New car: Remove wiper imprint on windshield.

F

Flycaster

New member
History: Have a new ATS Lux bought off a lot (on the lot for around 2 months). Car is garaged. Have the car about a month and put on about 1000 miles. Getting a lot of rain and I noted that with the wipers going, it appeared that the windshield was somewhat fogged. Put on the defogger, but didn't make any difference. Finally, figured that the "fogginess" was on the outside, which did clear somewhat, but not all the way. When I got home, I cleaned the new wipers(dealership just replaced them the prior week) with alcohol and then noted that there were dark "marks" where the wipers rest and also at the points where the wipers moved to their furthest position. Furthermore, there was a distinct wiper path outline on the windshield. The area within the path was clearer than the rest of the windshield. These noted unwanted marks are only visible when the glass is wet. Using a nylon Dobbie pad, I wiped these areas with a detergent soap, alcohol, Invisible Glass, paint thinner, toothpaste, 3M Fine Cut, and some generic compound. Also of note is that these areas are smooth to the touch. None of which made any difference. It's like the glass is "etched," and nothing removes it.



I have done some reading about this issue and think that treating the windshield with cerium oxide, or bricking the windshield might solve the problem, but I have the feeling that neither of these possible solutions are in the offing. If there are other doable solutions, would love to know about them. Also to consider is that this is a new car model (an effort by Cadillac to win-over BMW-3 type drivers,) and as Cadillac is bending over to please, I can always lay the problem on them.



If I have to bring the car in, then I would appreciate knowing what has to be done by Cadillac to clear the problem. Whenever I have to go to the dealer, I always like to know what to expect.... Thanks.



EDIT: Really surprised that no one has come up with a way to get rid of the wiper marks. BTW, this is my wife's car and i don't get a chance to drive it that much. Drove last night in the rain and noted that there appears to be a film the follows the wiper swipe. This film does darken the windshield a bit. Wife never noticed it, but I do. However, once again, when the windshield is dry, it's "clear as glass." (LOL)
 
Flycaster said:
History: Have a new ATS Lux bought off a lot (on the lot for around 2 months). Car is garaged. Have the car about a month and put on about 1000 miles. Getting a lot of rain and I noted that with the wipers going, it appeared that the windshield was somewhat fogged. Put on the defogger, but didn't make any difference. Finally, figured that the "fogginess" was on the outside, which did clear somewhat, but not all the way. When I got home, I cleaned the new wipers(dealership just replaced them the prior week) with alcohol and then noted that there were dark "marks" where the wipers rest and also at the points where the wipers moved to their furthest position. Furthermore, there was a distinct wiper path outline on the windshield. The area within the path was clearer than the rest of the windshield. These noted unwanted marks are only visible when the glass is wet. Using a nylon Dobbie pad, I wiped these areas with a detergent soap, alcohol, Invisible Glass, paint thinner, toothpaste, 3M Fine Cut, and some generic compound. Also of note is that these areas are smooth to the touch. None of which made any difference. It's like the glass is "etched," and nothing removes it.



I have done some reading about this issue and think that treating the windshield with cerium oxide, or bricking the windshield might solve the problem, but I have the feeling that neither of these possible solutions are in the offing. If there are other doable solutions, would love to know about them. Also to consider is that this is a new car model (an effort by Cadillac to win-over BMW-3 type drivers,) and as Cadillac is bending over to please, I can always lay the problem on them.



If I have to bring the car in, then I would appreciate knowing what has to be done by Cadillac to clear the problem. Whenever I have to go to the dealer, I always like to know what to expect.... Thanks.



EDIT: Really surprised that no one has come up with a way to get rid of the wiper marks. BTW, this is my wife's car and i don't get a chance to drive it that much. Drove last night in the rain and noted that there appears to be a film the follows the wiper swipe. This film does darken the windshield a bit. Wife never noticed it, but I do. However, once again, when the windshield is dry, it's "clear as glass." (LOL)
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Try polishing the exterior of the glass with Carpro's CeriGlass Polish. Take your time with it. What you're seeing is marring caused over time by the wipers. Be sure to use the appropriate pads when polishing the windshield. When your're satisfied with your results seal the glass with something like RainX or equivalent product of choice. Also replace the wipers with premium blades. The better wiper squegees on premium blades are usually made of surgical grade silicone and arent as rough on the glass. Plus they perform better and have a longer life. I would also recommend cleaning the wiper squegees down every week during the wash, grime tends to accumulate here quckly (most people overlook this.)



