Hard water spots on windows

Well Saturday makes 3 weeks I've had my truck. It's a little weird driving an automatic after so long and it's a lot bigger than my BMW and it's missing a few of the features my car had. But I'm still happier now than I was with the car. The one thing I cannot stand are the water spots on my windows. The outside is covered with them except for the front windshield. But the sides, rear, and outside mirrors are terrible. When I bought the car the dealer took forever detailing it and mentioned the windows were taking longer to clean. As I drove off I noticed they were dirty and I was too excited to be rid of my car and into something more reliable to care. Well after trying a good ol bath, clay bar, and turtle wax polishing compound I can't seem to get the crap off or even make a dent in the damage. What should I do? I've had many cars and some didn't get much care but none of them had anything like this. I'm really hoping to avoid new windows but if that's what it takes then I'd do it cause it's that bad. But first I plan to exhaust every option and try to keep costs low.

 

sorry to hear about the waterspot problem......but if a little vinegar on some newspaper doesnt work, try some mothers/meguiars chrome polish........it worked really well when i had some pretty bad spots on my rear glass and side glasses.

if the chrome polish does work......definitely use rain-x and a good wax on the windows also.....it will keep them in great shape. you can also do this for your headlights. works wonders.

 

Beat me to the punch ... that is what I would try.

 

it actually works pretty well.

 

Hey Tango, i came from a 1990 325i 5 speed to my taco in an auto. the tacoma auto was too smooth to pass up. what did you drive before?

i noticed something similar on my windows. on the back window i dont have water spots but it is cloudy. no amount of washing or windex will get rid of it. any suggestions for cloudy windoes?

sorry to hijack your thread but it happens on this site alot, something you gotta get use to

 

Gonna go try this right now cause I'm the impatient type. Thanks for all the replies, I'll no doubt try them all until I find a fix. I plan to wax next weekend since I'm being sent to Germany for a couple months and would like to have this done before that.

 

I use Sprayaway glass cleaner. Works very well. This is the foaming cleaner. I bought it at a glass shop.

If that doensn't work then I use the same with a newspaper.

 

hey couch.....get some stuff called stoner invisible glass and use it with wadded up newspaper.......works 100times better than windex, wont streak, and the glass will be crystal clear when you are done!!

 

Sam Memmolo and Dave Bowman, Co-hosts of the Crank & Chrome television show on TNN, "...are serious dude when it comes to wanting a clean windshield. First, they clean off all the grime and road film using a cleaner called Bar Keepers Friend, a non-scratching polishing compound. Using plenty of water, wipe it on the windshield in a circular motion with a pad or sponge - then wipe it off. This lifts off a ton of grit. Then they mix some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) with vinegar then rub it on the windshield with a folded paper towel. This will clean off any fingerprints or water spots. It also does a great job of cleaning the inside of the windshield too without leaving any streaks. Lastly, Sam and Dave then "treat" the cleaned windshield with Rain-X. In states prone to pouring rain outbursts, Rain-X makes the water virtually blow off the windshield - offering a very clear view.

I remember seeing this on a different show, but they said a lot or professional window experts use the Barkeepers Friend, I have been using it for years now. When I wash my truck I do the wheels first (I use wheel stuff) then hose the entire truck, do the winshield with Bar Keepers Friend, and then wash the whole thing with with car soap. Bar Keepers does a great job getting the grime and bug guts off the windshield and headlights. I buy it from the local food store.

 

I came from a 2001 325i 5 speed. I bought it in Germany to replace my 1992 316i. Both those cars were a blast on the German Autobahn, but on the Mississippi Gulf Coast my car was out of place and didn't care for the terrible roads. The Tacoma was a last minute thing (tried to buy a GTO and the day ended with me in a Taco) and I know it will be very fun. No worries on threadjacking, this isn't my first time on a forum and it was worse with the BMW, that site had a lot more people.

Anyways I spent about 30 seconds with the vinegar and a newspaper with no luck, had to bring in a pizza now it's back to try for real.

 

If all the above fails. Try some OOOO steel wool, dry and rub very lightly. Works with getting our area water off so it ought to work anywhere.

 

Had the same type of water spots all over my Taurus- both the windows and the paint. Apparently it was crystalized "hard water" on the surface. I tried everything and couldn't get it off- until I had my neighbor who details cars for a living detail my car. He got it off with something he called an "acid bath." After he was done, the car looked like new. You might talk to some professional detailers.

 

White vinegar and new razor blades, lightly razor the completely saturated window. If that fails, 50/50 solution of muractic acid and water, spray on a terry cloth rag and rub and rinse, keeping the hose close by, don't let the solution rest on any painted surface.

 

AMEN to that!! Invisible glass is awesome!
The spray can is the best but I've also used the spray plastic bottle and works just as good.

What works best for me - is using microfiber clothes. One for cleaning and one for drying. Won't leave any lint (and we have the microfibres laying around anyway).

 

i use the stuff also its great and safe for tinted windows

 

Well I'll try going to some local glass shops to see what they can do. I'm gonna be going to Germany soon and would like to get this done before I leave. I can't wait to get some of this stuff when I get back, I love cleaning my truck and it sounds like there's a lot more stuff that I "need."

 

Yeah, I've been using this also for a few years. And it works great!!

If you have hard water / lots of lime in the water...you'll be blowing through filters like crazy. I tried shopping online for them and found the cheapest place to get them is Walmart. Either that, or there's something wrong with my water softener (or needs recharged).

 

I bought one of those Mr. Clean systems and used it last weekend. Worked well. The filter that comes with it claims it is only good for 3 uses. I bought some extra filters yesterday and I noticed that those claim they're good for 10 uses.