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      12-09-2012, 02:48 PM   #1
philtrick123
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Surface Scratch on Windscreen

Just noticed I have an arc shaped surface scratch on my windscreen. I thought that it was just dirt but I can't clean it off. I must have got some very hard grit stuck under the wiper blade.
If I run my hand over the scratch area I can't feel it, so it's very fine.
Night time driving you can't see it, but it's obvious in bright sunshine.

Is there anyway to get this specially polished out? Or is it a replacement windscreen?
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      12-09-2012, 03:58 PM   #2
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I have the same thing. It right at the edge of the wiper arc going from the right hand side to the left. I see it only in certain conditions and it pisses me off. I have found if you used some rain x on the windshield it does disappear sort of.
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      12-09-2012, 05:22 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by philtrick123 View Post
Just noticed I have an arc shaped surface scratch on my windscreen. I thought that it was just dirt but I can't clean it off. I must have got some very hard grit stuck under the wiper blade.
If I run my hand over the scratch area I can't feel it, so it's very fine.
Night time driving you can't see it, but it's obvious in bright sunshine.

Is there anyway to get this specially polished out? Or is it a replacement windscreen?
I discovered the same on my windscren two days ago—at first I thought it might be a scratch caused by a grain of road-salt stuck on the wiper blade, but it doesn't feel like a scratch, more like a smear. Have yet to try to see if it comes off with determined rubbing, but likely it's a scratch on the soft glass screens used these days, as I have never had this happen before. Maybe its possible to have it polished off?
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      12-09-2012, 06:53 PM   #4
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Literally just saw these an hour ago on my windshield in the places I cleaned off bird crap. A bunch of tiny little scratches. That was with the excrement soaked first and already having RainX on the windshield.

Would love to know any ways to fix them, preferably without a power rotor first. I've tried bug and tar remover and scrubbing bubbles. Helped a little bit but not great. I want to try some other options and then maybe see if more RainX helps. That way I'm not just removing the RainX I just put on.

They spots are right in the line of sight too.
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      12-10-2012, 04:29 AM   #5
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Googling this question brings up lots or responses- but I'm still not comfortable applying polishing pastes/ chemical to a 3 month old car. Maybe I should take the car to a windscreen repair place for an opinion.
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      12-10-2012, 04:46 AM   #6
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You could always ask someone to throw a rock at it whilst you're not looking and then pay the £50 excess and get a new windscreen....
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      12-11-2012, 01:24 PM   #7
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First and foremost, some scratches can be polished out. Yes, there are DIY materials (and kits) available from various sources but IMHO, they're best for small/light scuffs.

Some marks, especially those caused by repetition - in particular, wipers - are not as straight forward as it might seem. In many cases, a lot of polishing will rid the glass of the finer scratches/scuffs leaving behind the deeper ones. Incorrect products/techniques/equipment can also lead to distortion in the glass.

Glass Doctors get my vote every time for this kind of work and it is worth putting in a call to discuss it with them. I use them on a regular basis (for trade) and wouldn't think twice in using them for my own. You'll get an honest, no faffing about assessment/answer.

I'm in the business of windscreen replacement services, but would definitely suggest against a replacement without giving some consideration to having the damage assessed by an acknowledged expert. Sometimes, it's not worth having a claim against your insurance history (NB: not NCD) which could potentially be avoided. Also, your call to your insurer after 'throwing a rock at it' will be diverted to their nominated supplier who will be keen to fit an aftermarket copy screen. Just who fits the glass is also a bit of a gamble.

FYI - GD do cover the Berkshire area.
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      12-11-2012, 03:33 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glassman View Post
First and foremost, some scratches can be polished out. Yes, there are DIY materials (and kits) available from various sources but IMHO, they're best for small/light scuffs.

Some marks, especially those caused by repetition - in particular, wipers - are not as straight forward as it might seem. In many cases, a lot of polishing will rid the glass of the finer scratches/scuffs leaving behind the deeper ones. Incorrect products/techniques/equipment can also lead to distortion in the glass.

Glass Doctors get my vote every time for this kind of work and it is worth putting in a call to discuss it with them. I use them on a regular basis (for trade) and wouldn't think twice in using them for my own. You'll get an honest, no faffing about assessment/answer.

