My 99SE has over 100k miles on it and has the original windshield. but it has a lot of scratches, pits, marks and just looks really bad. I would like to try and "clean" it up a little. I don't want to buy a new windshield right now if I don't need to.

I know that clay bars make the paint look much better but has anyone used one on their windshield? If so, how did it come out?

Is there anything else that can be used to buff out these marks. (I should point out, they aren't deep scratches or marks; just enough that I can't wipe them out when cleaning the glass.)
Any help would be great.

TIA

Tom

 

Try the detailing forum.

 

Good idea. I'll check and post over there.

Thanks

 

A clay bar won't remove scratches, but it will deep clean your windsheild. I've used it on my 2K2 and liked the results. After doing it, the windshield seemed like it had some Rain-X applied. Prinz can speak to this also.....he's done it.

15 years ago I used a product that removed pitting from my windshield, but I don't remember the name. It was a powder that you mixed with water. It was pretty abrasive, but did a good job at removing the pitting.

 

Glass polish is about all you can do, but it won't take out that much. I ahve used it with little success, but I didn't use a machine to apply it, which should make a dif. My windshield is killing me and has a small chip and I am wishing for to crack...time to get out the hot water when it's like 0 degrees again.

 

Claying the windshield won't remove scratches. However, it will make the wipers more effective dy getting rid of the crud that accumulates on your windshield.

If you notice the Detailing Showoff thread, you will see a pic of me claying the windshield on my Max. I used rain water as a lubricant and was amazed at the amount of stuff that showed on the clay bar.

The one thing I did when I undertook that was use plain water as a lubricant. Never use a QD to clay the glass since many QDs contain waxes or silicones that will promote smearing on the glass surface.

Scratch removal will require a glass polish and a PC.

 

Get full glass coverage from your insurance and have it replaced.

 

 

Alternatively, you can use car wash solution as the lubricant. On both the glass and the paint actually.

 

Plain water works as a lubricate on both paint and glass. Just use plenty of water. Much cheaper and faster than qd. Soapy would be good, too. If the rock chip is in the line of vision, insurance might cover it.

 

If theres alot of dirt on the windshield steel wool can be very beneficial as well. Scratches it will not affect, but depp in dirt and residue it will remove.

--Don

 

Just make sure it is 0000 steel wool and not some coarser grade...

Using plain water probably works better on cars with at least some wax/coating remaining on the surface. Personally I don't see it working too well on a squeaky clean surface. Car shampoo is cheap anyway, and it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

Why not? It is legitamitely pitted and chipped, which could potentially lead to decreased visibility. An insurance company would much rather pay $300 for a new windshield than $10,000+ for an accident.

Get a zero deductible full glass add-on to your insurance policy. It shouldn't cost more than $5/month and is good for all glass on your vehicle with $0 deductible and no possible increase in your premiums.

 

Hmm, I think the problem might be that you should not get full coverage for glass, and then make the claim? That wouldn't be right....

However, if you already have glass coverage (or partial), and these pits and dings are within the wiper sweep and/or the driver's view, they will replace it if unrepairable because it is a potential safety hazard. I had this done after a highway drive... That's how coverage works up here anyway.