Dangerous Smearing Windscreen!

[FOGWAR]

Hello all,

I really need a solution to this dangerous problem, I have a CLK W208 with the single arm wiper. When I bought the car a few years ago the windscreen would smear under any kind of rainfall, so I bought a new Bosch wiper blade thinking that would cure it.........it didn't. It's almost like millions of tiny clouds form once the blade goes over the windscreen and visibility becomes dangerously low. I went up to Scotland through some torrential rain and it was frighting how little I could see. I always clean the blade when I wash the car so I thought it might be car wash product that I was using to clean the windscreen with. So I washed it just with warm water and a plastic bristled brush, but it's still the same.

I would say it's poor in all outdoor temperatures but when it's cold it does seem to get a little worse. I don't run the car excessively hot or cold inside and I've tried using the air-con but it doesn't work.

Does anyone else suffer from the same problem or know how to cure it.


Thanks.

 

[jberks]

Assuming the wipoer blade is in good condition I think you can rule that out. People often blame the blade but in my experience, smearing is more often caused by grease. Very common this time of year as roads warm and cool.

To start with, you need to clean the windscreen with a decent strong, abrasive glass cleaner. Then see how it is. Do be aware though, that sometimes the fix can be quite temporary.As soon as the road spray hits the screen it starts building up again. I used to buy something called Holts Mixra which was an aerosol you sprayed on the screen and then washed off with the windscreen washers. I would often use it twice a day in bad weather. Not sure if its still available. I have used washing up liquid, blathered it over the screen fairly neat and use the washers and wipers to wipe of, cleaning the blade and screen in one. However washing up liquid contains salt so i'd also recommend rinsing thoroughly with a hose pipe too.

The other common causes are things like de-icer which often leave a residue. I never use de-icer for this reason.
Another possible cause is that the screen is scratched/worn - in which case use an abrasive cleaner to polish it back up again.

I also sometimes use "Rainx". I've left it off the windscreen recently as the 211's wiper system is so good I don't need it, and it doesn't sit so well with the rain sensor, but I always use it on the other windows and the mirrors. It stops the water sticking (which is your problem) so it beads up and just rolls off. Clean and polish the screen before applying though as it seals in whatever is on there already. Theoretically, once applied, you shouldn't need wipers at all, the water will just blow off.

 

[Blobcat]

I use autoglym car body wash then the glass cleaner and finally the glass polish. I've not had issues with my previous single arm wiper or with the two arm setup I now have. It does sound like something on the glass that is not being washed away.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I use a DIY solution in the washer bottle - cleans the screen and never freezes. In the 5L flask I put about 200 ml methylated spirit, a goodly splash of washing up liquid (detergent) and fill up with tapwater. So its not expensive!

I clean the windscreen and door mirrors regularly with Mr Muscle and wipe the blades when I do, and when I wash the car.

This solution works for me. It never ices and clears all manner of stuff off the screen. I first did this when I lived in the Netherlands where winter temperatures were very severe (they treat the diesel there to prevent waxing), and I have carried on since - though perhaps less methylated spirit in all but the coldest weather.

I am sure the purists will scream protest about the effects of meths on paintwork or rubber seals but in 20 years I have seen no ill effects to either. Probably because you usually wash the screen when it is raining or snowing, and the mixture gets diluted or washed off very smartly.

Having said that, the problem here certainly seems to be something on the glass, or abrasion of the glass. I think I would try a solvent first (meths), and if that did not work, an abrasive polish.

It will be interesting to hear how you cure the problem

 

[Dosco]

Old Chauffeur trick

.....use tooth paste before you wash the car, if you can get the tooth powder that is better than the stuff from a tube. If you have car shampoo residue on the screen that will also give problems so again a going over with TP then wipe with a damp cloth followed by a micro cloth 'should' help remove or at least reduce the problem.

 

[74merc]

Clean the windscreen and wipers with traffic film remover. Some shampoos have this built in but it is possible to buy a bottle of it on it's own.

 

[FOGWAR]

Hello again,

Sorry for the late reply as I've just got married and been away on my Honeymoon!.......and it's so good to be back with the English weather.

Anyway I tried some glass polish and it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. I've only used the car a couple of times in the rain but it's definitely a big improvement on the way it was. I'll see how it goes and maybe give it another polish if things go back the way they were.

