Accidently scratched my windshield by causing the wiper blades to operate on the window while it wasn't raining.

It's minor scratch, but I'm wondering whether there's a product that I cold use to remove the scratch.

It's such an announce because it's in the window in my line of sight.

Thanks in advance.

TAC

 

http://www.autogeek.net/glass-repair-kit.html

http://www.autogeek.net/lc-pro-glass-kit.html

 

Years ago I purchased some glass polish from Griot's for the purpose of removing some fine scratches in a windshield. While this product was effective for removing calcium etchings etc,
it had no ability to remove defects in the glass.
There are some glass services that claim that they can polish out fine scratches. Beware!
Glass repair usually causes distortion in the glass.
It is my understanding that there are few good options for damaged glass.
While a new windshield for my old Grand Cherokee costs approximately $400 to replace, a Vantage whindshield is almost $3000 for the part plus the cost of installation.

 

It always in the drivers line of sight
My advice, take it to a professional and get their advice.

(Are you saying you scratched the windshield just by operating the wipers on a dry windshield? With the wiper blades in?)

 

Yes, I did scratch the windshield simply by operating the wipers on the windshield by accident. I didn't realize they were on prior to starting the car.

 

I've used cerium oxide with great results; not on my Aston but on my Audi. I could feel the scratch with my fingernail (so it was deep enough that normal glass polishing kits wouldn't work) and was caused by a grain of sand or something stuck in the wiper--right in the drivers line of sight.

There are cerium oxide polishing kits on eBay that includes the buffing wheel that attaches to a cordless drill. Pretty simple really: mix a slurry of water and cerium oxide, dip the buffing wheel in the slurry, apply to windshield, going along the scratch until it's gone. I used a dry erase maker to mark a line on the inside of the windshield where the scratch was--this allowed me to keep easy sight of where to polish. Make sure and keep the slurry wet on the windshield--this helps keep the area cool while you're polishing. Once it starts to get dry, dip the buffing wheel into the slurry. Clean and check the windshield periodically and you will notice the scratch start to slowly disappear.

The end result came out great--zero sign of the scratch, no distortion or any other evidence that a scratch was ever there.

Hope this helps!
-Dan

 

It was my understanding that even fine glass scratches were not repairable.
I stand corrected
Thanks

 

Just another point of interest... I was told when I had a new windshield put in that I needed new wipers as my old ones were too stiff and could scratch the new windshield. Sounded nutty, but apparently its an issue. I did get new wipers just to placate the installer. New windshield [covered under warranty] (TYPO... MEANT Covered by Insurance) was $3300 (heated one) and $500 install at the dealer. The typ glass shops wont touch it.

 

I don't see why you couldn't use the same resin they vacuum into a star crack, just spread it over the scratch, wait till it dries and razor blade off the excess.

 

Glass scratch repair is a very tedious and difficult process. I am not speaking to crack ding repairs that are done with resin.

I would find a High End detailer in your area and start asking if they do glass polishing to remove fine marring. Price will go up no matter what due to being an Aston (ie...expensive windshield to replace if something goes wrong)

Cerum Oxide and very little else is used to correct this problem.

YouTube Autogeek Mike Philips Glass Polishing and you will see the process and what is used and how it is done.

I am a semi-professional (ie......have plenty of experience, knowledge and have worked high end cars for paint corrections) and I honestly wont touch glass polishing. I have a 92' 100k mile mint Mustang 5.0 that has the normal sand blasting on the windshield.

I bought Griots, and several other stand alone polishes, got pads from somewhere (i think Lake Country) and put them on a Dual Action 3" polisher and started. The result in my test area was a ton of "pigtails" inputted onto the glass. I had seen all the videos. I stopped.

Realizing how much work it takes, and you MUST have the exact proper pads and polish that are supposed to be used together, I stopped and never went back. Rather spend $400 for a new windshield. Aston 4k glass is another story.

Diamond Glass Polishing kits are supposed to be the best. But you likely need a Rotary Buffer to do the work correctly. Its just not worth the mess, time and effort.

Pay someone who knows what they are doing to do this. Maybe even contact Larry with AMMONYC to see who he might recommend. That is what I would do.


If a Paint Correction for your Aston done by you is daunting, glass polishing should put the fear of God in you. It does me.

I Hope this helps from a different point of view. It wont be cheap. I am totally guessing but likely I wouldn't take anything less than 700-1k to do the whole windshield. Too much risk IMHO. Like I said, I have not done any to completion, so knowledge of the finish product and how much time it would take I do not know. I just know, if something went wrong, I would have to pay 4k for a new one. Hence my risk pricing. But would refer it anyway.

 

That,s a lot more reasonably (if you can call 4K US for a windshield reasonably ) than my experience. Couple of years ago driving back from St. Petersburg (Tampa) I was briefly behind a truck loaded with stuff. Something came off the back of the truck and struck the windshield.
Took awhile before I noticed a small crack/ding (of course right in my line of sight)
I was so pi##ed that I decided to change the windshield at my cost (Even though I live in Florida I believed that insurance would not cover it because the nick was so small) so I called the closest AM dealer. (You can guess) The conversation went something along the following:
Is your windshield heated (Yes)
Don,t have it in stock, will have to order it (OK)

I then asked the magic question (How much will it cost?)

Dealer: Not sure exactly, but somewhere around 8K to 10K US

ME (You lost your mind)

Had the nick filled at a local glass shop and honestly I don,t really notice it anymore.

 

One final thought. Dealers have told me that warranty costs are significantly less that what a customer would have to pay outside of warranty. So maybe the quote I got was not so crazy after all

 

I mis typed above... I meant under insurance coverage, not warranty.