is it just me, or can a wiper blade scratch up the windshield..? under certain lights, i can see microscopic scratches all over the windshield, as if a small rock or something got stuck under the blade and dragged across the windshield. the thing is, i clean the wiper blade religiously to make sure nothing gets trapped underneath. and again, these are MICROSCOPIC scratches that are not even visible mostly.
i am using a ANCO brand blade, could that be causing this..? wiper otherwise does a brilliant job.
__________________
Gone but not forgotten:
2003 Honda S2000
1999 BMW 540i sport
1995 BMW M3
The previous owner of your car probably did not change wiper blades every 6 mo. & that caused the scratch. Btw, I used Bosch Icon Blade and it's the best so far & has no pressure points.
Absolutely a windshield can get scratched. The best way to fix it is to prevent it in the first place - because you can't fix it after the fact. Wiper blades generally last 6 mos to a year, you can also greatly help the situation by using the squeegie (sp?) at the gas station each time you fill up. Windshields eat a lot of crap, and the blades just drag that crap across the window.
__________________ 1966 250SE Cabriolet - 86,000 miles
1983 500SL AMG - 45,000 miles 1982 300D - 66,000 miles
I had some scratches on our ML55, but I believe it was due the seller letting the blade disintegrate and the hardware getting in touch with the glass. Local shops don't want to charge me $70 for 1 hr of polishing the scratch, but will gladly charge $1500 for 1/2 hr glass replacing job.
Had to buy polishing compound on the net and do it myself. The stuff sold by NAPA was worthless.
A wiper blade doing the job it's designed to do will never scratch the windshield.
Microscopic dirt particles on the windshield or impacted into the blade will in fact scratch the windshield.
Wipers generally speaking are designed to swipe water off of the windshield, such as during a rainstorm. But if you're in the habit of slacking off on cleaning your windshield properly and then just hitting the wash/wipe mode on the left-side stalk when the fancy strikes you, you can bet you'll sooner or later have a scratched windshield, and the brand of the blade or refill won't matter one little bit.
Best practice? Keep your windshield clean so that when it gets wet, all you're doing is wiping off the water. So regularly use a good cleaner if the windshield isn't too disgusting (Stoner's Invisible Glass is good) and a soft cloth, such as a clean microfiber towel (these things are almost free in a multipack at Costco or Sams). Be sure to replace your wiper blades regularly, 6 months may be too long if you're not cleaning your windshield regularly (so you're impacting dirt particles into the blade itself) and live in a climate that is either dusty or such that lots of air pollution is settling on your windshield. If your windshield is disgusting, then it's probably also time to wash the car, so get a nice bucket of suds and a sheepskin mitt, rinse the windshield well and then gently soap it up, let the suds do the work, don't start scrubbing on it. Then gently wash it off. Don't have time to wash the whole car? Then at least rinse the windshield and suds it up, etc.
Once you get the windshield nice and clean, there are lots of great products to polish it. If you keep it polished, junk is less likely to stick and the next cleaning go-round is easier (just like keeping your car's finish clean, waxed and sealed). Rain-X is fair but it's lots of work and doesn't wear well, I can't think of the name of it but I use a bluish gel that comes in a tube. Also a bit of a pain to apply, but buffing it with a clean microfiber towel leaves a great finish and water beads off like crazy.
I will occasionally use the squeegees in the gas station. But be sure you inspect them before you use them, if the rubber's in really sad shape or you run your hand over it and can feel that it's rough, you can bet it won't do much for your windshield. (Remember, the last 2,943 people to use it have impacted lots of crap into it...) You may wish to consider purchasing a quality squeegee, and then simply use several of the towels at the gas station to get the windshield wet, softening the gunk up, then you can use your squeegee to clean it off.
One last thought. If you treated your car's painted finish the way you treat your windshield (i.e., dirt accumulates and you spray a water compound on it and drag a rubber blade over it several times) then how would your paint look? The windshield is lots harder, but it won't stand that kind of abuse for long.
Take care and enjoy the view from your ride,
Greg
__________________ If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice. Meister Eckhart
When you learn from your own mistakes, that's experience.
When you learn from the mistakes of others, that's wisdom.
When you fail to learn from any mistakes, that's government.
I had some scratches on our ML55, but I believe it was due the seller letting the blade disintegrate and the hardware getting in touch with the glass. Local shops don't want to charge me $70 for 1 hr of polishing the scratch, but will gladly charge $1500 for 1/2 hr glass replacing job.
Had to buy polishing compound on the net and do it myself. The stuff sold by NAPA was worthless.
Hey what did you end up using to polish scratches and did it work well? My previous owner must have been a moron and I have a half moon on the drivers side of my windshield
Hey what did you end up using to polish scratches and did it work well? My previous owner must have been a moron and I have a half moon on the drivers side of my windshield
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