TTAC commentator and contributor David Holzman writes:
Like just about everyone else whose car is at least four years old, my windshield (1999 Honda Accord) is pitted enough to make driving into the sun a real chore. What can I do about it, if anything?
I tried some glass polish from one of the big mail order car stuff places, in Wash. State I think. (I’m blanking on the name, but I used to get their catalog). Cost about $20, didn’t do squat.
BTW, Car Talk got this question in the last two years, said there wasn’t anything you could do. That’s hard for me to believe.
Sajeev answers:
Click and Clack said what? Glass refinishing products come in varying strengths, so there is a product for every need. In theory.
The less aggressive ones are commonplace, and they don’t require using a buffing wheel. The more aggressive polishing compounds use tougher cutting material and a power tool. I have not used any of these, but there are a variety of restorers from the Eastwood Company and I suspect the one for deep scratches will easily fix your problem. Just watch out, it’s aggressive enough (just like wet sanding a paint job) to cause hazing and scratches if you don’t use it correctly. The quality of labor is key.
So maybe Car Talk is right: anyone with a late model car should consider replacing the glass instead. For $250 or less (not much more than Eastwood’s treatments, if you include labor) you can have a professional replace the glass and warranty their work. After all, this is a late model Accord with plenty of aftermarket support, not a boat-tail Riviera.
[Send your car queries to mehta@ttac.com]
The bigger problem when driving into the sun is the haze/fog on the inside of the windshield. Cleaning it with glass cleaner only makes it worse. Does anyone have a solution to that?
On the inside windshield, you can try using a glass cleaner with ammonia. Don’t mix it with any other cleaners, and ventilate! If you’re careless, you may gas yourself to death.
Use newspaper to wipe the inside glass cleaner dry. Paper or cloth towels can sometimes leave behind “fuzzies”. Newspaper has a lot less lint.
I have two recommendations.
1) For the outside of the windshield, I’ve found that Rain-X Glass Polish and a Scotch-Brite pad work well to remove every last bit of dirt, bug guts, etc.
It doesn’t remove pitting, but I’ve found the pitting is not an issue once the glass is truly clean.
2) For the inside of the windshield, ordinary soap/ammonia window cleaners (e.g. Windex) just make things worse.
It takes a chemical-based glass cleaner…
http://www.invisibleglass.com/HowTo.htm
…to remove the outgassing from the interior plastics.
On the inside of the windshield, avoid paper towels like the plague. The binding agents that hold the paper fibers together will streak and smear, no matter what kind of cleaner you use. I have success with regular Windex and a clean cotton towel.
As ZoomZoom said – ammonia based window cleaners are the way to go. Be careful as some newspapers may leave behind ink so I would opt for a good quality synthetic cloth.
For the inside of the window:
Do you smoke? This causes nicotine residue to be left on the inside of the glass, eventually causing a greasy haze. Either quit smoking in the car or open the window further and empty your ashtray often (please not on the parking lot of Winn-Dixies!)
I’ve used Rain-X’s Anti-fog compound in the past and found that it works pretty well. For the most part glass cleaner with ammonia works. Spray it down, let it work in a bit (not in full sun!) and wipe it good. Then once its dry, hit it again with a microfiber or dust-free cloth.
To the pits on the outside, for the large ones you can get a relatively inexpensive kit from the autoparts store. It has two compounds; to fill and harden. It uses a suckion pump type mechanism to pump the goo into the hole and then pressurizes it to stay put and glaze like glass. It works pretty well.
+1 on replacement. I replaced the windshield on a 14 year old 911 for about $350. The dealer wanted $1500…..
I just use glass polish to cut through stubborn deposits that don’t seem to come off any other way.
Keep in mind that if your car is equipped with “rain-sensing” automatic-wipers then you’re basically SOL on both fronts. You definitely cannot polish it with aggressive agents, and a new pane will be more expensive than a regular windshield replacement.
If it’s pitted that bad you just need to replace the windshield. Check with your insurance company even if you don’t have full coverage, they may cover it. I know here in S.C. it would be covered.
a) Windshield replacement seems to be the way to go, the cost is quite reasonable
b) I recently used an Armor All auto glass cleaner, + a clean cotton towel, it worked really well.
For inside glass, try a dry microfiber towel and nothing else. Just buff with it.
Normally removes the haze from off-gassing plastics perfectly.
I’ve had several 4+ year old cars with 50k+ miles on it in PA, and I’ve never noticed any problem with pitted glass. And none of these were high end cars.
My 95 volvo was the highest-end, but at 140k miles and 9 years of age, it still seemed fine. And that windshield was one upright citizen.
So what’s the deal? Are we actually talking about rock pits here?
