Help - I can't see

[Bunkle]

Now the nights are drawing in and the rain i lashing down i have a "slight" problem - my windscreen seems to have a kind of "film" on he outside which smears terrribly every time i use the wipers, now i'm driving it home in the dark every time a car comes the other way i literaly can't see a thing, only a smeary mess !! - i used to have silicon piaa wipers which have now perished (and were never any good) and am now uing cheapo standard ones - any advice, i'm considering smashing it and claiming a new one on the insurance but it seems a bit drastic - a friend of mine has a nissan patrol import and his is just the same !

[da SLUG man]

wash it?

[TonyN]

wash it?

Sometimes the simplist solutions are the best!!

[Sancho]

wash it?

I was going to say that. Works for me everytime.

[da SLUG man]

I was going to say that. Works for me everytime.

mine's got some squirty things on the bonnet...
fill a tank in the engine with some soapy water and then pull back on the wiper stalk... hey presto!... a couple of squirts and it's all clean!


you may find that the stalks are the opposite sides on the surf though!...
i've squirted my windscreen in disgust at other drivers many times!

[soupersurfer]

i'm guessing you have allready cleaned your windscreen but maybe try a diffrent glass cleaner (autoglyms excellent).
I've used bosch wipers on most of my old cars/vans never had a problem!

[marky]

Also clean your wiper blades

[Taliesins]

Now the nights are drawing in and the rain i lashing down i have a "slight" problem - my windscreen seems to have a kind of "film" on he outside which smears terrribly every time i use the wipers, now i'm driving it home in the dark every time a car comes the other way i literaly can't see a thing, only a smeary mess !! - i used to have silicon piaa wipers which have now perished (and were never any good) and am now uing cheapo standard ones - any advice, i'm considering smashing it and claiming a new one on the insurance but it seems a bit drastic - a friend of mine has a nissan patrol import and his is just the same !

Try cleaning the screen with toothpaste on a cloth then rinse off.
Then clean the blades with vinegar.

[Bunkle]

thanks to all those who suggested washing it !!

[marky]

If all else fails try SPECSAVERS or smash the glass out LOL

[paulh]

If you find that the rain tends to bead on the glass it could be someone has used RAINEX or something similar it's supposed to make water run off wthout the wipers but I found that it didn't work and made a right mess of the screen when you resorted to using them.
I finished up using Tcut to remove it but it's hard work.

[kitesurf_phil]

I use Holts Mixra (it might be called Screenies now). It is about £2.50 a can and it lasts for ages. You just squirt the window washer then spray it across the screen in a line. Flick the wipers and you see all the black gunky road grime come off. I also spray a little on a cloth and wipe the blades with it.

Another good tip is, when your wipers leave that smear as if they are starting to wear out, pinch the rubber blade between a folded piece of fine wet-or-dry and slide it through a couple of times. It puts a new edge on the blades for a while.

[BUSHWHACKER]

I use cellulous thinners. Don't use turps, it's oil based and will make the smearing worse.

Also, I use a drop of Flash multi surface cleaner in the washer bottle, smells nice too when I give the screen a squirt.





If you're getting a greasy windscreen often, check your engine for signs of an oil leak, or the breather pipe on the top of the rocker cover.

[NiftyNev]

i'm considering smashing it and claiming a new one on the insurance but it seems a bit drastic -

Maybe that's what it needs. The windscreens are laminated and I think the film between the glass sheets on mine is starting to break down. Looks worse the more you clean it.

Nev

[Bunkle]

thanks folks - NiftyNev seems to have the same problem as me and the film between the glass sheets sounds about right, i'll have another go at cleaning it first though this time with thinners, if that fails i'll be calling the insurance company