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What's up with my windshield?
Last year I bought new wiper blades RainX Latitudes for my neon after having terrible streaking. Worked great for a week, after a week the streaking came back but wasn't as bad and live with it.
Fast foward to now it had not rain much the past 2 months. 3 days ago I decided to get my car pampered at a well reputable local carwash, along with wax, vacuuming and shampooing the seats and floor. The next night it rain hard on my way to work, and the streaking is 50x worse. It was like my windshield had fogged up. I played with climate control settings, used heat then cool then no heat or cool with circulation off. But I couldn't get rid of it. I noticed that when the wiper passed over, it left a streak/fog which then slowly dissipated after few seconds follow by the wiper passing back which streak/fogged up again and repeat. With the oncoming traffic and their headlights made the windshield a near white out. I couldn't see the road and barely saw the car in front of me. But my side windows were fine, clear as day. Today I went and bought new wipers and tonight it rain again the streaking and fog is still there but not as bad as last night. I don't know what to do? There's no sap or sticky residue on the exterior of the windshield. Has anyone had this problem? What can I use to clean the damn glass of whatever is causing this? even though there's nothing to clean because the windshield is perfectly clear when it's dry or the wipers are off when wet. |
Here's how I thoroughly clean a windshield to make sure NOTHING is on it: first I clay it with automotive clay and then I spray/mist water over the windshield and sprinkle Bon Ami on the window and use a non-scratching scrub sponge to work that mixture in real good. Bar Keeper's Friend will work too; you just need to take extra care and not get any of the mixture on anything besides the glass. Then rinse it all off (easiest to do this whole procedure before washing your car). I'll also wipe the blades down with denatured alcohol.
I've done the above to windshields that I could not see out of, at all, when it was raining out because of how badly they were streaking...cars I was either borrowing or fixing. Flawless afterwards. |
Originally Posted by darthroush
(Post 2786853)
Here's how I thoroughly clean a windshield to make sure NOTHING is on it: first I clay it with automotive clay and then I spray/mist water over the windshield and sprinkle Bon Ami on the window and use a non-scratching scrub sponge to work that mixture in real good. Bar Keeper's Friend will work too; you just need to take extra care and not get any of the mixture on anything besides the glass. Then rinse it all off (easiest to do this whole procedure before washing your car). I'll also wipe the blades down with denatured alcohol.
I've done the above to windshields that I could not see out of, at all, when it was raining out because of how badly they were streaking...cars I was either borrowing or fixing. Flawless afterwards. I did what you said, couldn't find Bon Ami but found Bar Keeper's Friend did the procedure twice with clay then BKF with mist and scrub with scotch brite sponge pad. It has lessen it little but it still there. |
A Scotch Brite pad, like the green, rough, porous ones? I use the scrubbing side of a sponge. A Scotch Brite pad is more for scouring; not scrubbing. Did you get the BKF into a paste? I work the BKF paste around for a few minutes, adding water as needed. The chemicals in BKF need some time to work. Bon Ami is a bit different in how it works, but I still work it in for a bit.
If that really doesn't fix the problem, you're at the point to where I'd guess you need to get the glass polished. The BKF isn't expensive (less than a new windshield or having someone polish it); I say have at it a few more times. |
Originally Posted by darthroush
(Post 2787220)
A Scotch Brite pad, like the green, rough, porous ones? I use the scrubbing side of a sponge. A Scotch Brite pad is more for scouring; not scrubbing. Did you get the BKF into a paste? I work the BKF paste around for a few minutes, adding water as needed. The chemicals in BKF need some time to work. Bon Ami is a bit different in how it works, but I still work it in for a bit.
If that really doesn't fix the problem, you're at the point to where I'd guess you need to get the glass polished. The BKF isn't expensive (less than a new windshield or having someone polish it); I say have at it a few more times. |
Yeah, you'd be at cerium-oxide polishing. There sometimes are windshield places near junkyards that will install a removed windshield inexpensively. A friend had one put into one of his car, it was something like $150 installed. Also depends what your insurance covers too.
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