Windshield help needed

RustyBumper · 10-27-09, 08:11

This has me stumped. During the day my windshield looks crystal clear. However, in the morning or on foggy days, my windshield looks like it has a hazy film in some areas and clear glass on other areas. It also looks like there is a perfectly straight line that runs from the top of the windshield to the bottom. I wonder if the prior owner had a tarp on the car or if maybe something spilled onto the glass. The glass feels smooth to the touch. Does anyone know if it's safe to use 105/205 on glass? Is there something other than vinegar that you would suggest?

Passrat · 10-27-09, 03:19

glass polish - Google Search

I don't know anything about 105 but supposedly you can use any compound or polish on glass. I can tell you that without some kind of machine, PC or drill mounted pad, it can be a lot of work. Before I got a PC I once used one of those cotton polishing wheels on a drill, it threw polish everywhere but it worked. LOL.

unleashedfury · 10-27-09, 08:48

What year is the vehicle,

Sometimes in older vehicles like my saturn it had a light weather stripping leak. where the condensation was building up inside the car.

Jakerooni · 10-27-09, 09:45

Just use a plain razor blade and scrape the windshield. If there's overspray or other contaminants on the glass the blade will easily and effortlessly scrape it off. No sense in trying to add additional crap to the glass when you really only want it clean.

MichaelSpoots · 10-27-09, 10:08

Well, for the entire year that I've had my 09 Civic, I haven't been able to get the interior windshield clean. Any time I drive towards a light source the streaks are illuminated, day or night. Anyone looking i their rear view mirror at me will think "what is this fool doing with his sloppy streaked windshield".

Any glass cleaning chemicals I've used, fails

. Stoners major fail. I'd rather drink my gallon of Megs Glass concentrate than try to use that failure chemical again.
Any cleaning agent and wiping medium simply serves to redistribute the smears, instead of removing them. The only thing I haven't tried yet is newspaper, or this ZEP40 stuff, which has to be purchased online for like $20. Forget that.

I suspect the smears are some kind of silicone coating or something...something that isn't affected by glass cleaners.
Ideas?

RustyBumper · 10-27-09, 11:19

Thanks for the input, everyone. I forgot to mention that it's a '07 Hyundai Sonata and I bought it used.

I've already tried scraping the glass with a razor, however that didn't help. I've also used the Stoner's glass cleaner without success. Clay doesn't do anything either. However, something just occurred to me. The other day I bought Tarminator to remove heavy tar spots from my wife's car and it worked like a charm. I'll try cleaning the glass tomorrow with it and see if that works.

If that doesn't work, I guess I'll just try 105/Orange via Flex D/A and see what happens. I just wanted to see what results other have had before.

etml12 · 10-28-09, 05:22

Spoots, sometimes takes the use of multiple window cleaners to get rid of everything. It is also very helpful to rotate multiple very clean towels or you risk just smearing everything around. In instances of interior window film buildup that seems to resist all efforts with typical window cleaners, I have found the use of a good solvent to be important. I've used paint prep solvents and even goo gone to cut the film and then follow up with the window cleaner of choice.

MichaelSpoots · 10-28-09, 08:28

Thanks for the tip, etml. What specifically do you mean by "solvents", though? Any examples of a solvent for this purpose that I can pick up from Home Depot? I'm familiar with Goo-Gone, can you recommend any others? Thanks

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Rusty, is the Sonata's issue on the interior or exterior of the windshield?

StadiumDetail · 10-28-09, 02:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelSpoots

Thanks for the tip, etml. What specifically do you mean by "solvents", though? Any examples of a solvent for this purpose that I can pick up from Home Depot? I'm familiar with Goo-Gone, can you recommend any others? Thanks

.
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Rusty, is the Sonata's issue on the interior or exterior of the windshield?

recently I tried cleaning the interior of a windshield while humidity was high, really high, like there was water beading on the side of my toolbox high. Needless to say it wasn't fun, but I ran into the exact problem you have. I've come to the conclusion that ALL windows have this built up film, some worse than others, but we usually don't see it because the light doesn't hit it just right.

Anywho, I got the window clean and the smears gone, but it took a lot of work. I started with my usual glass cleaner, a spray wax (yeah i know, but it is the best i've used) nothing. Then glass cleaner, nothing. Another glass cleaner, nothing. Water, nothing. So i said F it, grabbed 91% isoprophyl alcohol and went to town, moderate improvement!!!!!

After 20min, about 10 rags, and spraying enough alcohol to make me light headed half of the windshield was clean. But, it was crystal clean with zero haze in 95% humidity, there wasn't a single bit of film anywhere.

So yeah, you can remove the film but it's just going to take a long time. Unless there is some magic product out there.

BTW, x2 on hating stoners. I really don't see why it is so popular, I've never had good results with it. I don't care for spray can glass cleaners, but if I were to choose one it would be Sprayway.

etml12 · 10-28-09, 06:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelSpoots

What specifically do you mean by "solvents", though?

If you have something like Tarminator it may do the trick. What I was referring to in the earlier post were solvents marketed for the removal of oil, wax, grease and silicone to prepare the surface for painting. There are too many brand names to list but they are readily available at your local auto store or even places like Walmart.

bert31 · 10-29-09, 08:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelSpoots

Thanks for the tip, etml. What specifically do you mean by "solvents", though? Any examples of a solvent for this purpose that I can pick up from Home Depot? I'm familiar with Goo-Gone, can you recommend any others? Thanks

.
~~~~~~~~~~

Rusty, is the Sonata's issue on the interior or exterior of the windshield?

A few years ago I made the mistake of using RainX's anti-fogger on the interior of my windshield (HUGE MISTAKE). It tood a few applications of 90% ISA, APC and lighter fluid to finally remove that stuff. Then I had to use plenty of regular glass cleaner to get the lighter fluid and APC off. I must have went through 20 towels to finally get that garbage off. The recommendation above of using fresh towels was a good one, it worked for me, hence using 20 towels. Good luck with your windows.

Jakerooni · 10-29-09, 09:03

If it's too bad just replace the windshield. Glass places usually waive the decutable's anyways. getting new glass for a $100 or so beats the crap out of buying up a whole slew of products that don't work. You're probably closing in on that amount spent already.