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Thanks for the suggestions, Erik. This is a new car (2 months in my hands, 2 months sitting on lot). I do clean the windshields very well. I don't believe that the wiper path outline is due to use because the wipers have hardly been used during my ownership. No bumps or scratches on the windshield. Running your hand (enclosed in a plastic bags) over the demarcation line and over where the wiper at rest marks are, feels nothing. It's like something is etched or absorbed into the glass???
 
Flycaster said:
Thanks for the suggestions, Erik. This is a new car (2 months in my hands, 2 months sitting on lot). I do clean the windshields very well. I don't believe that the wiper path outline is due to use because the wipers have hardly been used during my ownership. No bumps or scratches on the windshield. Running your hand (enclosed in a plastic bags) over the demarcation line and over where the wiper at rest marks are, feels nothing. It's like something is etched or absorbed into the glass???
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I have owned 3 new cars in my lifetime and they all shared this type of issue. For some reason the blades mark their path of travel and also their resting spots when driven because the wind cause the wiper arms to move back and forth in a rubbing motion while you drive the car at higher speeds. The rubbing of the rubber against the glass marks the glass. Windshields in newer/ modern automobiles as I understand, tend to be softer due to their composition and thus prone to marking/ scratching/ marring more easily. Apparently newer windshield glass/ material is softer because of built in safety measures designed into the glass wich comes into play during collisions.



My advice would be to Clay the Glass, and chemically strip it using a Glass scrub or by polishing it with a good paint polish and pad combo to deep clean the surface. After doing so apply a rain repelling glass sealant to the glass and see how it works out. This would be the least expensive way to start addressing this issue. If you arent satisfied with the results proceed to doing what I outlined in my first response and see if that works out better for you.



Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk 2
 
Sound advice, Erik. I have been researching this issue and have posted on other detailing forums. Several other have also indicated that the windshield glass in modern cars is softer than it was in previous years. Claying was the most popular and sensible response, followed by glass waxing. Although I am "only" a detailing enthusiast who keeps their cars for a while (more than 5 years) and likes to have them in "looking good" shape, I think I'll take this info and approach to my dealership's detailing shop and let them do the work. As this is a new, fully warrantied car, it won't cost me and if there is a screw-up, it will be their fault and not mine.
 
Flycaster said:
It's like something is etched or absorbed into the glass???
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We've discussed this before and I've had this issue on a couple of cars. Maybe someone like Ron K could ID the actual cause. I had ghost images from the massive suction cups used to fit the windshield in place at the factory. It's nothing you could feel and I could not polish it out. You'd only see it under very specific conditions. It would have to be kind of foggy and high humidity. The windshield wipers would make a pass and reveal the ghost image again. I can tell you two years later it has disappeared on its own. I no longer see it.
 
Hey Tom, yup, that's exactly what I'm seeing. This is the kind of consentual validation info that I need when I go to the dealership so that they can't waltz me around.
 
tom p. said:
I had ghost images from the massive suction cups used to fit the windshield in place at the factory. It's nothing you could feel and I could not polish it out. You'd only see it under very specific conditions. It would have to be kind of foggy and high humidity. The windshield wipers would make a pass and reveal the ghost image again. I can tell you two years later it has disappeared on its own. I no longer see it.
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My father's van has this and Florida is the perfect environment to see it. I'm relieved it may disappear on its own. Maybe next year it will for him.
 
Suction cups, wiper blades, static-cling "stickers"....seems there's some kind of reaction between rubber stuff that touches the windshield and whatever auto windshields are made out of these days.
 
Accumulator said:
Suction cups, wiper blades, static-cling "stickers"....seems there's some kind of reaction between rubber stuff that touches the windshield and whatever auto windshields are made out of these days.
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If you were able to use a 500X or more magnifier and look at the surface of automotive glass, you would observe a glass surface that looks like the craters of the moon.

What is the usual cause for the concern is a combination of factors.

1. The "release agent" used to mold and release the wiper blades. Heat will cause the release agent to release and enter the "craters" of the glass.

2.The "suction cups" used by the robots to set the glass into it's channel are lubricated with a special release agent compound, every so often in order that once the "air suction" applied to the cup to pick and hold the glass, is released.

3.It is common for the first few dozen or so of front and rear glass to be so inserted, may exhibit some of the release agent entering the glass's 'craters".

