what are these stains on my windshield??

silentbob · 06-29-09, 10:10 PM

i don't think they are hard water stains, but i'm not sure. there are a handful of blue-ish stains on my rear windshield that i just cannot get out. the glass is completely smooth, and the color almost resembles an oil stain. the rest of the car doesn't have any stains, so i don't get it, although it did take me a little while to get to drying my rear windshield last time i washed the car. can hard water stains be blue?? please help! thanks.

PaPaHoFF · 06-29-09, 10:12 PM

do you have any pics?

What have you tried to remove them with so far?

silentbob · 06-29-09, 10:18 PM

i tried taking pics, but i can't get the stains to show up in the pics. wth kinds of stains are blue??? so far i just tried re-washing (poor boys car wash) and windex...

j three · 06-30-09, 06:42 AM

Try using a clay bar. If it doesn't come out with that I'm not sure what to do.

jfelbab · 06-30-09, 07:25 AM

Sounds like oil droplets to me but without a photo it's just a guess. I'd try working on one prominent spot and see if you can find what will remove it. Try a few different cleaners. Maybe some ammonia or vinegar or baking soda and water or a clay bar or APC or a citrus degreaser. (don't mix this stuff together) Does it disappear when you apply RainX?

raytseng · 06-30-09, 11:23 AM

if claybar doesn't work or you don't have one, try a mr. clean magic eraser (or generic equivilant) with some IPA.

silentbob · 06-30-09, 12:05 PM

haven't gone down the rain x route. i guess i will try a clay bar, vinegar or magic eraser. do you think this could have anything to do with the fact that i got the windshield tinted 3 wks ago? i doubt it is, b/c the stains look like they are on top of the glass (they are above the defroster lines), but who knows. or maybe from crap falling from trees where i park it? i'm just trying to figure out what it is so i can avoid any further damage

thanks for the help so far! any other suggestions?

jfelbab · 06-30-09, 01:53 PM

You didn't mention that the window was recently tinted. You must be very cautious with what you use on tinted windows, at least on the tinted side. Be sure that whatever you use is safe for tints.

I've sen defects in tints that look like they are on the surface of the glass and are really between the glass and the tint. You might run this by the people who did the tint and get their opinion.

silentbob · 06-30-09, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfelbab

You didn't mention that the window was recently tinted. You must be very cautious with what you use on tinted windows, at least on the tinted side. Be sure that whatever you use is safe for tints.

I've sen defects in tints that look like they are on the surface of the glass and are really between the glass and the tint. You might run this by the people who did the tint and get their opinion.

thanks jfelbab. at first i was convinced it was the tint, but there are stains in some areas (like the very edge of the rear windshield, where it is solid black) that are beyond the edge of the tint. i might just call up the tint people and see what they say...

Greg@DI · 06-30-09, 03:15 PM

It's hard to say what exactly I would do without seeing the problem but here is what I would likely try. If you can clay bar the area that should help remove some of the surface contaminants. If there is a deeper stain that has etched in the glass I would highly recommend you use the Glass Science Glass Scrub. It helps safely remove water marks and deep clean the glass. If you have any questions please let me know.

Greg @ Detailed Image

silentbob · 07-03-09, 12:04 PM

thanks everyone for the tips! i decided to go down the cheap route first, picked up a magic eraser at target and had some rubbing alcohol lying around and that seems to be working, although it is taking multiple sessions to get the stains out. still haven't figured out what caused the stains, but i'm not parking under the trees at my apt complex anymore