feels like i'm driving in a sandstorm!!
10-12-08, 07:35 AM
#16
If they clayed the glass and it feels smooth then what you are looking at is likely pitting.
If your car sat on a lot or in an outdoor environment with lots of acid rain or industrial pollutants the glass could have been etched. Take a strong light and a jewelers loupe and inspect the glass.
A few years back I was working in a historical part of the city. The building owner hired a contractor to clean up the exterior of the building. That contractor sprayed the brick face with hydrofluoric acid. Unfortunately they did this on windy days and all the cars in the adjacent parking lot, as well as those just driving by, got the overspray. This acid etched everyones glass. The effect was really noticeable when driving at night. The pits would sparkle from oncoming headlights or street lights. Most of the owners of these vehicles never knew what happened to their cars. The contractor's insurer dropped him after all the claims rolled in. BTW, Hydrofluoric acid is a level 8 hazardous waste. For prospective, nuclear waste is considered a level 9, so this was some pretty bad stuff yet it is commonly used to clean old brick buildings.
My point is that you never know what can attack your car. In this case no one ever suspected what had occurred. Suddenly their glass developed a really bad problem. In several cases the paint and metal parts of cars was damaged as well.
If your car sat on a lot or in an outdoor environment with lots of acid rain or industrial pollutants the glass could have been etched. Take a strong light and a jewelers loupe and inspect the glass.
A few years back I was working in a historical part of the city. The building owner hired a contractor to clean up the exterior of the building. That contractor sprayed the brick face with hydrofluoric acid. Unfortunately they did this on windy days and all the cars in the adjacent parking lot, as well as those just driving by, got the overspray. This acid etched everyones glass. The effect was really noticeable when driving at night. The pits would sparkle from oncoming headlights or street lights. Most of the owners of these vehicles never knew what happened to their cars. The contractor's insurer dropped him after all the claims rolled in. BTW, Hydrofluoric acid is a level 8 hazardous waste. For prospective, nuclear waste is considered a level 9, so this was some pretty bad stuff yet it is commonly used to clean old brick buildings.
My point is that you never know what can attack your car. In this case no one ever suspected what had occurred. Suddenly their glass developed a really bad problem. In several cases the paint and metal parts of cars was damaged as well.
turns out there was overspray on the headlights, parts of the fenders, hood and front doors. the first time i took it in, there was some sort of miscommunication and they only did the front part of the car-and it looked great. i brought it in a second time to do the rest of the car and the windows and now the body looks and feels amazing, but there is still overspray on the windows.
now, it sort of looks like glitter (as mentioned in another member's post). it's not as bad as before and the glass feels a lot smoother. is overspray harder to remove off glass and is the dealership not putting in enough elbow grease? or is possible that this is not even overspray and some sort of other contimaninent?
unfortunately during the time of day at the dealership, the window looked perfectly clear. should i take matters into my own hands or keep on going back to the dealership?
now, it sort of looks like glitter (as mentioned in another member's post). it's not as bad as before and the glass feels a lot smoother. is overspray harder to remove off glass and is the dealership not putting in enough elbow grease? or is possible that this is not even overspray and some sort of other contimaninent?
unfortunately during the time of day at the dealership, the window looked perfectly clear. should i take matters into my own hands or keep on going back to the dealership?
10-12-08, 09:51 AM
#17
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thanks for the info jim. i actually looked at it again and thought that maybe they had overlooked it or rushed through it because there was so much of it left. i didn't want to waste any more time with the dealership, so i went out and bought meguiars smooth surface clay kit. i have absolutely no experience with detailing, but i can't believe how well this thing worked!! it IS the next best thing since sliced bread!! it took me a few passes, but i could just feel it coming off!! i just wiped the windows down with a MF towel, but is there anything i can use to touch it up? can i just wipe down the windows with a damp MF towel then dry it off with a dry MF towel? the kit came with a sample of cleaner wax, but i wasn't sure if i could use that on windows.
10-12-08, 11:08 AM
#18
Good to hear you found how easy it is to use clay.
I'd suggest using either Stoners Invisible Glass or Meguiars NXT Glass Cleaner on the windows. I'd not recommend waxing the glass. Wax will degrade over time, as it is designed to do, and when this occurs your visibility will be degraded as well. Wax or sealant can also cause wiper chatter and streaking. If you like you can apply something like Aquapel or RainX to the glass but some report wiper chatter with this too. I just keep my glass clean.
I'd use the cleaner wax sample for detailing the inside painted areas under the hood and trunk areas.
I'd suggest using either Stoners Invisible Glass or Meguiars NXT Glass Cleaner on the windows. I'd not recommend waxing the glass. Wax will degrade over time, as it is designed to do, and when this occurs your visibility will be degraded as well. Wax or sealant can also cause wiper chatter and streaking. If you like you can apply something like Aquapel or RainX to the glass but some report wiper chatter with this too. I just keep my glass clean.
I'd use the cleaner wax sample for detailing the inside painted areas under the hood and trunk areas.
thanks for the info jim. i actually looked at it again and thought that maybe they had overlooked it or rushed through it because there was so much of it left. i didn't want to waste any more time with the dealership, so i went out and bought meguiars smooth surface clay kit. i have absolutely no experience with detailing, but i can't believe how well this thing worked!! it IS the next best thing since sliced bread!! it took me a few passes, but i could just feel it coming off!! i just wiped the windows down with a MF towel, but is there anything i can use to touch it up? can i just wipe down the windows with a damp MF towel then dry it off with a dry MF towel? the kit came with a sample of cleaner wax, but i wasn't sure if i could use that on windows.
10-12-08, 03:02 PM
#19
thanks for the info jim. i actually looked at it again and thought that maybe they had overlooked it or rushed through it because there was so much of it left. i didn't want to waste any more time with the dealership, so i went out and bought meguiars smooth surface clay kit. i have absolutely no experience with detailing, but i can't believe how well this thing worked!! it IS the next best thing since sliced bread!! it took me a few passes, but i could just feel it coming off!! i just wiped the windows down with a MF towel, but is there anything i can use to touch it up? can i just wipe down the windows with a damp MF towel then dry it off with a dry MF towel? the kit came with a sample of cleaner wax, but i wasn't sure if i could use that on windows.
10-12-08, 08:59 PM
#20
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hahaha yea, i believed you guys, it's just that i didn't have any time and thought that i'd just have them do the work with my 1000 mile checkup. i enjoyed doing it.
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