I didn’t say this, but the best windshield scratch remover is a rock, vigorously applied.
Seriously, folks…. I think that polishes work for removing hard water spots and wax build-up on windshields, but I don’t believe that you’re going to be able to remove years of highway-pebble-pitting.
As for interior haze, I have found that Invisible Glass used with newspaper works a lot better than the usual Windex et al.
I’ve been tempted to use some “Bartenders Friend” cleaner on the inside of my windshield in cars past since it seems to disolve damn near everything, but I’ve never quite gotten the nerve to try it…
Little trick for the inside of the glass – Dry erase board erasers are MAGIC. Got the trick from a school bus driver, those windows are huge, and the eraser cleans them w/o any cleaners. Just wash the inside occasionally, and use the eraser to de-haze.
The pitting cannot be removed with a creamy glass polish. It’s not aggressive enough to remove serious damage, but it is fine to remove embedded crud, road grime, wiper build-up, etc. The stuff you bought from Griots Garage is fine for this task but won’t touch serious defects.
Two options to deal with scratches, etching, and pitting:
1. Polish glass with a rotary polisher and optical-grade cerium oxide powder. There are felt pads that can be attached to high speed drills or polishers that work with the cerium oxide to remove/reduce scratches. This is the process glass and stone polishers use.
2. Replace the windshield. Honestly, this is the best plan unless your car is a show piece. Glass polishing is a rather advanced skill and does not always deliver best results. If you can afford it, have a pro replace the windshield and drive happy.
Windshield glass is a consumable part of a car like tires, brakes, etc. Here in Colorado I have to replace my windshields ever 3 – 5 years. It’s just part of life. Stone chip “stars” can be repaired but overall pitting requires a new windshield.
Twotone
Just replace the windshield. It’s the only way to guarantee the glass to be nice and clear with no scratches, etc. For your car, I’d be surprised if it cost you much more that about $300 to replace it, and it’ll have some sort of warranty, I’m sure, against leaks and defects. It’s better than taking the chance at a buff and screwing it up, then having to replace it anyhow. If you’re in the DFW area I can give you a good number to call. Otherwise, find an independent guy, they’re usually less expensive for better glass, and will do it on the spot. I’ve seen some nightmare jobs come out of the big guys’ shops.
Also I’ve noticed that plastic treatments used on the IP like Armor All and Son-of-a-Gun dramatically increase the amount of haze buildup on the interior. Also, they do a better job of creating glare than protecting the polymers (IMHO). Best to just wipe your IP clean with a mild cleanser and water and leave it as is.
An additional caveat: avoid windex or other ammonia-based solutions on the inside of side and back windows if your car has after-market tint film. They ruin the film.
In Florida, pray that a slightly larger rock hits your windshield – like many states – Florida mandates zero deductible for front glass.
You don’t even bring your car in anymore – they come to your office or house to replace them. Oh, the convenience…
For cleaining inside windows, nothing works better than Stoner’s Invisible Glass and microfiber towels. If you can find them, get the glass cleaning microfiber towels with no nap. The ones with nap will start to lint after a few washes. Cotton and newspaper always lint too much. Invisible Glass is safe on tinted windows.
For the rock chips, I’m afraid I’ll be replacing my windshield soon, if I don’t replace the whole car. Full of tiny chips after 194,000 miles.
For the inside of the glass I’ve found those Invisible Glass wipes work pretty well. You need to go over the whole window in multiple sections several times to make sure you’ve got every last speck of grease or spot of Armor-All. If you miss a spot it just smears leaving a hazy streak that blinds you at certain sun angles.
As for the exterior: new windshield wipers make a world of difference. I thought I read somewhere that wipers should be replaced every year, can anyone confirm?
The best, but most difficult, way to clean windows is simple: hot water, applied with lots of elbow grease and clean lint-free towels, and dried with newspapers. Don’t douse the whole car with hot water, though, as that is bad for the paint.
But I’m lazy when it comes to this stuff, and prefer Invisible Glass, too. Clean towels are key to using this, too; the advice to avoid paper towels is sound.
If there is haze on the inside, that is probably due to the plastic outgassing. If you garage the car, leaving the windows open a crack may help with that.
Not sure about the pitting, though. The windshield may need to be replaced.
Good info on external glass cleaning/polishing, thanks.
Inside: most film is caused by out-gasing of plasticizers. These are usually oil-based and ammonia or typical spray-on cleaners like Windes are nearly useless at removing it.
IMHO Invisible Glass can remove it but can leave streaks or deposits if you are not careful. Meguiers window cleaner does appear to remove the film and prevent it from returning.
I recommend squinting.
