A strange situation

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Arya2.0S
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A strange situation

Post by Arya2.0S »

Didn't put this in the q&a section just because it seems so bizarre and isn't really a mechanical problem.
But does anyone else find it difficult, nigh impossible to keep their windscreen clean on the inside? No matter how hard i try, and how many times I clean it with glass cleaner it always seems to form this oily skin over it after a couple of days.
Honestly it's gross, and just keeps coming back to the point where I've left some kitchen paper in the car now so I have something to wipe it with after it inevitably comes back.
If I let it get too bad, the screen will look like someone's been breathing on it, and it's impossible to see out of at night because the smeeryness just makes oncoming headlights and street lights look 10x worse.
It's not so bad during the day, but because I don't wipe it as often, the passenger side literally looks like it's covered in fog, like it needs to be demisted like in the winter, but doing that doesn't actually do anything in this instance.
I'm so confused and annoyed by this, I don't understand it.
Like I said cleaning the screen only lasts a couple of days until it goes oily again, so I don't know what else to do.
Just seems so bizarre.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Not_Anumber »

I use a glass cleaner and then Rainex (on the inside of the glass) which seems to work to a certain extent. Has the problem got any worse since working on your heater fan/ matrix as im wondering if there could be some traces of moisture there which may be rising in the heat and condensing on the screen.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Jasonmarie »

Funny you mention this as not only the Capri but our bus has been like rubbish in side and it has a pollen filter but I just think it’s dust and dirt , my wife dusts our black tv unit ever week as it’s looks bad after a week and she happened to say you can tell it’s hot as the windows are letting in all the dust .
Like the thought of rain x on the inside of the windscreen
I will give this ago .
It will be back to snow soon and that new heater will be blowing warm again :cheers:
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Arya2.0S
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Arya2.0S »

Hmm.... I'll look into this rainx idea, thanks.

I haven't noticed it getting worse since installing the new heater fan, it's always been kind of a pain, just getting to a more noticeable and annoying level now.
Someone suggested to clean the screen with some vinegar, but I feel like this will just make the car smell like a chippy......... actually why am I acting like that's a bad thing? :xd:
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Paul G »

From what I understood misted glass can be caused by vapours given off by the various plastics in the car;- this certainly applies to new cars but whether it would to a 35 year old is debatable.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Lord Flasheart »

I've noticed this in my Capri & also in SWMBO's Audi & my Touareg.

I think its down to the current weather conditions as much as anything, just look at all the dust you get on the cars over the last couple of months, if I leave my windows open a little when parked at work, the inside gets a film of dust after just a few hours & its not like I park it in a dessert.

I know our Capris have pretty simple heating / ventilation, no pollen filters & the like so are more susceptible to stuff coming in from the engine bay, petrol & oils fumes plus dust & stuff from the roads, the current weather just exacerbates it.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Jasonmarie »

I left the Capri out lastnight and the dust outside was bad , Andrew was using a glass cleaner this morning that was working for him but I will have to wait for him to read this as I have forgotten what it was .
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Jasonmarie wrote:I left the Capri out lastnight and the dust outside was bad , Andrew was using a glass cleaner this morning that was working for him but I will have to wait for him to read this as I have forgotten what it was .
Hi Jason,
This is the stuff I've been using as a glass cleaner to use out on the road instead of Autoglym Fast Glass.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Professio ... eaner.TRS0
It seems to wipe off easier than the Autoglym and doesn't leave streaks.

Andrew.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Jasonmarie »

Cheers for that Andrew yes the autoglym fast glass does not seem to work , but I noticed yours was doing the job .

Will be getting some after my holiday .

( off topic ) great to see you today mate also glad you got home ok .
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Re: A strange situation

Post by MAC64 »

i have had this problem a few times ,usually summer. Once when i had a new dash mat, just couldnt clean no matter how hard tried. i removed the dash mat and problem went away. The other time was from vinyl paint i used on the dash pad. Anything new in the car?
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Arya2.0S »

I wonder if it's the plastic paint I used to refurbish the dashboard when the car was being repaired last time.... It's that flexible vinyl paint (from Halfords I think?) that everyone on here raves about. In my experience in the long run its not been very good a the paint is already faded, and turning a strange colour, at least along the top of the dash....I bet it's that causing it as I never had this problem before, and it's the only thing that's really changed.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Fordoholic Nick »

