Scratched all my glass

[sherlockw]

In my attempt to remove water spots i’ve completely scratched all surfaces of the glass on my new Y. I used this with plenty of clay lube: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072HHT8NF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I don’t see the scratches visibly from the outside and only when viewing against direct sunlight from interior.

Is this something a detailer can polish and correct? Anyone experience something similar?

 

[Gizmotoy]

Is that a like a clay bar, but on a sponge? The clay sucks up dirt like crazy and you need to knead it into a clean surface every foot or two or you’re just scratching dirt into your paint. You can’t really do that with one like this. Am I missing something?

there are lots of nice glass coatings now. There’s a good chance one might be able to help you. I’d definitely consult a detailer.

 

[webbah]

I had a similar issue with 50-60 scratches on the windshield and all 4 side windows. Firstly, you need to run your fingernail over the scratch. If it catches your fingernail it will be much more difficult to polish out and might require more than just polishing. If it's only hairline scratches it can be done with A LOT of effort and patience. All the detailers in my area told me they won't do it as it takes too much effort and labor cost and is cheaper to just replace all the windows. So that's when I set out to do it on my own. I managed to get them all out with the exception of 3 deeper ones on the tops of the side windows which I'll have to live with.

Essentially you need:

1) A good orbital polisher (not DA)
2) Carpro CeriGlass Polish, and a spray bottle with distilled water. You will need to continuously spray water to keep the polish moist but not too wet. It dry's out quickly. This is CRITICAL.
3) CarPro Rayon Glass Polishing Pads
4) 3M Blue Masking Tape to protect all the trim and seals, and plastic drop sheets to protect all the paint, etc.
5) Zen and the art of patience. Took me around 10 hours to do all my windows. I did them in 2 hour sprints over a few evenings.
6) A good Window Sealant to protect them once they are perfectly clean and invisible. I used Kamikaze Intenso Ceramic.

Saved myself 1000's doing it myself but it is a royal PITA so be prepared.

Here's a good video on a Model Y doing the same:

A good shop for all you need to DIY as you are in the US and they carry all of the products above (the only shop I know of that sells Kamikaze to consumers in the US as well):

Easy to use auto detail products and how-to videos | ESOTERIC Car Care

Good luck!

 

[sherlockw]

Thanks webbah! Very helpful. What orbital polisher did you use? My fingernail does not seem to catch them on the glass which is good. Also about how many passes per section did it take?

I had a similar issue with 50-60 scratches on the windshield and all 4 side windows. Firstly, you need to run your fingernail over the scratch. If it catches your fingernail it will be much more difficult to polish out and might require more than just polishing. If it's only hairline scratches it can be done with A LOT of effort and patience. All the detailers in my area told me they won't do it as it takes too much effort and labor cost and is cheaper to just replace all the windows. So that's when I set out to do it on my own. I managed to get them all out with the exception of 3 deeper ones on the tops of the side windows which I'll have to live with.

Essentially you need:

1) A good orbital polisher (not DA)
2) Carpro CeriGlass Polish, and a spray bottle with distilled water. You will need to continuously spray water to keep the polish moist but not too wet. It dry's out quickly. This is CRITICAL.
3) CarPro Rayon Glass Polishing Pads
4) 3M Blue Masking Tape to protect all the trim and seals, and plastic drop sheets to protect all the paint, etc.
5) Zen and the art of patience. Took me around 10 hours to do all my windows. I did them in 2 hour sprints over a few evenings.
6) A good Window Sealant to protect them once they are perfectly clean and invisible. I used Kamikaze Intenso Ceramic.

Saved myself 1000's doing it myself but it is a royal PITA so be prepared.

Here's a good video on a Model Y doing the same:

A good shop for all you need to DIY as you are in the US and they carry all of the products above (the only shop I know of that sells Kamikaze to consumers in the US as well):

Easy to use auto detail products and how-to videos | ESOTERIC Car Care

Good luck!

 

[gaswalla]

Water spots need vinegar.

 

[MY-Y]

I use a rotary buffer, not orbital on glass. Cerium oxide and water work well. There are many videos on YouTube on how to do this. Just make sure you don't pick up any dirt on your polishing pad and wear a good dust mask.

My MY had an irritating film on the windshield that left a haze after every wipe. Acetone didn't remove it, nor did a clay bar. My polisher did the trick. The glass was soo smooth, that it was very hydrophilic, which made it hard to see in really hard rain. The MY wipers aren't that fast, so I put aquapel on it. It wiped perfectly clean after polishing, and is little hazy with the aquapel, so it's hard to decide if I like hydrophilic or hydrophobic better.

 

[gundarx]

I had a similar issue with 50-60 scratches on the windshield and all 4 side windows. Firstly, you need to run your fingernail over the scratch. If it catches your fingernail it will be much more difficult to polish out and might require more than just polishing. If it's only hairline scratches it can be done with A LOT of effort and patience. All the detailers in my area told me they won't do it as it takes too much effort and labor cost and is cheaper to just replace all the windows. So that's when I set out to do it on my own. I managed to get them all out with the exception of 3 deeper ones on the tops of the side windows which I'll have to live with.

