Car windscreen care

[glasgowcyclist]

Over the few years I've had my current car, the windscreen has accumulated a few scratches. I'm fairly particular about cleaning it without using anything that might cause damage but even my seemingly harmless plastic ice scraper has left a few hairline scratches.

Is it possible to use something akin to a car polisher to buff these scratches out without compromising the optics of the glass? These long scratches catch my eye all the time and it bugs the heck out of me.

I'm hoping @screenman has some words of wisdom on this...

 

[numbnuts]

Windscreen insurance comes to mind

 

[GGJ]

Extremely difficult to polish a windscreen and get the optics correct. You will end up having one part with a highly polished finish and other parts less so, one part completely flat and the polished part will have a wavy finish. Using a machine polisher and jewellers rouge gives the best finish but it's hard work and not guaranteed to rectify the scratches, also a compound like Farecla could be used but it takes even longer than jewellers rouge. Heat is also another factor, care is required not to build up too much heat in one area whilst surrounding areas are still cold or the screen could crack. Easier if your insurance is fully comp to have a 'broken window' and pay the excess fee usually between £75-£100 depending on your insurance company

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Hairline scratches are almost certainly not caused by your plastic ice scraper. Glass is much harder than that. Something else is involved. Does the direction of the scratches correspond to the way you'd use the ice scraper?
Windscreens are best cleaned with steel wool and soap. That leaves them super clean and shiny, without scratches. Glass shower doors like the steel wool treatment as well but bits of steel that drop off causes rust spots in the shower.
You can polish out marks with no worries about optical correctness. You're not talking furrows, but scratches, right? To polish glass, get some jeweller's rouge and a dremel and plenty of elbow grease. However, unless the scratches really, really irritate you, just look past them.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Extremely difficult to polish a windscreen and get the optics correct. You will end up having one part with a highly polished finish and other parts less so, one part completely flat and the polished part will have a wavy finish. Using a machine polisher and jewellers rouge gives the best finish but it's hard work and not guaranteed to rectify the scratches, also a compound like Farecla could be used but it takes even longer than jewellers rouge. Heat is also another factor, care is required not to build up too much heat in one area whilst surrounding areas are still cold or the screen could crack. Easier if your insurance is fully comp to have a 'broken window' and pay the excess fee usually between £75-£100 depending on your insurance company

I'll just have to put up with it then.

As for the insurance claim thing - 1) I just wouldn't do that & 2) a previous bad experience that was initially very costly for me has put me off 3rd party windscreen repairs.

Thanks for all the other info though.


Edited to add : Just to clarify the 2nd reason: I meant replacement rather than repairs and it was specifically a bad experience with Autoglass.
On @screenman 's recommendation I recently had a small chip (which threatened to develop into a bigger crack) repaired by an independent and I'd happily use that guy again.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Does the direction of the scratches correspond to the way you'd use the ice scraper?

I'm afraid so. I can only guess that something very small and hard became trapped between scraper and screen

 

[screenman]

Windscreen insurance comes to mind

That will cost for maybe the next 5 years.

 

[Tin Pot]

I had the same problem and eventually gave up and bought a new windscreen.

You cannot buff or repair or anything, just forget it.

Several people, including garage staff, recommended I just take a hammer to it. I was quite shocked.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I'm afraid so. I can only guess that something very small and hard became trapped between scraper and screen

Grit.

 

[GGJ]

That will cost for maybe the next 5 years.

Windscreen claims doesn't affect your NCB, you pay a windscreen excess and the insurance company pay the remainder. When you insure your vehicle next time the claim for the broken windscreens will not cost any more on your premium.

 

[Jody]

Cerium oxide, a powerfull drill, buffing pads and some elbow grease.

If you can feel the scratches with your fingernail then it will be a new windscreen but if they are light its possible to remove them. Check Youtube, there are lots of how to videos. Just be careful to keep the screen cool (which will be explained in the Youtube vids)

Edit:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/2623...=9046371&device=c&campaignid=672517669&crdt=0

 

[Electric_Andy]

well done you for not "accidentally" breaking it and claiming.

 

[screenman]

Windscreen claims doesn't affect your NCB, you pay a windscreen excess and the insurance company pay the remainder. When you insure your vehicle next time the claim for the broken windscreens will not cost any more on your premium.

Rubbish, sorry but I have been dealing with insurers for a long time, and I agree it dies not affect your NCB But it can hugely affect your premiums.

I am only on a small phone for a few days so will explain more when I get back.

 

[lazybloke]

Grit.

Have heard this before, grit gets embedded in the plastic scraper; grit scratches glass.

Supposedly the scrapers with a brass blade are the solution. I had one for for a while, worked well enough.

 

[screenman]

.....and given your username, I suspect you've got some expertise here.

Only 30 years worth.