Vision difficulty when driving in rain

[bell2041]

Hi guys,

Is that me, (and I accept that it might be 100% me ), but for some reason, it's very difficult to see through a windshield when it rains.

I have Tesla for 4 months and I noticed that problem from day 1.
I never had any issues like that in any other car before.

It's especially hard to drive at night when you have upcoming traffic and lights getting diffused (not sure if it's the right word) on the windshield

Wow, it's very hard to explain

So I have a couple of theories
1. Windshield washer fluid
2. I have a problem with my vision
3. The windshield angle is much wider (I did not measure it, but I assume it is, please confirm if anybody knows) because of that gigantic windshield and that makes rain to acclimate much faster because it creates more of a flat surface

Any thoughts?

 

[wycolo]

RainX is a liquid that can be applied to the outside of the windshield that forms a coating which aids in shedding rain off the glass. I bought a jar of this stuff years ago but have never used it. I must be rubbed and spread and presumably allowed to dry, like actual *work* as opposed to simply spraying it on. So I've never tested it. But the advertising says it improves vision of driver in rain. YMMV.
--

 

[sootless]

RainX is a liquid that can be applied to the outside of the windshield that forms a coating which aids in shedding rain off the glass. I bought a jar of this stuff years ago but have never used it. I must be rubbed and spread and presumably allowed to dry, like actual *work* as opposed to simply spraying it on. So I've never tested it. But the advertising says it improves vision of driver in rain. YMMV.
--

I have used RainX. Not on a Tesla yet. It is wonderful stuff. Anything over about 40 mph and you simply don't need the wipers. It would be interesting to learn what the auto wipers would do. The water beads and rolls up the windshield. Would it be enough to trigger the sensors? Some say that rainx clouds the glass. I have never experienced this.

 

[Skydiver73]

Have an optometrist or ophthalmologist examine your eyes to make sure there isn't a problem with your vision.

 

[Bogobec]

How about having the windshield ceramic coated? Would this work like RainX?

 

[NHK X]

I practice ophthalmology in the PNW. A couple thoughts.

I had a rental car while in service at Bellevue, it was an older model x with AP1. I noticed the windshield had curvature issues causing glare/double vision at night which got much worse with rain. It was severe enough to cause mild discomfort while driving in the day. I think I saw a thread floating around talking about some of the quality control issues with the early windshields. One way to check is to fixate on a distant light target and move you head up and down and to the left and right. See if the image changes and distorts while you move your head. Be very discerning when you look for this, even in my mid 2017 I can see some mild distortion but not to the point to complain.

I use aquapel on our windows. Much longer lasting than rainx, but with either product the longevity is only as good a your prep. Aka getting the solution onto bare glass that is as clean as possible. Unlikely wipers at 4 months but if you see some smearing with a wipe doesn’t hurt to replace them. Once you apply product, don’t use a rainx type wiper cleaner solution, tends to build up white residue. Just use the cheap simple solution without any rain heading tech.

Also consider cleaning the inside of the windshield, it may not look dirty but a mild film after repeated condensation can cause more glare than you think. Also consider turning down the brightness of your screens and decreasing light sources in the car.

Lastly as someone mentioned, once you rule out these external factors (pathway of light to the back of the eye), it’s great advice to get a full dilated exam to check for eye issues (cataract, diabetes ect).

Hope that helps,
N

 

[JD T]

I used RainX a long time back a felt like it left a greasy film. I now use a sealant called V7 (Chemical Guys WAC_808_16 - Hybrid V7 Optical Select High Gloss). You must first fully clean the windshield (I used a clay bar to get it really clean) then spay on the V7 and rub it dry. The rain and dirt will stay off it (almost don't need wipers). You can even see a wiper line. The other nice thing is you can use the V7 over or under a Wax on any part of the car (even on a Ceramic coat). It is great for quick detailing.

 

[Capitol Shine]

At Capitol Shine we recommend Ceramic Pro Rain. Here's A blog post we did about Ceramic Pro Rain.
Ceramic Pro RAIN Helps Your Windshield Repel Mud & Snow

 

[Peteski]

How about having the windshield ceramic coated? Would this work like RainX?

The detailer who did my ceramic coating advised not to apply it to the windscreen as he discovered it created massive globs of water floating around on the windscreen. So he coated in something else, can't remember what product, and I just use normal glass cleaner. All seems fine. Water beads up like it does on the body panels and the wiper blades clear it effectively.

I did notice at the first service that the replacement wiper blades they fitted are much more robust than the rather flimsy factory ones my MX came with in Feb and are a definite improvement. I presume they changed the blade spec at some point?

 

[GalaxySurfer]

I use bugwash wiper fluid, with a small amount of rainx added to it, never coated my windshield with anything. Works great barely need wipers at higher speeds. The specific combo i use can on occasion leave spots on the upper windshield not touched by wipers, but an occasional window clean with a foaming cleaner is always nice anyway

Side note for general cleaning of the car itself i use the "adams polishes" line, (there matte/vinyl detailer is just amazing and smells great!)

 

[lexi]

Don‘’t ignore side mirrors, this anti-rain protective film is a good solution.
2PCS/Rearview Mirror Waterproof Protective Film/Anti-glare Anti-rain Anti-fog

 

[bell2041]

I checked my vision, and it's good. I recorded a video on my phone and here is what I see

 

[NHK X]

I checked my vision, and it's good. I recorded a video on my phone and here is what I see

View attachment 356582

Not seeing so much double vision, like I did when the glass was warped. Looks more like smearing and bad glass surface. As mentioned in prior posts, really cleaning down to the bare glass surface then applying some sort of sealant of choice might help. Also replace wiper blades if you haven’t already (even if the car is pretty new).

 

[dgatwood]

Wow. That is one looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong bus.

(Longbus is looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong.)

 

[Riez!]

Have an optometrist or ophthalmologist examine your eyes to make sure there isn't a problem with your vision.

Well I have to say I have 500 miles on my new Y and the windshield is horrible!! I have seen my eye doctor as well so how can see driving other cars??? There is a serious problem with the windsheild and I am surprise some agency has not make them recall this problem.

 

[Kano-riha]

Hi guys,

Is that me, (and I accept that it might be 100% me ), but for some reason, it's very difficult to see through a windshield when it rains.

I have Tesla for 4 months and I noticed that problem from day 1.
I never had any issues like that in any other car before.

It's especially hard to drive at night when you have upcoming traffic and lights getting diffused (not sure if it's the right word) on the windshield

Wow, it's very hard to explain

So I have a couple of theories
1. Windshield washer fluid
2. I have a problem with my vision
3. The windshield angle is much wider (I did not measure it, but I assume it is, please confirm if anybody knows) because of that gigantic windshield and that makes rain to acclimate much faster because it creates more of a flat surface

Any thoughts?

Turn on your FSD!