Yet another problem solved by the wisdom of this forum! Thanks for all your help and suggestions fellas.

 

[dragon]

Those screen washer fluild I bought at Tesco/Asda are pungent and smell like sulfur dioxide.

 

[television]

I am not sure about commercial glass cleaners as used for the house, they look fine but soon smear up again.

Like said above the glass polishes are a white powder and that rubed on by hand does do an effective job

 

[dragon]

Use turtle glass cleaner specially for cars.

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Hello all,

I really need a solution to this dangerous problem, I have a CLK W208 with the single arm wiper. When I bought the car a few years ago the windscreen would smear under any kind of rainfall, so I bought a new Bosch wiper blade thinking that would cure it.........it didn't. It's almost like millions of tiny clouds form once the blade goes over the windscreen and visibility becomes dangerously low. I went up to Scotland through some torrential rain and it was frighting how little I could see. I always clean the blade when I wash the car so I thought it might be car wash product that I was using to clean the windscreen with. So I washed it just with warm water and a plastic bristled brush, but it's still the same.

I would say it's poor in all outdoor temperatures but when it's cold it does seem to get a little worse. I don't run the car excessively hot or cold inside and I've tried using the air-con but it doesn't work.

Does anyone else suffer from the same problem or know how to cure it.


Thanks.

I had the same problem with the single wiper on my Jag.

The cure was threefold:

1. Bought some Windscreen Cleaner from Jaguar - may be similar brands available - but it was only £4 or so anyway.
2. Replaced the 'normal' rubber wiper with a long-life SILICON one.
3. Finally, treated the windscreen with a rain-repellent substance called Rain-X from Halfords.

The result was a total transformation - perfect vision, at night, in a downpour. Even the horrible lorry-spray on Motorways was of no consequence whatsoever.

Good Luck!

 

[doversole]

Yup,

Agree wholeheartedly with Rain-X recommendation. It's actually 90% Isopropyl Alcohol (something we happen to have gallons of at work)

Clean the screen thoroughly first, removing any trace of silicone - which bonds to glass like you know what and will make the wiper skip and judder. Apply the Rain-X and let it dry, buff it off afterwards and it should remain active for weeks. Believe Rain-X is available as a washer bottle additive although i've never tried it.

DoverSole

 

[television]

Do not use rain X with auto wipers,, it will break down the water droplets into micro droplets so small that the rain detector cant recognize them and will not work

 

[doversole]

Point noted, Malcolm

I don't have a rain sensor so it's not a problem for me.

DoverSole

 

[Rory]

I use Rain-X on side windows but have never been happy with it on the screen, although I recently read a tip to apply it with bare hands so you can tell it's fully covering the screen!

For cleaning, AutoGlym glass polish is the best I've used. One thing I do is to use old tea-towels that have been hot machine washed without fabric conditioner.

 

[FELLOW]

CLK windscreen smear!

Yep have a CLK w208 as well

Have the same problem...

Tried cleaning the screen....vinegar, washing up liquid, auto gym, mr muscle etc... thought the sreen could be ingrained but recently had new screen due to stone chip... and that's not the problem.. new wippers work for a very short time and are fine on othe cars when stop working on merc...?? I wonder if its a contact problem with wipper blade and screen...may try one of those new performance blades or multi edge jobs next..


haven't yet tried rain X

 

[doversole]

I bought one of the new one-piece constant pressure blades - you can tell they're different as they are preformed (banana shaped) in the packet. Tesco's £8 - best blade i've ever had - no skips, no juddering, no smears - nothing.

DoverSole

 

[television]

I bought one of the new one-piece constant pressure blades - you can tell they're different as they are preformed (banana shaped) in the packet. Tesco's £8 - best blade i've ever had - no skips, no juddering, no smears - nothing.

DoverSole

Was that cheaper than ASDA did you check ;-);-)

 

[dragon]

£8 is dirt cheap. A proper Bosch at least a tenner even more at Halfords.

 

[doversole]

Malcolm, you don't miss a trick.

Let you into a secret - when Tesco introduced them last year they were BOGOFF - that's £4 each. The spare's in the shed.

Double bargain, Dragon!

DoverSole