I found some scratches on my windshield. I think that they were caused by something that got caught on the wiper blade. They are not too deep but are noticable. Can anyone give me some advice on how to get rid of them/buff them out? I can go to professional glass shop, but I am afraid that they will cheat me. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Scratches in the windshield
- Thread starter georgeyew
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if the scratches are deep enough that if you run your fingernail over them and it catches, then you they are rather deep and i doubt that getting a shop to polish your windhshield will take them out.
if they are light, then a shop can fix it no problem for cheap, usually under $60. it was $30 for me.
if they are light, then a shop can fix it no problem for cheap, usually under $60. it was $30 for me.
Most of the glass shops that repair windshields can take wipe scratches out. It's done with a cerium oxide paste and a high speed buffer kept wet (so you don't break the windshield with heat).
The key is to remove most, but not all, of the scratch. If you grind enough off to get it absolutely smooth, you'll wind up with distortion.
There are some problems. The glass has a "skin" from being heated in the manufacturing process. The buffing takes it off and so the glass is just a mite softer there.
Also you may wind up with some distortion if you lean on it too hard with the buffer.
You can find the kit on-line at places like J.C. Whitney or Eastwood. The pros use materials like this:
http://www.crlaurence.com/productPages/showLine.asp?GroupID=8317&Path=2::8317
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Would it be possible to buff a windshield that's seen a lot of rock action? It's too late for my windshield as it finally cracked but believe it or not it has been hit so many times it looks like it's been sand blasted. When driving into the sunset you can see bazillions of little dots, even when the windshield is clean.
Would that be correctable?
Thanks, Steve
Thanks, Steve
It can be reduced, but polishing an entire windshield almost guarantees you'll get some optical distortion.
Also, the remaining surface is softer than the new glass was, so you'll have it recur.
Cars with 80k+ miles show this micropocking, which is what the sand and grit in the air does to surfaces on the front of the car.
You see it also with cars with plastic headlight housings, sometimes to the point where they become opaque.
Those can be polished with a 5,000/10,000 grit polish used on plastics.
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Well I went out looking for a clay bar to fix up my windshield. Is it actually a "bar of clay" that I'm going to get? I couldn't find one amongst the entire aisle of detailing stuff. My windshiels is now cracked from top to bottom right infront of the drivers seat so I don't need the repair to be long lasting.
Thanks, Steve
Thanks, Steve
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