 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / January 2007Problem with windshield or headlights - can't see
I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The windshield wipers work fine but it seems like there's something on the windshield (like wax or oil residue) that causes a glare or something on the windshield. I clean the windshield but it doesn't have any affect. The only time this problem is noticable is when it's foggy or rainy at night. This brings me to the second problem. When it gets foggy or rainy at night it becomes very difficult to see the road - more than what I think is normal. For example, last year, while driving on the interstate at night in heavy fog, I could barely see the road to the point where I was driving 20-30 miles under the speed limit. At times I wasn't sure if I was even in my lane. I know it's difficult to see in heavy fog but all the other drivers were flying down the road and didn't seem to have any problems, they were all going well over the speed limit. I don't know if the problem was my headlights or my windshield. Other people who have driven my car have said the same thing and think the problem is either my windshield or headlights or both. The car has been seen by a mechanic and they said everything was fine. I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem might be? > I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some > help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem > might be? Could be one or more of the following: 1. Built up oil and grime on the glass. This grime can be hard to see and usuallly takes the form of streaks. Try cleaning the glass with 409 or a similar product. 2. Bad wipers. Replace your wipers. 3. Scratched and/or pitted glass. Have a glass shop check the window closely for pitting. >>I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some >>help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > This grime can be hard to see and usuallly takes the form of streaks. > Try cleaning the glass with 409 or a similar product. I have not found any chemical cleaner that gets glass truly clean. The only help is an ultra-fine abrasive like Bon-Ami, Barkeeper's Friend, or ultra fine steel wool. nate  Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > I have not found any chemical cleaner that gets glass truly clean. The > only help is an ultra-fine abrasive like Bon-Ami, Barkeeper's Friend, or > ultra fine steel wool. > > nate Believe it or not, I've used red-can Brakleen. Stinky, but it strips the crap off glass. >> I have not found any chemical cleaner that gets glass truly clean. >> The only help is an ultra-fine abrasive like Bon-Ami, Barkeeper's [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Believe it or not, I've used red-can Brakleen. Stinky, but it strips the > crap off glass. I believe it, but it may not be the best stuff to use over a vinyl dashboard :/ I'm curious if the OP has tried any of the ideas given in this thread; I know I've had real problems with this on some of my cars because I tend to buy well-used cars; however, after a good cleaning and replacement of the original sealed beams with E-codes and relays, I'm more confident driving my old 944 at night than I am any new car. nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > The car has been seen by a mechanic and they said everything was fine. > I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem > might be? What make/model car? That would answer whether or not its got notoriously bad headlights or not. Do you have the same problem when driving other cars? If so, it could be your eyes (not being insulting- if you've got poor night vision, the beginnings of cataracts, or a few other problems, difficulty with night driving is one of the first symptoms to appear). >I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some >help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem >might be? If you think there may be a film on the exterior, one of the oldest tricks in the book is to get yourself a Coke in a bottle and take a couple of swallows. You then shake the hell out of it with your finger over the opening allowing it to spray onto the windshield with the wipers running slow speed. You'll have to ask a chemist why it works on road film. Do not do this on the interior - it may get sticky when dry. Lugnut >>I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some >>help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > Lugnut I'd almost forgotten about that one - it does work. I think it's the phosphoric acid. I've done this before, but only in the middle of long road trips where I wasn't able to clean the windshield by more conventional means. nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com Here in Ontario Canada some brain dead bozo decided it would be a good thing to spray the roads down with some kind of liquid antifreeze. This crap gets on the windshield and your symptoms happen. It becomes almost impossible to see though the glaze it makes. You need to put new wipers on before every trip and make sure the washer bottle is filled with the right kind of cleaner fluid. On our last trip, suddenly on a clear road everyone is down 20 or 30 mph below the speed limit running with wipers on. Then we got the blast of crap and eventually caught up to and managed to get by the truck spraying the sh.t. It is really dangerous crap... Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some > help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem > might be? > I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some > help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem > might be? Two problems. 1) your windshield probably is dirty. Almost all windshields are, unless you have a brand new car. About once a year, I like to clean my windshield and all the glass on my car, inside and out, with some *aerosol* window cleaner (Stoner's Invisible Glass is good, but there are other products that work) and 0000 steel wool. Then follow up with window cleaner and paper towels, and finally polish with crumpled up black and white newsprint. You won't believe the difference! 2) Does your car have "aero" headlights and are the lenses starting to get cloudy? New headlight assemblies may make a world of difference. If you can get "E-code" (European pattern) headlights for your vehicle that will make even more of a difference, although they are not technically legal. Finally, running your headlights off a relay harness will increase your lights' output for just a little work. Here's one site explaining a relay harness: http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html good luck, nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > > I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some > > help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > -- > Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com Crappy fogged-up plastic lenses usually polish up nicely. hardest part is finding a drill that goes fast enough to polish quickly. Of course a car-buffer would work better. It seems as though the UV gets blocked by a layer of UV damage, so some 400-grit wet sandpaper and some polishing works wonders. Dave One other slight possibility is a small heater core leak, sending A/F steam up through the heater vents onto the windshield. Very slight possibility, though it happened to me. The leak was small enough to be unnoticed for awhile, but my interior glass would film up constantly. SignatureKnifeblade_03 http://www.automotiveforums.com > I'm having a problem with the windshield on my car and could use some > help. I have no idea how to describe the problem but I'll try. The [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I have to disagree. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem > might be? Clean the glass with some ammonia based cleaner on both sides. Take the car to a nice level area and check the aim of the lights. Just find a level area with a straight wall on one side that you can get 20 feet away from. (parking lot at a store will work fine). Pull up to the building and turn on your lights on low beam. Get out and see if the hot spot of the lights is just to the RIGHT and just below the center of the lights on the car. Then back away from the wall and see if the lights go down and to the right. Now pull up and check the High beam. Those should show the hot spot centered on the light both up and sideways. As you back up they should stay close to centered. If they are aimed high they will create a LOT of glare in fog or snow. If a mechanic actually checked the aim of the lights and said they are OK then they may be. It may just be that the glass has crud on it or is sand blasted from use. SignatureSteve W. Near Cooperstown, New York |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.