Foggy windscreen

[Madgermusso]

It's 'traffic film', basically generic dust and residue from the outside world but for some reason this is the worst I've had for it. Possibly the rake of the windscreen meaning its more visible when driving into the sun...... although that's just random suggestion. If not kept clear, I'm sure it could be the route cause of some accidents

 

[Lovemyev]

I remember reading a article once that some of the oily film that is deposited on the inside of the front screen, is caused by long term exposure to hot air passing through the plastic components of the HVAC system.
The hot air carries with it some of the oily materials used to produce the plastic HVAC system.
Over time, this leaves a dull film on the glass.
This is not moisture, but a very fine oily film.
This can been seen, if you enter a car that has not had the inside of the front windscreen cleaned in a while, take one of your fingers and wipe it across the glass.
The smudged patch created by your finger is the film build up.

 

[Kithmo]

I remember reading a article once that some the oily film that is deposited on the inside of the front screen, is caused by long term exposure to hot air passing through the plastic components of the HVAC system.
The hot air carry’s with it, some of the oily materials used to produce the plastic HVAC system.
Over time, this leaves a dull film on the glass.
This is not moisture, but a very fine oily film.
This can been seen, if you enter a car that has not had the inside of the front windscreen cleaned in a while, take one of your fingers and wipe it across the glass.
The smudged patch created by your finger is the film build up.

Yes it's worse on new cars, but lessens with age as the plastics "dry" out.

 

[AK OK]

Yes it's worse on new cars, but lessens with age as the plastics "dry" out.

Release agents & plasticisers presumably?

 

[Lovemyev]

Release agents & plasticisers presumably?

Yep - I expect so !.
I only found out a few week ago, why rodents are so attracted to the plastic insolation covering around wiring for both house and vehicle use.
They love to chew at the plastic isolation wire covering, because their high sense of smell can detect the mineral oil that is used in the moulding process, it keep the cables flexible.
They can cause havoc in you roof space or under the bonnet of you car.
My cousin had a three week old VW that just refused to start one morning.
The A.A. was called out and instantly spotted an old oak tree about 30 feet from his house.
His first words :-
“Do you have an squirrels 🐿 around here”.
To which my cousin replied - Yes, there is a family living in that oak tree”.
Ten minutes later and the problem was found, they had chewed through some of the wiring under the bonnet !.

 

[AK OK]

Yep - I expect so !.
I only found out a few week ago, why rodents are so attracted to the plastic insolation covering around wiring for both house and vehicle use.
They love to chew at the plastic isolation wire covering, because their high sense of smell can detect the mineral oil that is used in the moulding process, it keep the cables flexible.
They can cause havoc in you roof space or under the bonnet of you car.
My cousin had a three week old VW that just refused to start one morning.
The A.A. was called out and instantly spotted an old oak tree about 30 feet from his house.
His first words :-
“Do you have an squirrels 🐿 around here”.
To which my cousin replied - Yes, there is a family living in that oak tree”.
Ten minutes later and the problem was found, they had chewed through some of the wiring under the bonnet !.

Hmm I've lived in a house surrounded by woods (& squirrels) for over 20 years & not had this issue

 

[Lovemyev]

Hmm I've lived in a house surrounded by woods (& squirrels) for over 20 years & not had this issue

Count yourself very luck !.

 

[AK OK]

Count yourself very luck !.

Looks like mice not squirrels but it's Oz so who knows?

 

[Lovemyev]

Here is a worthwhile read on squirrel damage in homes and cars.

Squirrel Damage To Homes: What Can Happen? | Empire Pest Control London

You may not think about squirrels as a major pest, but squirrel damage to homes can have serious consequences. Repairing the damage they do can cost you a lot of money. Squirrels are quite strong and are a lot more destructive than they appear. Squirrel damage to homes consists of the squirrel...

www.empirepestcontrol.co.uk

 

[AK OK]

Here is a worthwhile read on squirrel damage in homes and cars.

Squirrel Damage To Homes: What Can Happen? | Empire Pest Control London

You may not think about squirrels as a major pest, but squirrel damage to homes can have serious consequences. Repairing the damage they do can cost you a lot of money. Squirrels are quite strong and are a lot more destructive than they appear. Squirrel damage to homes consists of the squirrel...

www.empirepestcontrol.co.uk

Written by a pest control company... who shurely won't be talking it up to frighten prospective customers into phoning them... Nah shurely not.

I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm saying it's never happened to me (yet).

Maybe there's a sub genus of urban squirrels, like town foxes who live out of takeaway bins

 

[Nutnut]

Here is a worthwhile read on squirrel damage in homes and cars.

Squirrel Damage To Homes: What Can Happen? | Empire Pest Control London

You may not think about squirrels as a major pest, but squirrel damage to homes can have serious consequences. Repairing the damage they do can cost you a lot of money. Squirrels are quite strong and are a lot more destructive than they appear. Squirrel damage to homes consists of the squirrel...

www.empirepestcontrol.co.uk

Squirrels have driven my friend to the depths of despair over the years. The damage to the electrics alone was a nightmare.

 

[catman]

For me, the problem doesn't seem to be moisture so much as a film of greasy... stuff. I don't know what it is or where it comes from. A little detergent on a cloth, followed by a dry glass cloth, seems to shift it. Though you need the right lighting conditions to see it. Driving into the sun is the worst, but I don't have that at home when I'm trying to clean it. So I end up with patches not cleaned.

Defogging only seems to work on moisture, not the grease.

I get the same thing - still trying to work out what on earth is causing it (greasy bit)

 

[AK OK]

I get the same thing - still trying to work out what on earth is causing it (greasy bit)

I expected meths would shift it but after numerous attempts & plenty of meths nope.

Latest attempt I used white spirit & it appears to have worked well

Iirc white spirit is a variable makeup of recovered solvents so I don't know exactly what component did the trick (but it seems ethanol did not).

Goggle informs me white spirit is petroleum based, meths is ethanol, so perhaps thats all the difference required.

Unusual as most glass cleaners are meths based I think? For streak free evaporation etc

 

[Lovemyev]

I get the same thing - still trying to work out what on earth is causing it (greasy bit)

The cloudy greasy film left on the inside of the front windscreen glass, is a result of passing hot air through the plastic air vents / pipes of the car.
The oil film that is omitted, is in the make up of extraction / forming of the plastics.
The warm / hot air hits the colder area of the glass and the oily film starts to build up gradually on the glass, like a fog.
As the cloudy film is slightly greasy, it needs grease cutting agent to remove it.
A good quality glass cleaner / polish is recommend with the use of two micro fibre clothes.
One to apply and one to remove the product, this will avoid leaving any smears on the glass.
Harsh chemicals could mark / attack the interior trim panels if a spillage takes place.
There are loads of good glass cleaners out there, I have used the Auto Gym range for years myself and always found them to give decent results.