I've got a high mileage Superb II and I always notice how much clearer newer cars windscreens are. Mine is covered with lots of tiny marks where the screen has been very slightly chipped by road dirt and general debree. I've seen a screen polishing kit offered by Machine Mart. Has any one used it? Is it only much good for windscreen wiper scratches?

I've wondered this too. Mine is very horribly pitted from 10,000s miles use.

This was the kit:

 

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/windscreen-repair-kit/

 

They also do another with a few more bits in it. Still got the original screen in mine and it is rapidly approaching the 200000 mile mark.

It might be worth trying a steel wool clean?

 

 

0000 steel wool is cheap on Amazon at £2.69

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Top-quality-Steel-Wool-length/dp/B010BX2TUO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1447944260&sr=8-3&keywords=0000+steel+wool

Wool is a good shout. For a cutting polish you really need a rotary polisher on a high speed with a cerium oxide polish and rayon pads. But have to really watch the heat generation as can crack glass...

I have seen some beauts where someone has polished or used steel wool on the Windscreen or glass,

and not really been aware of the tint being on the outer surface until getting in the vehicle and looking out.

So upper tint on the screen is on the outside surface? Does that mean the wool is best side stepped? It appears I wasn't using rainex right so that might help!

On some Car Manufacturers Glass it is not only the top of the screen with a tint that is affected on the outside,

hence you clearly see Star Spangles Star light type scenes through Sand Blasted, Chipped and scratched windows.

I have had to replace several screen personally from living near a quarry where sharp sand blows about when windy.

Worst was on a almost new Hyundai.

Smash it.

New windcscreen for £70 through insurance

That's what I would do too

Edited 19 November, 201510 yr by ChrisRs

Smash it.

New windcscreen for £70 through insurance

 

Alas they don't replace with OEM quality. You get a weaker replacement which is then more likely to chip later. OEM screens are not cheap!

OEM Screens are nothing special either, hence why so many are replaced in not very old cars.

Lot of hype over non OEM screens.

Had my windscreen replaced on my Golf R after 2k.

Impossible to tell without looking at the manufacturers logo.

Visually the same. Identical colour, thickness shape etc. Sound wise, no noticeable increase in noise inside the car.

When the guy wanted to put a non OEM in basically a brand new car I was sceptical. He took the old one out and put them side by side and they were identical.

14 months and 10k more it still looks new. No scratches, chips etc.

I would be morr than happy to use again

Alas they don't replace with OEM quality.

They may do if you ask (nicely of course).

 

I had a Saab requiring glass and told them I wanted Manufacturers glass. They replied "yes, it will be manufacturers glass".

I could tell by their response they were saying yes, as in it is all manufacturers glass as in manufactured.

I confirmed I wanted Saab glass, and they replied "oh, Saab glass, yes that is fine".

 

The car was only one year old and I wanted the security etchings to match.

 

I have the same problem with my Octavia though as the previous owner was too tight to replace the wiper blades so the screen is quite scratched.

Only a real problem in low sunlight though.

 

My worry is can they get the right screen re the mirror placement and sun shading.

Alas they don't replace with OEM quality. You get a weaker replacement which is then more likely to chip later. OEM screens are not cheap!

 

i wouldnt let them replace it with anything other than oem tbh, even if it meant that i had to pay a little more towards it. 

 

if your radio was stolen, you wouldnt let them replace that with a cheap chinese replacement would you... 

It would take a great degree of skill and experience to judge the quality of a windscreen just by looking at it. Aside from obvious lack of defects or inclusions a significant thing that gives the windscreen its strength and resiliance to chipping is tempering and toughening. (Edit: Yes you can see evidence of this being done (sometimes you can see optical effects, particually through polarising filters), but you can't access the degree to which it has been done. There will be treatment to some degree on all windscreens to ensure it shatters into small pieces - held in place by the laminate.)

 

Stones flicking up and boucing off my windscreen (mostly thankfully!) is a matter of course on my commute, happens a few times a week. I Live less than 15 miles from the cost which brings in a fair bit of grit when the wind blows inland and work in the middle of the West Pennine Moors on roads that see frequent heavy rain washing stones and debree onto the road. A heavy proportion of Motorway miles also increases the average speed at which my screen collects various descriptions of road crap, increasing the chances of chips further.

 

National average for mileage is a lot lower than I expected, at about 7900 a year in 2013, although I expect that's creeped up this year with cheaper fuel and lots of not-sunny weather! I'm no trucker but for purely private and commuting mileage 25-30k per annum certinally puts me up there. Reached King level on waze within a year! ;-) Thankfully I've only had to get one chip repaired. But that was a rock that dropped onto the carrigeway from a truck, bounced of the top of my wing (denting it in the process) splitting again with a chunk hitting my roof and screen in line with me but thankfully out of the wiped area, so no problems with MOT. Language got a bit colourful! I read into getting the insurance to repair the chip but they use Autoglass, who charge a small fortune. I recommended local windscreen place charged much less and the repair survived the winter.

 

It's worth baring in mind that the screen also contributes a significant amount of strength to the car in an accident. I can see this is another topic like budget verses premium tyres. Pays your money and takes your choices! I'll stick with OEM suppliers If the need arrises, but hope it doesn't!

Edited 20 November, 201510 yr by WesBrooks

Are screens not lacquered these days?

 

I remember damaging windows with a faulty deicer tool. Was going to be fixed at the shops cost but I traded in before that.

 

I think 'accidentally' breaking your screen is probably the most cost effective solution.

It would take a great degree of skill and experience to judge the quality of a windscreen just by looking at it. Aside from obvious lack of defects or inclusions a significant thing that gives the windscreen its strength and resiliance to chipping is tempering and toughening. (Edit: Yes you can see evidence of this being done (sometimes you can see optical effects, particually through polarising filters), but you can't access the degree to which it has been done. There will be treatment to some degree on all windscreens to ensure it shatters into small pieces - held in place by the laminate.)

Stones flicking up and boucing off my windscreen (mostly thankfully!) is a matter of course on my commute, happens a few times a week. I Live less than 15 miles from the cost which brings in a fair bit of grit when the wind blows inland and work in the middle of the West Pennine Moors on roads that see frequent heavy rain washing stones and debree onto the road. A heavy proportion of Motorway miles also increases the average speed at which my screen collects various descriptions of road crap, increasing the chances of chips further.

National average for mileage is a lot lower than I expected, at about 7900 a year in 2013, although I expect that's creeped up this year with cheaper fuel and lots of not-sunny weather! I'm no trucker but for purely private and commuting mileage 25-30k per annum certinally puts me up there. Reached King level on waze within a year! ;-) Thankfully I've only had to get one chip repaired. But that was a rock that dropped onto the carrigeway from a truck, bounced of the top of my wing (denting it in the process) splitting again with a chunk hitting my roof and screen in line with me but thankfully out of the wiped area, so no problems with MOT. Language got a bit colourful! I read into getting the insurance to repair the chip but they use Autoglass, who charge a small fortune. I recommended local windscreen place charged much less and the repair survived the winter.

It's worth baring in mind that the screen also contributes a significant amount of strength to the car in an accident. I can see this is another topic like budget verses premium tyres. Pays your money and takes your choices! I'll stick with OEM suppliers If the need arrises, but hope it doesn't!

Non oem ones might not have the antenna in the windscreen like the oem one does.

Not rocket science, if your windscreen has a feature like that, then the non OME one needs to have it as well, 

or the supplier needs to get a OME one.

As happens now unless someone lets some fitter supply and fit the wrong thing.