Essentially you need:

1) A good orbital polisher (not DA)
2) Carpro CeriGlass Polish, and a spray bottle with distilled water. You will need to continuously spray water to keep the polish moist but not too wet. It dry's out quickly. This is CRITICAL.
3) CarPro Rayon Glass Polishing Pads
4) 3M Blue Masking Tape to protect all the trim and seals, and plastic drop sheets to protect all the paint, etc.
5) Zen and the art of patience. Took me around 10 hours to do all my windows. I did them in 2 hour sprints over a few evenings.
6) A good Window Sealant to protect them once they are perfectly clean and invisible. I used Kamikaze Intenso Ceramic.

Saved myself 1000's doing it myself but it is a royal PITA so be prepared.

Here's a good video on a Model Y doing the same:

A good shop for all you need to DIY as you are in the US and they carry all of the products above (the only shop I know of that sells Kamikaze to consumers in the US as well):

Easy to use auto detail products and how-to videos | ESOTERIC Car Care

Good luck!

@webbah hey this is my video glad it worked for you also, and yes you need a lot of patience for this but it's pretty satisfying when it's all done.

the orbital I used in the video is the Flex 3401 VRG.. it's a "dual action orbital"

I love Kamikaze products, most recently used their Stance Rim coat and will use the Surface Film Coat on PPF soon too

 

[webbah]

@webbah hey this is my video glad it worked for you also, and yes you need a lot of patience for this but it's pretty satisfying when it's all done.

the orbital I used in the video is the Flex 3401 VRG.. it's a "dual action orbital"

I love Kamikaze products, most recently used their Stance Rim coat and will use the Surface Film Coat on PPF soon too

Great video, thanks for sharing! I'd really like to try the Surface Film Coat, but have been having difficulty finding it in stock. I've spoken to several glass repair experts and they really suggest not using DA's for deeper scratches. I did "ok" with an Adams Swirl Killer DA, but I would have really preferred to have had a rotary/orbital. That's likely why I've been struggling with the deeper scratches although those would also require some initial more abrasive pads to sand them (without product) and blend them out before polishing. I finally just decided to live with them as they are only noticeable to me and I didn't want to spend more money on a new polisher.

 

[webbah]

Here's a complete instruction manual from the "Glass Polish Shop" on removing scratches. Note that they also say do not use DA Polishers.

https://glasspolishshop.com/pdf/xNet-PRO-Instruction-EN.pdf

 

[sherlockw]

Would this polisher be ok? G9 Random Orbital Polisher - Griot's Garage

 

[MY-Y]

Would this polisher be ok? G9 Random Orbital Polisher - Griot's Garage

The one I show in the pic I posted works perfectly for this job. (Shine Master m1000)

 

[webbah]

The one I show in the pic I posted works perfectly for this job. (Shine Master m1000)

This is a DA polisher. So for glass it is not the best as stated prevously. From the link you posted in the QA:

Mario27
· 10 days ago
the g9 is a DA polisher?
1 answer


GG_John
· 9 days ago



Both our 6" Random orbital and our new G9 6" random orbital are both dual action polishers.

 

[MY-Y]

It spins in a circle and polishes glass well. I'm not sure why the sticker on mine says dual action.

Maxshine M1000 Rotary/RO Polisher: 1000W, 5/8" Spindle Thread - Maxshine Polisher,Auto Detailing-Professional Car Care Supplier

 

[gundarx]

Great video, thanks for sharing! I'd really like to try the Surface Film Coat, but have been having difficulty finding it in stock. I've spoken to several glass repair experts and they really suggest not using DA's for deeper scratches. I did "ok" with an Adams Swirl Killer DA, but I would have really preferred to have had a rotary/orbital. That's likely why I've been struggling with the deeper scratches although those would also require some initial more abrasive pads to sand them (without product) and blend them out before polishing. I finally just decided to live with them as they are only noticeable to me and I didn't want to spend more money on a new polisher.

most DAs will take too much effort, but the Flex is an exception for this job: Autowerx CeriGlass Guide

it’s a tool I already had, but if I were to declare all out war on leveling glass scratches, a dedicated rotary polisher would make the job easier

 

[sherlockw]

Well, turns out they weren’t scratches at all. It was tiny finite specs of lint the microfiber towel left on inside the glass. Could only see it with direct sun or shining a strong flash light. Got them removed with a proper glass towel and all clear. So relieved, and yeah i’m an idiot .

 

[gundarx]

Well, turns out they weren’t scratches at all. It was tiny finite specs of lint the microfiber towel left on inside the glass. Could only see it with direct sun or shining a strong flash light. Got them removed with a proper glass towel and all clear. So relieved, and yeah i’m an idiot .

Hah, that’s great.

Get some good microfibers meant for window cleaning/polishing such as the FTW towel from Rag Company to make cleaning easier and no lint issues. Much better than paper/newspaper.

If there’s any residual cloudiness as mine did from factory and potentially from off-gassing and body shop work, can clean interior glass very thoroughly with McKee’s 20/20 cockpit glass cleaner. I did this just prior to window tinting and made a great improvement.

 

[mswlogo]

In my attempt to remove water spots i’ve completely scratched all surfaces of the glass on my new Y. I used this with plenty of clay lube: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072HHT8NF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I don’t see the scratches visibly from the outside and only when viewing against direct sunlight from interior.

Is this something a detailer can polish and correct? Anyone experience something similar?View attachment 594860

I don't think you scratched the glass. You scratched the layer SCUM that is shipped on Tesla Windshields (also mentioned by another member above)

You need to do a glass polishing (orbital is fine). I use Griots Glass Polisher and Griots Sealer (like aquapel).
There are other ways too.