguiars 105 compound because it will absolutely clean everything off and leave it very polished, provided the glass is not totally wrecked from getting hit with that fine sand and rocks on the 405 freeway..

Believe that even RainX sells a Glass Polish, or for sure they used to because I have a bottle of it in my cabinet..

Since you didn't show dry pics its hard to see what you are talking about here...
Good Luck !
Dan F

 

[rookiez]

It is difficult to diagnose from the pictures. How does the streak feel? Slick? Or the same as the rest of the glass? Try a dedicated glass polish to remove all of the Rain-x product. Sorry I can't be more help.

Hi, I'm not really sure by how does the streak feel? It pretty much looks like this (This isn't my car, but looks similar to this at night). The streak itself doesn't cover the entire windshield, just what literally in front of the driver side. :wall

I clay and polish when needed been using rain X for many years with great results I also install new blades once a year.

Hi, I tried to clay it with a clay bar, not a glass specified clay bar though. I used rain-x as well, but only help a bit for 1-2 weeks until the rain repellant is gone and it became like that again.

Can't tell from my phone, might have better luck on my PC when I have time.

I would say try something like carpro ceriglass polish. It's actually made with abrasives strong enough to actually polish the glass itself (cerum oxide I believe?). Use that along with their little hand polishing block (specifically for glass) and I bet you get the results you want. They also have glass polishing pads as well if you would rather go that route

That's what I've read that a lot of people been using! Looks like I'm gonna try my glass polish once more and try Ceriglass polish. Thanks for the suggestion!

+2 ^^ These guys are right on !

I lived there 11 years; you have to change your wiper blade refills out every year; the factory refills work the best, and are cheaper than all those wipers at the part store or Target, etc...

Just get the rubber Refill and carefully pull the old one out, noting how it goes together in and out and pull in the new one..

It will always help to get a glass polish and carefully, evenly, polish out that entire windshield.. This will do more than anything else to get the most gunk out of the pores of the glass...

Your machine with a smaller pad say 3" or so, a white medium pad and glass polish will really help this...

I used to do this all the time to Clients from Bellevue, Seattle, and Issaquah...

I used Zaino Glass Polish with great results always.. Sometimes, I used Meguiars 105 compound because it will absolutely clean everything off and leave it very polished, provided the glass is not totally wrecked from getting hit with that fine sand and rocks on the 405 freeway..

Believe that even RainX sells a Glass Polish, or for sure they used to because I have a bottle of it in my cabinet..

Since you didn't show dry pics its hard to see what you are talking about here...
Good Luck !
Dan F

Hi, mind if I ask on where do you usually buy Zaino products from? Did you purchase it directly from their website? I've lived in Seattle area for about 3 years and didn't know that you're supposed to change the wiper blades that often here :O

I'd try the Rain-X glass polish first as well, as that's what I have in my storage as well. Oh yea, about the dry picture, I honestly don't see a difference on the windshield when it's dry. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow though!

I'll post an update here, thank you so much for the help guys!!

 

[GearHead_1]

I had a windshield replaced once that had a flat spot in it from day one. New blades/arms, polish, nothing would improve the situation. I had to have the windshield replaced within a year. Your's seems to follow an arc so I doubt it's the same circumstance but stranger things have happened.

 

[rookiez]

I had a windshield replaced once that had a flat spot in it from day one. New blades/arms, polish, nothing would improve the situation. I had to have the windshield replaced within a year. Your's seems to follow an arc so I doubt it's the same circumstance but stranger things have happened.

What made it worse for my situation is that the car was actually made in late 2013. Windshield was replaced by my insurance due to cracks from rock chip in the middle of 2015. Dealer has replaced the blades early 2015 and late 2015 under warranty with no result. The wiper blade's arm mechanism been adjusted a few times with little to no result. The only thing that helped was using a rain repellent product, but only until it diminish. I couldn't ever get rid of that "blurry sight" that tires my eyes when driving in a rainy night.

 

[Accumulator]

Some sorta-random thoughts follow:

-Some replacement windshields have a (?lifetime?) hydrophobic coating that can work well/poorly and can react badly with repellant products
-Some vehicles/windshields are better candidates for repellant products than others
-Repellant products can cause less-than-optimal clearing when you do need to use the wipers
-Lots of repellant products listed in what's been tried

Note how "repellant products" figures prominently in the above

I'd probably replace the wiperblades (maybe the wipe arms too, sometimes that's worked well other times it's been a waste of money) after polishing the windshield with a compound and cleaning up thoroughly afterwards. No more products containing any repellants, at least for now, just to eliminate one variable.