Smeary windows
Discussion
My Chim is 8 months old and the first windscreen was not the best at clearing. It used to smear quite badly even after numerous polishes with autoglym car glass polish - "For Crystal clear finish inside and out" no less!!
The dealer has replaced the windcsreen but the new one is not much better even after more polishing. Driving home in fairly light drizzle I thought "perhaps most windscreens do this with just a few drops of rain" but when I got into my wifes Alfa 156 later the view through the windscreen was perfect and her car has been outside in all weathers for 18 months.
Can anybody suggest any other methods for cleaning windscreens so that I too can have that "crystal clear finish inside and out"?
The dealer has replaced the windcsreen but the new one is not much better even after more polishing. Driving home in fairly light drizzle I thought "perhaps most windscreens do this with just a few drops of rain" but when I got into my wifes Alfa 156 later the view through the windscreen was perfect and her car has been outside in all weathers for 18 months.
Can anybody suggest any other methods for cleaning windscreens so that I too can have that "crystal clear finish inside and out"?
This has always worked on the cars that I have done it to, whether the windscreen is clean or dirty! GO to the shop and buy either the Independant or Guardian. Take it home and remove the sport section! Wash the car (or just the windscreen). Take 1 sheet from what is left of the paper and scrunch up a bit like a polishing cloth, using a circular motion 'polish' the windscreen! If you do it right, it will gleam!! You must use a broadsheet, Independant/Guardian/Times/Scotsman. The tabloids just leave sh*t on the window! It's something to do with the ink they use (or what they print, can't be sure) but it's leaves and lovely clear window!!!
Good Luck!!
Cheers
Stuart!
Good Luck!!
Cheers
Stuart!
Cheers guys.
I shall have a go with the paper tomorrow. I used to use that trick on the rear plastic window on my midget many years ago. Hadn't thought of using it on glass.
I had the wipers replaced pretty early on without much effect although I undestand from other postings that there are some good Bosch ones available. I doubt the dealer used these as replacements as they cost more.
The smears on the screen are more like an old water mark. If I wipe a damp cloth over the screen I see a mottled effect where some water sticks to and some doesnt whereas on the Alfa screen it is a uniform covering of moisture. The main problem this causes is that it is harder to see out of the windscreen when it is raining if the sun is lower in the sky (albeit behind clouds) or at night because this mottling effect disperses the light over the windscreen.
Paul
I shall have a go with the paper tomorrow. I used to use that trick on the rear plastic window on my midget many years ago. Hadn't thought of using it on glass.
I had the wipers replaced pretty early on without much effect although I undestand from other postings that there are some good Bosch ones available. I doubt the dealer used these as replacements as they cost more.
The smears on the screen are more like an old water mark. If I wipe a damp cloth over the screen I see a mottled effect where some water sticks to and some doesnt whereas on the Alfa screen it is a uniform covering of moisture. The main problem this causes is that it is harder to see out of the windscreen when it is raining if the sun is lower in the sky (albeit behind clouds) or at night because this mottling effect disperses the light over the windscreen.
Paul
If you use the paper and it works go to halfords and grab some Rain X, you will need the stuff that goes on the Screen and the stuff you add to the Washer bottle!! I used it on my last car and even during torrential rain only had to sweep with the wipers once every half mile or so!!! stunning stuff!!!
Its a car polish that is generally sold in markets. Its sort of like the british market equivalent of an american info-mercial where it does miracle things to car bonnet (usually a red mini one!)
Some people swear by it, I've always thought it looks a bit suspect. Its usually sold on a buy 250ml get 10 litres today only, plus a garden hose, tap and house to attach it to, but only for today.
Matt.
Some people swear by it, I've always thought it looks a bit suspect. Its usually sold on a buy 250ml get 10 litres today only, plus a garden hose, tap and house to attach it to, but only for today.
Matt.
I recently fitted Bosch wipers to my Chimaera after being very pleased with them on my other car.
However, on my Chimaera the fittings seemed to be incompatible so I had to bodge something with the existing ones (it worked), then I couldn't get the passenger side one to fit as the fixing jammed, so I reverted to the old one, then today in heavy rain the two wipers collided and knitted together in a "crossed fingers" stylee. Which was nice.
Having said all that, I really rate the Bosch blades (wish you could buy just the blades though, rather than having to buy a complete assembly) from using them on other cars, so will try to work around these problems as I think they are worth having.
One concern I do have is that the Bosch assembly is fairly rigid, which on a normal windscreen is good as it means that the blade is held against the windscreen for the whole length of the blade. However this is a bit of a disadvantage on the very curved screen that the Chimaera has, meaning that the tips of the blade aren't in contact with the screen. The old blades had just been bent a bit to make them a custom fit, but the Bosch ones are too rigid to do this.
Sorry to sound so negative, because I really do like the Bosch blades.
Regards
Jon
However, on my Chimaera the fittings seemed to be incompatible so I had to bodge something with the existing ones (it worked), then I couldn't get the passenger side one to fit as the fixing jammed, so I reverted to the old one, then today in heavy rain the two wipers collided and knitted together in a "crossed fingers" stylee. Which was nice.
Having said all that, I really rate the Bosch blades (wish you could buy just the blades though, rather than having to buy a complete assembly) from using them on other cars, so will try to work around these problems as I think they are worth having.
One concern I do have is that the Bosch assembly is fairly rigid, which on a normal windscreen is good as it means that the blade is held against the windscreen for the whole length of the blade. However this is a bit of a disadvantage on the very curved screen that the Chimaera has, meaning that the tips of the blade aren't in contact with the screen. The old blades had just been bent a bit to make them a custom fit, but the Bosch ones are too rigid to do this.
Sorry to sound so negative, because I really do like the Bosch blades.
Regards
Jon
quote:
Its a car polish that is generally sold in markets. Its sort of like the british market equivalent of an american info-mercial where it does miracle things to car bonnet (usually a red mini one!)
Some people swear by it, I've always thought it looks a bit suspect. Its usually sold on a buy 250ml get 10 litres today only, plus a garden hose, tap and house to attach it to, but only for today.
Matt.
Agreed Matt. Mer couldn't polish the watermark of a.......well.....something with a watermark on it!
Infact I was so disappointed with it I only use it to polish glass now. My favourite polish now is Turtle Wax Extreme - bleedin' good you know.
I have given the windscreen a rubbing down with The Telegraph and it certainly is better but I think I need to give it another good going over.
I now have the RainX but should this be applied only after I am happy that the screen is as smear free as possible? When it is dry it looks perfect; it is only when it is raining that the watermarks are visible?
Cheers
Paul
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