Dangerous windscreen smears

[IceBoy]

Hi All,

I have tried everything !

Washing up liquid
Vinigar
Newspaper
You name it, I have tried it!

Basically the windscreen in any form of rain, light or heavy seems to smear, well that is the only way I can describe it. It leaves lots of cloud type formations on the screen which makes it almost impossible to drive in wet conditions.

At the end of my teather now, Mrs. Ice refuses to drive the car. It is like some film on the screen I cant shift.

Someone has recommend t-cut glass cleaner but will this really do the trick?

The thing is the screen and wipers are squeeky clean and it almost seem like there is something srong with the glass.

The car is a 2006 c-class with the flexi-blades and they are in good condition. Even if I wipe the water off with a top quality car drying blade thingy, you can see the clounds forming on the screen.

If you drive the car on the motorway when the rain is very very light, you can see the smear/clouds forming when the wiper passes and then they dry out?!?!?!

Please help.
IceBoy

Edited by IceBoy on Sunday 16th January 22:20

[Gretchen]

Assume you've tried RainX?

[odyssey2200]

Muc-Off

[Bricol]

Rain-X sell, or used to, a pretty good screen cleaner. Stunk a bit, and seemed to almost be abrasive, but worked really well for me on some dirty, oily, and even paint spotted screens.

Bri

[TheEnd]

I've found rain x and that kind of water shedding stuff makes it worse.

I'd change the wiper blades and avoid any cleaning compounds on the glass.

[agent006]

Selotape a stone to the windscreen then hit it with a hammer. £50 later you'll have a nice new windscreen.

Best check you've got screen cover on your insurance first.

[Mitchy88]

'The blades are in good condition'

What makes you say that? I find that 12 months is the max I can ever keep a set of wiper blades, when I change them they still look pretty good but are are more or less fked.

I understand its the U-V Rays that damage the blades, not just the motion of the 'wipe'.

Get down to Halfords, buy;

1. The most expensive Bocsh wipers. Look out for the twin packs, big saving!

2. Bottle of Rain-x windscreen washer adative, its in a 500ml orange bottle.

3. Go outside, fit the new kit and drive safely!

[IceBoy]

Tried Rain-x as well!

It is really hard to explain. Almost as if there is some contaminent on the screen which when you thing you have cleaned it off, seems to be some how bonded to the glass itself.

Maybe some meths or something?

IceBoy

[robsco]

I was going to suggest cleaning the wiper blades themselves, but you say it still happens even if you use a drying blade? That's a confusing one. Would white spirit do the job?

[Motorrad]

Halfords used to sell a 'glass cutter' which was a bottle of white fluid you applied to a cloth, allowed to dry and the rubbed off with a cloth. This removed an oil film on my RS2 which the previous owner had somehow applied to the inside of the screen.

The dash needed a good clean and the car a hoover out afterwards though.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

did the trick for me.

[R12HCO]

Probably some sort of spray wax when someboday has been doing doing the bonnet. I did it to my old 3 series. Took months to get off. Just used 100% screen wash, and cleaned blades and it cleared after a while. But try new blades first.

[thetapeworm]

Have you tried some elbow grease and glass polish?

It sounds as though you need something with a mild abrasive cream (like Autoglym, ClearVue etc) to shift whatever it is that's bonded to your glass and then you can focus on keeping it clean with the kind of products you've mentioned above.

This combined with new wipers and decent screen wash should see you right.

[AlpineWhite]

Suggest something like Autoglym glass polish to clean up the screen.

[Mastodon2]

I've had this problem before, white vinegar does the trick. Consider some car window cleaner on the insides too.

[MGJohn]

IceBoy said:

Hi All,

I have tried everything !

Washing up liquid
Vinigar
Newspaper
You name it, I have tried it!

Yes, you've tried everything ... So, have you tried NEW good quality wipers blades/rubbers along with draining the washer bottle and replenishing with good quality screen wash... can make a BIG difference.

Overkill mode:~ I introduce a weak bleach solution along with hot water to flush out the crud which always builds up in the washer plastic tubes ~ with sun's and engine's heat, all sorts of 'growths' can accumulate in the washer system.... some very obnoxiously smelling even in the best of Jerry Built means of getting about... Run the weak bleach through continuously until all is used.

If you do the bleach flush, copious washing follow ups to avoid possible effects of bleach left on places it should not be...

Works for me ... but, takes time. Doing it right usually does...
.
..

[Motorrad]

MGJohn said:

Yes, you've tried everything ... So, have you tried NEW good quality wipers blades/rubbers along with draining the washer bottle and replenishing with good quality screen wash... can make a BIG difference.

Overkill mode:~ I introduce a weak bleach solution along with hot water to flush out the crud which always builds up in the washer plastic tubes ~ with sun's and engine's heat, all sorts of 'growths' can accumulate in the washer system.... some very obnoxiously smelling even in the best of Jerry Built means of getting about... Run the weak bleach through continuously until all is used.

If you do the bleach flush, copious washing follow ups to avoid possible effects of bleach left on places it should not be...

Works for me ... but, takes time. Doing it right usually does...
.
..

If you're ever selling one of your cars John, let me know

[IceBoy]

The blades were replaced in the summer.

I will try clean the washing fluid resivior out tomorrow.

Is using Meths or ACETONE too dangerous on the screen?

IceBoy

[DAVEVO9]

IceBoy said:

Tried Rain-x as well!

It is really hard to explain. Almost as if there is some contaminent on the screen which when you thing you have cleaned it off, seems to be some how bonded to the glass itself.

Maybe some meths or something?

IceBoy

Meths..

This will get rid of all the crud on the screen.

Avoid washing the screen when you wash the car. You can buy a glass cleaner with the rain-x added to it.

Depending on what products you wash your car with it will just add a film to the screen each time you wash. You will need a new set of wiper blades too.

Meths will de-grease your screen after each wash.

[Getragdogleg]

The stone chip/new screen idea is the best so far if you really have tried everything.

I would go for new blades too, then fresh wash fluid and a good hot screen clean with a mild abrasive like fairy, if that does not work then try going to the local glass company and getting some jewellers rouge, then spend a while polishing the glass with that.

[Yodafone]

Turtlewax Clear Vue glass polish, I find works really well for removing stains like you say which is caused by tree sap and car wash wax.

You need to put. layer on and rub while still wet and then wait for it to dry and buff it off.

Also clean your wipers with a clean damp cloth then dry with clean kitchen paper.