Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Thu 27 Oct 2011 13:15
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - JD69

Hi,

Hi, having problems with the window smearing when using the wipers.

I cleaned the wiper rubber blades and the screen with meths.

Then used wipers, but still smears.

Its realy dangerous when driving along, each time the wiper goes over the screen it is so smearing you can hardly see where you are going, almost better not to use them and look past the rain.

Could it be the wipers need replacing or the screen wash. Im using wilco concentrated which has always been alright.

If I need new wipers can I just do the rubbers or need whole structure. What are a good make? I dont think the wipers have been done since new.

cheers,

JD.

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Thu 27 Oct 2011 13:56
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - TeeCee

>I dont think the wipers have been done since new.

Change them then. Bosch ones are good, but I find that all the "known brand" types are much of a muchness. Most wipers these days make it tricky if not impossible to swap just the rubbers, but a pair of complete ones are cheap enough not to be worth the hassle anyway.

If they're smearing like that and known to be old, the problem's almost certain to be that the edges of the blades have worn smooth.

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Thu 27 Oct 2011 22:37
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - Railroad.

Is this thread a wind up 'cos I can't believe what I'm reading? If the wiper blades smear the screen it's time to replace them, and that's all there is to it.

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Thu 27 Oct 2011 23:03
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - kithmo

I have the same problem.

I cleaned the screen, with varoius different glass cleaners, newspaper, vinegar etc, tried polishing the screen with autoglym glass polish, tried a mild colour restorer (t-cut type stuff) and replaced the blades, flushed out the washer bottle and refilled with new stuff. all to no avail.

The glass polish and T-cut seemed to partially work but as soon as the car was left overnight the smearing re-appeared the next day.

Help !

Edited by kithmo on 27/10/2011 at 23:03

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Fri 28 Oct 2011 09:56
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - Roly93

I have the same problem.

I cleaned the screen, with varoius different glass cleaners, newspaper, vinegar etc, tried polishing the screen with autoglym glass polish, tried a mild colour restorer (t-cut type stuff) and replaced the blades, flushed out the washer bottle and refilled with new stuff. all to no avail.

I'd be tempted to say that at sometime some silcone wax polish may have contaminated the screen which is very difficult to remove. That said the glass polish should have done it, unless the new wipers have also become silicone contaminated. IMO most smearing is caused by unburned diesel mist, so each time I was my car I give the scree a good hard rub with newspaper until the 'rainbow' effect of thius dissapears.

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Fri 28 Oct 2011 15:13
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - JD69
Interesting, the problem started after I started washing the car with Triplewax car shampoo. I use to use just washing up liquid before.

Either way will get some new proper wiper sets and see if that fixes it.

Thanks to all who took the time to reply.

Cheers,
JD.
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Fri 28 Oct 2011 20:36
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - bathtub tom

If you use a 'wax shampoo' on your car, you're probably going to get the stuff on your windows.

Who waxes their windows?

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Sat 29 Oct 2011 05:07
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - madf

Don't wax my legs or windows...

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Sun 30 Oct 2011 09:29
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - Chris M

It's been previously mentioned that new wipers are cheap. I'm guessing you will have the one piece aero type. I don't think £40 a pair is cheap. I saved a bit on my Cmax by buying a well known brand which I can't recall at the moment, but they haven't lasted as well as the Ford originals.

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Tue 9 Oct 2012 14:02
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - softopdriver

I've suffered smearing on my windscreen over the years, and its always worse in autumn/winter, and I think I've finally found something that works - Barkeepers Friend.

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/8868/Bar-Keepers-Friend?src=mpcle

Its a powder with a very very mild abrasive action, and is used to clean lots of different things. For your windscreen, first clean all debris/grit etc using just water and clean kitchen roll (you want no gritty particles left to scratch the glass during polishing). Now dampen either a clean microfibre cloth or blue paper or kitchen paper, sprinkle just a little powder onto it, then lightly polish your glass. When finished, rinse thoroughly to remove any white powdery deposits.

Personally, I find doing this job in the rain is best, as you've got a constant supply of soft water before, during and after polishing, and I have to say the results are amazing.

Before anyone asks, I will benefit in no way from this, I am simply passing on my conclusion to a problem that I've also suffered from for a long time. I shall also post this on the other 'windscreen smearing threads' in order to share the information.

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 19:08
Ford Focus 06 - Window smearing - Fraggledweller
This is one of the most difficult things to solve - but I have cracked it. Here is the regime I used.



1- Clean the glass VERY CAREFULLY with HG Stove Glass Cleaner. This will remove a great deal of the ingrained dirt. Use a soft cloth to rub in, wearing gloves, then rinse copiously with gallons of water. This stuff must NOT get anywhere near your paint work.



2 - buy some TurtleWax Clearvue Glass Polish, and Provision Glass Scrub. Invest in a 150mm compound pad, and attach it to either a machine polisher or an orbital sander. Apply the Glass Scrub first to a wet screen as per the instructions, but utilising the compound pad and machine assistance. give it several passes, vertically, horizontally and diagonally. Then rinse copiously.



3- repeat, this time using the Clearvue Polish. Again, rinse copiously.



4- finish off with Nilglas glass cleaner, and blue paper towel roll.



5 - fit new wiper blades.



This has finally stopped the smearing which was beyond annoying. An hours work but well worth it.
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