Windscreen Problem

Burroo 67 · June 12, 2015

Guys,

I have noticed that in strong sunlight (not that we get much of it in the West of Scotland) my windscreen appears to have hundreds of tiny marks on it, slightly bigger than pin pricks, which makes visibility a bit impaired and is a bit annoying to be honest.

I have tried Autoglym window solution on it to no avail. Has anyone got any suggestions as I'm driving to Cornwall in 4 weeks for a holiday and expect to get loads of sunshine down there. This windscreen thing could be a problem?????

Burroo

ChumpusRex · June 12, 2015

These are small pits from stone and sand imapct. No option to polish them out - technically you could polish them out with cerium oxide, but it would be extremely labour intensive and you wouldn't be able to keep the glass surface flat leading to optical aberrations. Only option is windscreen replacement.

matt-c · June 12, 2015

^ What he said. We call it "peppered" (not a technical term, haha). Optical grade glass that you get in windscreens doesn't really respond too well to polishing these days. You could spend a LONG time and a LOT of money having it polished professionally, but it won't get rid of it all, and it will end up hazing/dulling anyway. So as said above, your only real option is replacement. Don't believe all the faff on forums like this that it MUST be dealer supplied glass, etc. I've fitted probably hundreds of 2nd Gen IS screens and never had a problem with any. The only real stipulation is having new clips for the side trims - if you're really really patient, and with some luck thrown in, you might be able to get the side trims off without damaging either the clips or the trims themselves, but generally the clips are designed to break off so as not to break the trims, and go back on with new clips.

I need to do my own screen as it's very peppered, and in the low winter sun especially, it's really noticeable. Annoyingly, my insurance company want me to use another windscreen company to have it replaced! Yeah, as if that's gonna happen!!!

Burroo 67 · June 12, 2015

matt-c,

is your insurance company actually gonna pay for it mate?

matt-c · June 13, 2015

If you mean, would they pay for it if I contact their recommended replacement company, then yes. If you mean, if I phone the insurance company directly and tell them my screen has suffered "wear and tear", isn't broken but I want it replaced anyway, then probably not. But then, no one in their right mind would execute the second scenario ;)

normski2 · June 13, 2015

Worth noting if you get a windscreen replaced

Tell the fitter to be on the look out for any anti rattle clips fitted at the top front of the dashboard. You don't want to be presented with a handful of bits after its fitted with the note....."dunno what these are for". If they are in there they need to stay there or your dash will start creaking or rattling.

I pointed this out to the chap from Autoglass that did my old 2007 220d. He'd never heard of this......sure enough they were there. IIRC they were blue plastic clips and what appeared to be small rolls of insulation cloth.

matt-c · June 13, 2015

No idea what that fitter was doing, but I've never had a 2nd gen IS have any clips come loose from behind the dash. The side trim clips are blue plastic, that fit over pegs that are fitted to the bodywork.

normski2 · June 13, 2015

No no...they are not clips that come loose they are the measures taken by Lexus under a call back for rattling/creaking of the dash. Some who were unlucky not to be covered by warranty could have spent £200+ on having the dash loosened for these measures to be implemented.

It's been quite widely covered on the 220/250 forum.

matt-c · June 13, 2015

Ahhh, I see. Yes, various cars (many if not most actually) these days have foam between the dash edge and the glass - 1) to stop you losing things down the back of it, and 2) so the dash isn't touching the screen which can cause squeaking, and most cars have some kind of height block along the glue line along the bottom to seat the glass at the right height so there isn't too much or too little pressure between the screen and the dash. Can't say I've ever had this problem with a 250 myself, mind. Most of the times I've been to a 220/250 for a rework has been because someone was too lazy to fit the tiny rubber flap-trim that goes along the top of the screen, but instead left the glass "floating" (which is how most cars come these days anyway)