4. Given enough time, with exposure to normal heat, washing, weathering etc, the release agent residue will eventually go away.

5. To speed this up, soak the area with a quality all purpose for a few minutes, keeping it wet with the solution and agitate with a terry cloth towel. Then clean with glass cleaner and observe. #note-the use of a carpet brush to agitate the area will work even better, as the bristles get down in the "craters", etc just enough and add more agitation to the all purpose cleaner.

6. If there is still a small amount of release agent residue, usually a quick hand polishing with Cerious Compound and cleaning with a glass cleaner will remove the last of it.

#Special note-often a used vehicle bought off a lot where they use "crayon's" to write on the windows will show "shadows" of the writting later after the crayon is wiped off. This is due to a small amount of the wax used in the production of crayons to enter the "craters" as well. The process posted will also remove these ghosting marks.

Years ago when I was servicing the Chrysler Nu-Car Prep Center and the Ford Pre-Delivery centers, this was a common problem and how we elimentated it.

We would also run into this at our ValuGard Auto Processing Center on vehicles that has set in storage at ports before being transported to our facility.

Hope this helps all.
 
I must need to let the APC/etc. dwell longer or something, should I ever decide I can't live with such stuff ;)



I was kinda surprised that "A" didn't do much for this.
 
What did you agitate it with?

Sometimes it takes a pre soak with New Car Prep, then an all purpose such as Omni, for tougher, yeah A. But it has to be broken loose.

As I stated, if all else fails, move on to Cerious Compound. The Bird had new wiper blades and had sat for a few month without being driving when I bought it. I ended up using the Cerious to get rid of the residue.

Took a magnified photo a few minutes ago, not to 500x but around 250x, hard to see, what you would be able to see is small "bubbles" which is visable before the indentations or craters.

Unfortunately, the Gallery is still down and I have never figured out how to post a pic directly to a thread.
 
Ron Ketcham- Well, I've never done any of the digital imaging stuff at all, so you're still ahead of me there!



I didn't properly agitate the glass when I "A"ed it, wasn't *really* trying to fix the issue, which I oughta put in "issue" scare-quotes as this isn't one of those things I can't live with (and there are plenty of those already!).



I do want to try the Cerious some time to remove badly worn coatings that are no longer doing their jobs properly.



Eh...just got a nasty stonechip in the windshield of the good Crown Vic the other day :rolleyes: Sheesh, I hardly ever take that car out...just figures. Wonder if those DIY chip repair kits are any good :confused: No way I want some windshield guy within a mile of that car, I'd end up, uhm...having an issue when he'd undoubtedly ignore my entreaties to not touch the paint.
 
Funny you mention the chip repair kit.

Was ordering a new supply of stainless screws,trim fasteners, etc from HF yesterday on line and ran across a kit for $13.00, so since it's 6.99 shipping for the entire order, have one coming, what the hell, it's three cocktails at the bar.

Will let you know how it works when ever I use it. Have no chips now, but who knows?
 
Well, I hope you don't need to try it any time soon!



If you think of it, post the brand name when it arrives.



And, heh heh, your bar tabs run much more reasonable than mine do ;)
 
The key to any of the chip kits is the resin provided and how it cures. I think the kit I ordered is probably under HF's brand. Take a look on their website, all the info is there.

The cost of the kit is just warm up cocktails, a good evening for me is look you, down payment on a car.
 
Since weve been discussing ghost markings in glass, I can tell you they can occur on house glass as well. My master bathroom window and my garage window has ghosting from the window mfr's label that I see under certain conditions.They been there a good 5+ years. I guess it's best I try some Cerious Compound on them. Im glad the cars dont have them .
 
Ron Ketcham said:
The key to any of the chip kits is the resin provided and how it cures. I think the kit I ordered is probably under HF's brand. Take a look on their website, all the info is there...
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That's what I figured, and/but I somehow knee-jerk to the conclusion that HF's stuff isn't gonna be top-shelf.



The cost of the kit is just warm up cocktails, a good evening for me is look you, down payment on a car.
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Heh heh, roger that.



Bill D said:
Since weve been discussing ghost markings in glass, I can tell you they can occur on house glass as well....
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Yeah, our house glass is just awful, but no way am I ever gonna do anything about it. Eh, lots of our windows can't even be properly accessed. And I just don't look up at the skylights :o
 
I only have two house windows to deal with, it might be worht my while to experiment a little with the Cerious Compound.
 
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