For the inside of the window use a clean white towel that has been washed without any fabric softener and use Glass Plus, I find it works far better than Windex/Windolene, use a small amount, work 1/2 the windshield at a time and buff with the towel until DRY, do not leave any damp haze. Do this in the shade.
What is this pitting you speak of? I can’t remember a single pit on the glass of either of my cars….
To eliminate pitting, move to Southern California. ; }
Like Twotone, I replaced my pitted windshields every 3 to 5 years while living in Colorado. Since moving to LA, I’ve never seen a cracked winshield, much less a pitted one. Without winter highway sanding, there’s NO debris on the road surface to pit the glass.
What is this pitting you speak of? I can’t remember a single pit on the glass of either of my cars….
Sweet jeebus, are you lucky or blind? The glass on my Saab was so badly pitted that the nighttime glare made in nearly undriveable.
Haze on inside glass is cleaned with 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and warm water.
Pitted windshield? Replace. Then use the pitted one for your “winter windshield” and use your non pitted one during the fair weather driving season. That’s how they do it in Alaska and northern flyover country.
Should you elect replacement, beware of some aftermarket windshields. I have had replacements by Safelite auto glass on several cars over the years. Having put serious miles on these cars, I have found that the aftermarket glass was more prone to pitting than factory glass. In fact, even worse than the pitting was the scratching that the wipers made. Most insurance companies have made deals with aftermarket suppliers (Geico uses Safelite) and will try to steer you to them when you make your claim over the phone. You do not have to use them!! If fact, don’t. Find an independent glass shop and get factory glass installed. The scratches are very annoying. It probably would not be a concern for the rear doors or the back window, but for the windshield or the front door glass that gets many up/down cycles, factory is the only way to go.
To clean the inside of the windshield, you need a product like this:
http://autogeek.net/glass-surface-cleaner.html
What you need to do is first clean the surface with an ammonia free glass cleaner such as Stoner’s Invisible Glass. Ammonia affects car window tint and although the windshield doesn’t have tint, you run the risk of using this stuff on the tinted parts. After cleaning the surface, you need to buff off the haze with a Microfiber towel on a FLAT surface as this is the only way to get the haze completely off. If you use your hands and a Microfiber towel, you can’t apply even pressure and there will be streaks of haze. Also, someone mentioned this but its essential that you don’t use fabric softner on Microfiber as this prevents the Microfiber from being absorbant.
As for the pits in your windshield. You could try a system like this:
http://autogeek.net/diglkitforma.html
Although this probably won’t get out the deep pits in your windshield, It might clean it up to the point where you might not notice the pits.
One last thing, I’m an amateur car detailer and from my limited experience, I’ve found that hard water has a profound affect glass and at night, these tend to look like pits. To get these hard water spots off, I would have to use a clay bar. You might want to try the clay bar first because it would be your cheapest solution. You could find Mother’s Clay Bar kit which now includes 2 clay bars and a bottle of Quick Detailer that is used as a lubricant for under $20 bucks.
btw, if you don’t know what a clay bar is, its this:
http://www.mothers.com/02_products/07240.html
Like several other commentators, I find that Invisible Glass and microfiber towels intended for window cleaning do a bang-up job with very little elbow grease.
Of course, since I have the extended leather option on my car, I may well have less plastic outgassing than those with vinyl seats and cladding.
Joe O and Robstar must live in the mild, humid climes of the Eastern US. Not out here in the windswept Great Plains or mountain states. In Colorado, a fresh windshield will show pitting after a month of driving, or, if you’re unlucky, a day. It’s a constant irritation, but we in the Scenic States live in a usually invisible fog of airborne dust, sand and worse. I’ve often thought you could do a good scrap business hauling rust-free used cars to the east and unblemished used windshields back westbound.
I’m contemplating a new windshield, but I know it will be painful to watch the replacement get its first pockmarks. But one unexpected side benefit of owing a New Beetle is that the windshield is so far forward, the road rash doesn’t force my eyes to refocus away from distance vision so much as in a regular car.
To eliminate fog on the inside of the window on my Mazda3, I modified the defrost vent (blocked off the center) so it blows air in front of the driver and passenger instead of just up the center of the window. You know, kind of like how they used to make them. I also modified my HVAC unit so that the A/C only comes on when I turn it on, so I can run air onto the windshield constantly without running the A/C. Other than that, I just wipe the inside of the window regularly with a cotton cloth or an old shirt.
As for the pits on the outside, I just accept them. As long as I have sunglasses on, they don’t seem to impair visibility enough to be a big concern. Of course, I never follow large vehicles closely enough to hear the constant pelting of particles on the window, nor do I drive beside them. I get by them or allow them to pass me as quickly as possible. I also pull onto the shoulder a little whenever I meet a large vehicle on a two-lane highway to avoid the big sandblast.