Windscreen Woes - Ford Focus (Bit Long)

OK so it's not quite the windscreen, but a persistent smearing which is making night driving in particular rather hazardous.

Having cleaned the screen with soapy water (weak hot Fairy Liquid solution), rinsed, dried and then cleaned with white vinegar, it seems to stay clear for about a week. Gradually the contamination returns. It is only visible when it's raining, when dry the screen appears clear. It is most visible (and dangerous) when driving at night with the glare of on-coming lights.

The car is not parked under trees - in any case I would expect to see tree sap or similar in the dry. I do not tend to travel on major roads a lot - to pick up road contaminants thrown up in wet weather. No other colleagues are complaining of this - so not a problem caused by the atmosphere around work.

Although I haven't replaced the wipers they are in good nick. Removed and cleaned with Fairy, meths, white spirit, vinegar.

The key is needed to lift the bonnet to access the washer bottle, so I think it's unlikely this has been sabotaged.

The only source I can think of is the possibility of some break down of the washer bottle screen wash (Halfords possibly). It is not clear whether the rear screen is affected, being served by the same wash bottle. The smearing does not appear immediately on the screen after using the washers, but it's not reasonable to be focused on the screen too much while trying to drive. So at what point the problem starts is not obvious.

So I thought to syphon out the contents as far as possible, then use the washer pump to finally empty. Refill with hot water/vinegar solution and pump some of this through to front and rear screens to clear pipes, then syphon out remainder. Flush with clean hot water. Refill with water and screen wash.

Any comments/similar experiences and resolutions most welcome please.

Any better ideas on remedy or probable cause?

Thanks

Phil

Reply to
thescullster
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It's not unknown on commercial vehicles.

We use a proprietary Traffic Film Remover to get rid of it, and make sure the wiper blades are cleaned with neat washing up liqiud, and if the problem's still there, we replace them.

Keep the TFR off the paintwork, though, as it will completely remove any polish you may have applied,

Reply to
John Williamson

I have exactly the same probleme except the crap is on the inside of the screen. Condensation makes it show in my case. The only thing I have found to make any impression is a windscreen squeegee (the rubber blade side). You can "transferr" the gunge (or whatever it is to the squeegee and then wipe off (the squeegee) with a cloth. But I still haven't got it all off. Tried all manner of solvents/detergents.

Reply to
harryagain

On Friday 07 February 2014 09:13 harryagain wrote in uk.d-i-y:

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I like that because it dried to a powder which is then wiped off. IME it leaves no residue at all.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Do you use an automatic car wash as many apply a wax in the final rinse? This can cause smearing and also contaminates the wipers.

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

In article , "thescullster", said

I had exactly this problem over the last couple of months and in my case it turned out to be the screenwash. It's stuff I've never used before but contains "Rain Guard" to "help repel road spray". I guess it's like the RainX stuff you can apply manually, but it just seems to cause smearing until a decent layer builds up - and to do that requires lots of use of the screenwashers. Once the layer is there the smearing reduces and you'll find that rain beads and rolls off the screen if you're going quickly enough.

I'll be going back to ordinary stuff for the next bottle.

Ken.

Reply to
Ken

and its definitely on the outside is it?

Brian

Reply to
Brian_Gaff

I always add washing up liquid to the screenwash. Yes it foams a bit, but does help slightly. Otherwise, I guess it's new wipers time.

Reply to
Capitol

My first bet would be one of the various solvents you have used on the wipers has rendered them inclined to leave a deposit on the windscreen. I'd be inclined to change the drivers side wiper and *NOT* apply any other weird cleaning techniques to it.

You may be using one of those windscreen washes that is supposed to Rainex with windscreen but in practice mostly smears horribly as residues build up? Or as someone else has said autocar wash waxes.

Reply to
Martin Brown

ISTR washing up liquid can damage paintwork - certain used to.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

Change the blades.

Reply to
Mr Pounder

Not that I've noticed in 30 years. Now dishwasher powder is a different matter!

Reply to
Capitol

Use Clearalex in the washer bottle. I have been using this since the

60's (when it was a favourite of the rally drivers) and have no problems with smearing. Not now generally avaliable in shops but is availble online. If you contact me on snipped-for-privacy@sky.com with your address I will put a couple of sacets (it is a powder) in the post

Malcolm

Reply to
Malcolm

Good God, I didn't know it was still available! I remember selling it...

Reply to
Bob Eager

Thanks John

I can't help thinking it's not traffic film, simply because of the limited miles and mainly minor routes I travel

Phil

Reply to
thescullster

Thanks Tim

I have used the dry-to-a-powder-type cleaner, but I don't think it's my cleaning efforts that are the problem. Having attacked it with Fairy, then vinegar this morning, the glass is clean with no smearing from wipers in the drizzle. I can only think that it's washer fluid related.

Phil

Reply to
thescullster

Thanks Tricky

No car washes, all manual and I've taken care not to get the "shampoo" onto the windscreen.

Phil

Reply to
thescullster

Thanks Ken

I don't think the screen washes have a rain-x component but I'll check. In any case I intend to drain the wash bottle, flush and refill. I might just run with clear water while the temperatures reasonable.

Phil

Reply to
thescullster

Thanks Brian

Yes definitely an external problem

Phil

Reply to
thescullster

Not sure how new wipers would improve the situation. The present ones clean the screen fine until the film appears. I've removed and soaped and white spirited etc the wipers.

Phil

Reply to
thescullster

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