Scratched Windshield- Can It Be Polished?

[cduluk]

Hey guys.

I've recently noticed an unsightly scratch on my front windshield, most likely caused by a little pebble caught on the wiper... It's about 6" long starting from the lower wiper area, curving upwards towards the center of the windshield.

It's really noticeable at night with the glare from headlights, and i can feel it with my fingernail :(

Do you think it can be polished out? Maybe not all the way, but at least so it's better than it is now?

I did a little research and it seems there are polishes for this purpose, but i'm weary it might damage the factory "film" lexus puts on their glass to repel water or whatever.

I'm thinking that in polishing, it might remove this protective film and make matters worse...

What are your opinions? Do you guys think polishing would remove the film? Does this film even exist, or is it just a myth?

Even if it could be done, i wouldn't do it myself. I do have some polishing experience but i'd rather leave it to an expert considering it's a $1500 windshield. And i definitely don't want to have an aftermarket windshield installed... But i feel like if i asked a windshield repair shop what to do, they'd tell me it's impossible in hopes that i'd buy another windshield, so i figured i'd ask here first :)

Thanks!

[cduluk]

I'd really like to get my hands on a used chunk of Lexus glass (from maybe a salvaged car) and do some tests... Anyone know where i could find some? lol

[smooth1]

Yep. It's like a powder that you mix with water and use a direct drive buffer to polish glass. You have to be carfeul though as you can also polish it to much and have a distorted area in the glass. I have some of it, but I do warn it is very aggressive. YOu might want to try Griot's glass polish first with a buffer. If that doesn't take it out, then I would try the stuff I have.

[cduluk]

Yep. It's like a powder that you mix with water and use a direct drive buffer to polish glass. You have to be carfeul though as you can also polish it to much and have a distorted area in the glass. I have some of it, but I do warn it is very aggressive. YOu might want to try Griot's glass polish first with a buffer. If that doesn't take it out, then I would try the stuff I have.

do you think i should just leave it to a glass shop? I do have some buffing experience, but for some reason i don't feel right about this :(

[smooth1]

How deep is the scratch?

[pauljcl]

Yep. It's like a powder that you mix with water and use a direct drive buffer to polish glass. You have to be carfeul though as you can also polish it to much and have a distorted area in the glass. I have some of it, but I do warn it is very aggressive. YOu might want to try Griot's glass polish first with a buffer. If that doesn't take it out, then I would try the stuff I have.

do you think i should just leave it to a glass shop? I do have some buffing experience, but for some reason i don't feel right about this :(

If the scratch(es) are very light, they can be polished out with toothpaste. Otherwise, there are companies which polish windscreens (same companies that polish the tempered glass in home windows). It works if the scratches are quite superficial. Otherwise, it leaves distorted areas where it has been applied.

I don't know what Lexus puts on its windscreens. I did not think they put anything because it will surelywear out with time and leave marks where the windshield wipers wiped. I use Rain-X which I apply myself.

[cduluk]

Well i can feel the scratch with my fingernail... :( If the scratch were in a paints clearcoat i would attempt to cut and buff, but i'm not sure if it would cause glare in a windshield though...

[smooth1]

Have you heard of Flixx and Quixx? They come in a tube with a buffing wheel and package them as a scratch removing compound. I've used Quixx quite a bit and I've gotton some amazing results on plexi. Maybe it's worth the trip to thier website and shceck them out. Also go to Griot's Garage.com they have a glass polish also. I think you should start with that one. It's a very light polish that is used to get water spots and that really tuff road polution and some light scratches out. If that one isn't enouph then I would get the FLIXX paste. If that's still not enouph, then I would hand apply the powder stuff I have just on the scratch itself, just to try and knock the ridges down a bit. Then go back to the paste and try again. You should be able to get it to be almost not noticeable anyway.