Arya2.0S wrote: It's that flexible vinyl paint (from Halfords I think?) that everyone on here raves about. In my experience in the long run its not been very good a the paint is already faded, and turning a strange colour, at least along the top of the dash....I bet it's that causing it as I never had this problem before, and it's the only thing that's really changed.
Arya, sorry to hear your troubles. Is a strange one indeed. Possibly not everyone raving about Halfords Flexible Vinyl Paint here....just me mate ! Most others have used it and yep said its done a very good job and been happy but its prob me thats been doing the raving fella. But only cause it has done a fabulous job on my entire interior mate and I have not suffered anything at all like what you have and my interior is covered in the stuff !! :)

Yep it could well be this in your situation but a strange problem indeed. I think Rob had done his entire dash in HFVP too. Be interesting to see if he's had similar issues to yours. Funny how yours is turning a funny colour almost as though its reacting with your dash. You said you applied HFVP after repairing your dash. Maybe something in the repair has reacted with the paint causing the issue you have ? Just a thought ??

Has your dash been constantly exposed to this long spell of extreme sun mate ? Without a covering to protect it your dash may have reacted with the HFVP causing a vapour of somekind. Or it could be something completely different ??

Hope you get to the bottom of it though Arya. Must be driving you mad !!

All the best

Nick

Ps. I still love HFVP :wave:
Last edited by Fordoholic Nick on Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Caprifan Rob »

It is a strange one this. I have done my entire dash top in hfvp but have had no ill effects like this. Having said that, the car is always garaged, so it's only exposed to the sun when I'm enjoying it & it's rarely driven at night so I haven't experienced any issues there.
You might be onto something there though Nick as I can't think of another reason for you having this issue Arya.
Could be worth covering the dash top in an old towel or something to see if this stops it, may be worth a try.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by andyd »

Mine Sierra is also garaged when not in use, but often (more so when sunny) I notice a smoke/dust effect on the inside of windscreen. I just wipe the screen with a microfibre cloth until the next time :)
I have a dash cover on at all times, although it may occur from the previous journey(s) as I usually have the drivers window open, therefore allowing dust and crap in.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Arya2.0S »

No dash covers for me, and it's been in the sun everyday this year and last as I don't have anyplace to store the car and I use it daily. I bet you anything that this is the problem.
Only thing I did to the dash was thoroughly clean it in preparation for the vinyl paint, as it only required a couple of coats of paint to cover up some scratches.
The paint has turned brown and almost fuzzy along the top (the front and the ashtray that I also painted have held up however), and there's dried stains on it as if something has dripped on it, though this is likely just from condensation dripping off the screen in the winter and absorbing into it leaving the stain.
I think I might just take the dash off again and scrub off the area that's gone bad and treat it again, maybe this time it will stay nice?
The little bit in the middle with the holes in it has started to crack so I could try and fix that while I'm at it, other than that my dash is in perfect condition and hasn't suffered the dreaded cracking that so many seem to, apart from the aforementioned hole-y part.
Maybe I should bless it? :xd:
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Re: A strange situation

Post by andyd »

Stumbled across this albeit American https://www.autoblog.com/article/how-to ... ccounter=1
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Paul G »

Arya2.0S wrote:No dash covers for me, and it's been in the sun everyday this year and last as I don't have anyplace to store the car and I use it daily. I bet you anything that this is the problem.
Only thing I did to the dash was thoroughly clean it in preparation for the vinyl paint, as it only required a couple of coats of paint to cover up some scratches.
The paint has turned brown and almost fuzzy along the top (the front and the ashtray that I also painted have held up however), and there's dried stains on it as if something has dripped on it, though this is likely just from condensation dripping off the screen in the winter and absorbing into it leaving the stain.
I think I might just take the dash off again and scrub off the area that's gone bad and treat it again, maybe this time it will stay nice?
The little bit in the middle with the holes in it has started to crack so I could try and fix that while I'm at it, other than that my dash is in perfect condition and hasn't suffered the dreaded cracking that so many seem to, apart from the aforementioned hole-y part.
Maybe I should bless it? :xd:
Probably needs a sealant or plastic primer coat before you spray it next time.
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Re: A strange situation

Post by Arya2.0S »

Yep might be a good idea.
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