Blurry streaks and rainbow pattern on windshield.

[hailpersia]

edit notes: bimmerpost mobile app rotates pictures when I upload, sorry about the orientation


Hi all,
During nighttime driving in the rain, I noticed that there seems to be some sort of haze on the windshield and more pronounced when my windshield wipers are running. it's wired because it outlines the area where the wipers clean.

Today, I was cleaning the windshield with invisible glass and I noticed a couple weird things:

1. the area where the wipers run and the outside area react differently to moisture, almost as if the outside area has some sort of coating (ceramic?) and inside area has rubbed off (bought the car a few months old and it's a 2018). you can see this in the picture.

2. as I was cleaning it, I noticed rainbow stealing in the area where the wipers clean but not the outside area. is this a result of ceramic coating maybe?

Has anyone experienced the following issues? Any ideas on what it may be or how I can treat/clean it?

thanks in advance!

[clutchdj]

Rainbow streaks are oil and residue. Clay bar the entire windshield. Might need new wipers too..but clay first.

[flipnkraut]

Originally Posted by hailpersia

Hi all,
During nighttime driving in the rain, I noticed that there seems to be some sort of haze on the windshield and more pronounced when my windshield wipers are running. it's wired because it outlines the area where the wipers clean.

Today, I was cleaning the windshield with invisible glass and I noticed a couple weird things:

1. the area where the wipers run and the outside area react differently to moisture, almost as if the outside area has some sort of coating (ceramic?) and inside area has rubbed off (bought the car a few months old and it's a 2018). you can see this in the picture.

2. as I was cleaning it, I noticed rainbow stealing in the area where the wipers clean but not the outside area. is this a result of ceramic coating maybe?

Has anyone experienced the following issues? Any ideas on what it may be or how I can treat/clean it?

thanks in advance!

It's exactly what happens when the windshield and/or wipers are contaminated.

You can try a quick fix using something like CarPro Spotless. If that doesn't work you're going to have to go through a couple steps.

Start with a good wash with a soap that doesn't have any waxes in it. Then clay bar the entire windshield. If you have a DA I'd suggest polishing with a rayon glass pad. Clean the windshield again with CarPro eraser. Next replace your wipers just to be sure the contamination isn't from that.

Now your windshield should be contaminate free. You can apply a glass coating if you want but I've found if you follow the steps above, especially the polishing, you don't need a coating, water just flys right off.

[hailpersia]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

Rainbow streaks are oil and residue. Clay bar the entire windshield. Might need new wipers too..but clay first.

that's a great idea, I'll do that. ty

[hailpersia]

Originally Posted by flipnkraut

It's exactly what happens when the windshield and/or wipers are contaminated.

You can try a quick fix using something like CarPro Spotless. If that doesn't work you're going to have to go through a couple steps.

Start with a good wash with a soap that doesn't have any waxes in it. Then clay bar the entire windshield. If you have a DA I'd suggest polishing with a rayon glass pad. Clean the windshield again with CarPro eraser. Next replace your wipers just to be sure the contamination isn't from that.

Now your windshield should be contaminate free. You can apply a glass coating if you want but I've found if you follow the steps above, especially the polishing, you don't need a coating, water just flys right off.

thanks a lot for the detail. I'll give that a go. ordered new wipers.

[nicknaz]

Do you use additives like rainx? I’ve had that in the past due to the additives.

Definitely clean windshield, replace wipers and don’t use any additives in washer fluid

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Try rubbing alcohol first or any cheap degreaser to save money.

[HyeM3]

It does look like ceramic coating residue, maybe the dealer or previous owner tried to do it themselves and did a poor job. If all the above mentioned methods don't work just get some polish from auto zone and hand polish it yourself. Might take awhile but if it is a ceramic coating thats how you take it off