I'm in the business of windscreen replacement services, but would definitely suggest against a replacement without giving some consideration to having the damage assessed by an acknowledged expert. Sometimes, it's not worth having a claim against your insurance history (NB: not NCD) which could potentially be avoided. Also, your call to your insurer after 'throwing a rock at it' will be diverted to their nominated supplier who will be keen to fit an aftermarket copy screen. Just who fits the glass is also a bit of a gamble.

FYI - GD do cover the Berkshire area.
Thanks Glassman, I'll give it some thought- £100 sounds a bit steep. Might be cheaper if I drive to them. Post Xmas task.
Just noticed the local gritting truck driving past the car again- probably the source of the grit under the wiper.
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      12-11-2012, 04:19 PM   #9
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Glass Scratch Polishing

Quote:
Originally Posted by philtrick123 View Post
Just noticed I have an arc shaped surface scratch on my windscreen. I thought that it was just dirt but I can't clean it off. I must have got some very hard grit stuck under the wiper blade.
If I run my hand over the scratch area I can't feel it, so it's very fine.
Night time driving you can't see it, but it's obvious in bright sunshine.

Is there anyway to get this specially polished out? Or is it a replacement windscreen?
Please excuse me butting in on the conversation but I heard that our company was being discussed and saw that this was a problem that affects quite a few people so thought it was worth posting some info.

From your description it does sound like it could be polished out and such damage is quite common this time of year. make sure you try not to park near a roof that has concrete tiles as heavy rain splashing down can take bits of grit and sand and lodge them down on the wiper ready to swipe straight across the screen the first time you use it which is usually when you are about to set off for work in the morning. We had the same thing with my wifes car recently which was really annoying but fixable. We billed it through the insurance and because it was classed as a repair then it did not attract an excess however increasingly most drivers are now trying not to load up their claims history unless absolutely necessary.

Here is a pic of it:
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      12-11-2012, 04:34 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by groovyone789 View Post
Literally just saw these an hour ago on my windshield in the places I cleaned off bird crap. A bunch of tiny little scratches. That was with the excrement soaked first and already having RainX on the windshield.

Would love to know any ways to fix them, preferably without a power rotor first. I've tried bug and tar remover and scrubbing bubbles. Helped a little bit but not great. I want to try some other options and then maybe see if more RainX helps. That way I'm not just removing the RainX I just put on.

They spots are right in the line of sight too.
Bird crap will always contain grit and most attempts at cleaning it off will just drive the grit into the screen unless you pressure wash it. The grit has ground right through the Rainex and scratched down into the glass. When you look carefully at it you will see that there are usually various grades of scratches caused by the different bits of grit. The lighter ones will usually come out by professional polishing but the heavy ones that you can feel with your nail will need to be ground out first before polishing which is not a great thing to risk if the damage is right in the drivers view. Forget the DIY kits and chemicals as they will not be efficient enough at polishing glass away unless you want to write off your Sunday afternoon trying to get it out. When polishing you are in effect trying to take a layer of glass away to get the surface down to the bottom of the vee of the scratch and you need to feather that across a wide area so it is not noticed. Try and post a pic if you can and I will comment...
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      12-13-2012, 02:58 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Glass Doctor View Post
Bird crap will always contain grit and most attempts at cleaning it off will just drive the grit into the screen unless you pressure wash it. The grit has ground right through the Rainex and scratched down into the glass. When you look carefully at it you will see that there are usually various grades of scratches caused by the different bits of grit. The lighter ones will usually come out by professional polishing but the heavy ones that you can feel with your nail will need to be ground out first before polishing which is not a great thing to risk if the damage is right in the drivers view. Forget the DIY kits and chemicals as they will not be efficient enough at polishing glass away unless you want to write off your Sunday afternoon trying to get it out. When polishing you are in effect trying to take a layer of glass away to get the surface down to the bottom of the vee of the scratch and you need to feather that across a wide area so it is not noticed. Try and post a pic if you can and I will comment...
I'll try to get a picture of it later but it will probably be tough. The scratches have the same look as do spider webbing stuck to the glass. There are no scratches that catch a finger nail, really no different texture at all, and I would say each area of crap has a circle of scratches no more than 2 inches in diameter. I really think it's something that could be buffed out. Am I looking at something super expensive here?
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      12-13-2012, 04:50 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Glass Doctor View Post

From your description it does sound like it could be polished out and such damage is quite common this time of year. make sure you try not to park near a roof that has concrete tiles as heavy rain splashing down can take bits of grit and sand and lodge them down on the wiper ready to swipe straight across the screen the first time you use it which is usually when you are about to set off for work in the morning. We had the same thing with my wifes car recently which was really annoying but fixable. We billed it through the insurance and because it was classed as a repair then it did not attract an excess however increasingly most drivers are now trying not to load up their claims history unless absolutely necessary.

