Grooves in windshield due to wiper blades

[dx92beater]

My Subaru Tribeca has grooves in the windshield because the last owner did not want to deal with replacing the proprietary blades. It looks like Cerium oxide might work but it also seems like a pain in the behind.

I find the grooves distracting especially at night. A new windshield is very expensive.

Is it possible to get the grooves out or do I need to just get a new windshield?

Thanks.

 

[oldhp]

Try some 0000 steel wool on it. I've cleaned a lot of things off windshields with that stuff.

 

[dx92beater]

Originally Posted by oldhp
Try some 0000 steel wool on it. I've cleaned a lot of things off windshields with that stuff.


Heck yeah, I will give this a try.

Thank you.

 

[SZR48207]

Another option is to purchase some "barkeepers friend" which is a ajax type cleaning powder but it isn't abrasive. You would wet the windshield and then use the BF powder to deep clean the glass.

 

[Dave9]

Seriously?

Replace the windshield.

Either you are blind and shouldn't be driving, or you had to notice that damage and it should have factored into the sale price, so that savings on sale price buys a new windshield.

A new windshield is not very expensive. Can you prove your statement? They seem to be around $300. If you didn't negotiate a $300 deduction on the value when you bought it, what magic do you expect us to do now?

This is not unicorn fairy land. Seriously? I cannot even believe this topic exists. Live with it or get a new windshield. You knew what you were buying going in.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

4'ott steel wool is just going to remove surface material, it will do nothing to fill in a bona fide groove.

After you polish the glass with the steel wool, wash the windshield with some dish soap or a good auto glass cleaner. Let it dry thoroughly! Then apply a liquid wax or one of the newer spray waxes and polish it up. The wax will not only repel water but fill in the grooves preventing grime from settling in. A light non soap wash once a week should remove any grime that has settled on top of the wax.

I wax my front and rear windshields every few months. I personally use Turtle Wax spray with carnuba and polish it with a micro fiber cloth.

 

[atikovi]

Scuffs can be reduced with cerium oxide but you'll never get grooves out.

 

[dx92beater]

Thanks for all of the useful posts everyone. I will give these ideas a try over time and see how they work out.

Otherwise, maybe drunken Dave9 could come down from Candyland with a new $300 windshield for me since he/she/it is all knowing and the windshield is definitely so cheap.

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted by dx92beater
Thanks for all of the useful posts everyone. I will give these ideas a try over time and see how they work out.

Otherwise, maybe drunken Dave9 could come down from Candyland with a new $300 windshield for me since he/she/it is all knowing and the windshield is definitely so cheap.


I use 000 (3 zero's) with Sonax Glass Polish for turning worn windshields into decent ones, including when the previous owner didn't care to change wiper blades regularly. Use the wax advice from then after getting it back. You might not be able to get a perfectly good looking glass, but something really much more bearable.

Dave9 was rude and I don't endorse this condescending speech, but that said if you're looking for nearly perfect results, just replace windshield (I did this once, it takes hours to get a really worn windshield to a good thing, and sometimes, time means money)

 

[atikovi]

Glass is $117 wholesale at Mygrant Glass.

 

[marine65]

I looked up prices in Virginia and its around $250 installed.
Pretty cheap for a new windshield.

 

[csandste]

That's in line with what I paid.

 

[Rolla07]

Try cleaning it but i doubt it will work.

 

[dx92beater]

Alright, I got a quote for $220. I guess I figured that it was the same as the quote for my Forester XT in the neighborhood of $700 bucks years ago. Kind of surprised since this was the luxury flagship for Subaru at the time.

However, the $220 was a quick and dirty quote. That place really screwed up my last vehicle. It developed wind noise after their work and no matter how many times they tried to fix it they could not.

I will try the suggestions in a test area and hope that others in the area are not too much more money.

Thanks.