Wiper lines on Windsheild...

jfarhead

jfarhead

Registered User
Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
176
Reaction score
6
Points
16
Location
NULL
The driver side wiper started leaving lines as it went across the windshield. I cleaned the wipers and the glass, but didn't improve, and it got quite bad, so I swapped the driver and passenger ones around so that I could extend their lifetime. About a month into it, same thing happens, and both wipers left marks.

So I got new wipers, a week into it now, the driver side is doing the same, markes getting worse. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that when I run my fingers across where the wiper sits at the bottom, there are invsible braille-like bumps all over, tried just picking them/breaking them off thinking it was just dirt, but they're still there, so it must be something with the glass itself.

Now will any of these do the job of smoothing out the bottom of the windshield or is there a common/easier way around this?

Some possible solutions or just another waste of money?

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail....Kit&catID=20&frostCat=&frostSubCat=&subCatID=

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....Track=true&ssPageName=VIP:Watchlink:middle:uk

Thanks
J
 
Sounds like bonded surface contamination to me (which could be anything ranging from industrial fallout, to overspray, to tar, etc, etc). The first thing i would do is to clay the glass using an aggressive clay bar and a lubricant, as this should exfoliate the contaminants away, leaving the glass perfectly smooth again - the wipers will then behave perfectly, providing they are not damaged in any way. More details on claying can be found here...

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/guides_clean.html

:icon_thumright:
 
I guess this is what I would be after then:

Meguiars Quik Clay Kit
100 g clay bar, 473 ml lubricant
 
Sort of... that clay is a mild grade, so will do the job, but more slowly than an aggressive clay. The best option would be a coarser clay like Meguiars Detailing Clay Aggressive used in conjunction with Meguiars Quik Detailer or Meguiars Last Touch, but this is more expensive, and not suitable for novice use on bodywork at a later date. Although the Quik Clay Kit may take a bit longer to do the job, you'll also be able to safely use it on your paint come the spring, and it offers best value for money. Decisions, decisions! :icon_thumright:
 
Sweet, ordered the newbie clay bar! Hopefully the mild one will be enough to do the job.
 
yeah tell any photos i may need to go down that road too
 
Sorry for the hijack, but...

will this advice stand for scratches on the windscreen? My wipers froze to the screen in the recent weather and ripped - leaving the rubber behind. I now have an arc of scratches across the drivers side.

Your advice is appreciated.

AR
 
It depends how deep the scratches are - I had very very fine scratches on my windscreen that you could not feel with a finger nail - I managed to find a windscreen chap who polished then out using something called Jewellers rouge. It what they use to take out scratches from watch glass.

If they are deeper then it might be a new windscreen job!
 
As above, in the case of scratches (as opposed to bonded contaminants) you will need to polish the glass to remove the defects, using specialist polishes and felt pads (by machine). We've been testing various specialist polishes over the last couple of months, and results can be excellent if the defects aren't too deep. It's honestly not really a DIY job, so it might be worth seeking out a windscreen specialist in your area to take a look and provide a quote. :icon_thumright:
 
Sorry for the delay.

When using the clay, it would jar on some parts of the windscreen and after a few strokes would feel "free" again. The clay would then get black lines on it which I'm guessing the the solid dirt coming off the glass.

This cleared the problem on some minor lines on the passenger side and some on the driver side, but once the dirt was taken off, I found out there were some near-invisible chips on the screen which. I have only 3 lines left, but that's alot better than before.

Naturally I went over the bonnet, grill, lights and plate as well and cleared the specs that have been building up slowly.

Basically, make sure they are chips! I was unfortunate to have chips hidden under dirt I guess.
 
That is bad luck, but happy you were able to confirm it was bonded grime causing the (main) problem. I'm going to have to do mine soon as I have developed a similar problem in the last few weeks; tar spots seem to be the problem. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Paint peeling on wiper arms
Replies
4
Views
1K
joost
J
C
Mastered the hoover lines...almost :)!
Replies
3
Views
965
Christian_a4
C
The Challinor
Squeaky back wiper
Replies
9
Views
1K
S32B
S32B
OCDaveS4
Windscreen Wiper Scratch - aaargh !
Replies
3
Views
954
OCDaveS4
OCDaveS4
F
Wiper judder after GTechniq glass treatment
Replies
34
Views
11K
SPIKE_
SPIKE_
Top
Back