Here is a pic of it:
Thats exactly the problem I have on my windscreen. If I came to you for a fix how long would it take to repair?
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      12-13-2012, 10:19 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by philtrick123
Just noticed I have an arc shaped surface scratch on my windscreen. I thought that it was just dirt but I can't clean it off. I must have got some very hard grit stuck under the wiper blade.
If I run my hand over the scratch area I can't feel it, so it's very fine.
Night time driving you can't see it, but it's obvious in bright sunshine.

Is there anyway to get this specially polished out? Or is it a replacement windscreen?
Get 3m scratch repair kit. Don't use an electric drill, just follow the instructions on the box and do it by hand with no power tools.

Try to stay close to the scratch. You will be amazed when the scratch is gone.
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      12-16-2012, 04:09 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by philtrick123 View Post
Thats exactly the problem I have on my windscreen. If I came to you for a fix how long would it take to repair?
Its about an hour to do it but we do come out to you if needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWrules7;13*****9
Get 3m scratch repair kit. Don't use an electric drill, just follow the instructions on the box and do it by hand with no power tools.

Try to stay close to the scratch. You will be amazed when the scratch is gone.
True, I would be amazed if the scratch was eradicated by this method too!
I get called to many jobs where people have tried to do it themselves and just made it worse, the 3M Trizact system is particularly hard to master even for a professional, ( I used to train people to use it ) Would you want to make your first trial-and-error job your own windscreen? and pay 25% of the job as well? With any appreciable depth of scratch it is essential to lose the depth of the scratch over a sufficiently wide area to avoid distortion in the local area of the scratch. The key to doing this type of job is using the finest grit but in the most aggressive way which is impossible without the assistance of a powered polisher that has an electronically governed speed to ensure the tip speed of the pad remains constsnt despite the load put on it. Most cheap polishers will simply bog when load is applied without this feature which will cause uneven removal of glass which will lead to distorsion. Your hand is even less controllable and definately more tiring. ( matron)
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      12-16-2012, 04:15 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by groovyone789 View Post
I'll try to get a picture of it later but it will probably be tough. The scratches have the same look as do spider webbing stuck to the glass. There are no scratches that catch a finger nail, really no different texture at all, and I would say each area of crap has a circle of scratches no more than 2 inches in diameter. I really think it's something that could be buffed out. Am I looking at something super expensive here?
as long as there are only 2 or 3 2" wide areas and they are quite fine then yes that is doable and it would just be a job that would be within the standard charge for us ( plus air fares ) you may be able to find someone locally that is experienced
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      12-16-2012, 10:33 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Glass Doctor
Quote:
Originally Posted by philtrick123 View Post
Thats exactly the problem I have on my windscreen. If I came to you for a fix how long would it take to repair?
Its about an hour to do it but we do come out to you if needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWrules7;13*****9
Get 3m scratch repair kit. Don't use an electric drill, just follow the instructions on the box and do it by hand with no power tools.

Try to stay close to the scratch. You will be amazed when the scratch is gone.
True, I would be amazed if the scratch was eradicated by this method too!
I get called to many jobs where people have tried to do it themselves and just made it worse, the 3M Trizact system is particularly hard to master even for a professional, ( I used to train people to use it ) Would you want to make your first trial-and-error job your own windscreen? and pay 25% of the job as well? With any appreciable depth of scratch it is essential to lose the depth of the scratch over a sufficiently wide area to avoid distortion in the local area of the scratch. The key to doing this type of job is using the finest grit but in the most aggressive way which is impossible without the assistance of a powered polisher that has an electronically governed speed to ensure the tip speed of the pad remains constsnt despite the load put on it. Most cheap polishers will simply bog when load is applied without this feature which will cause uneven removal of glass which will lead to distorsion. Your hand is even less controllable and definately more tiring. ( matron)
Well, then I must be a master since I took out a 5 inch scratch on my windshield. Try the 3m scratch kit.
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      12-16-2012, 11:54 AM   #17
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I do have the scratch also on the windshield.

anyone can post the 3m repair kit link? i'm not sure which one to use.

thx
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