Outlaws eXtreme

I've tried drying the window as fast as possible, but it's still leaving waterspots ONLY in the back window. All the others are fine, but it's this darn back window.

Any product I can use?

Spinny 3ngls

I have had bad experiences with water spots on my windows as well. If they are fresh then try to get then off with a cotton towel and some quality rubbing alcohol. If they are severe they the only good suggestion I have ever heard is to get some Jewelers rouge and gently polish each spot out although you need to be very careful as this is an abrasive and it would be a shame to replace a window over too much elbow grease. Hope this helps and maybe someone on here has better ideas than I do. also perhaps in the future you may want to rinse with distilled water it may help dissolve some of the more water soluble minerals in the spots. Good Luck

WHealy

Outlaws eXtreme,

Make sure you dry in the shade. An with as little wind as possible. I use a microfiber towel on mine and they usually come out just fine. When i do get water spots on glass, I'm usually sucessfull cleaning them with Windex. So maybe the situation you are describing is more complicated than I deal with?

i3man

Did you try claying the windows?

RX-Nut

What I really hate is when it rains and the water doesnt sheen off the windows but just stays there as dots..

For one, it makes it hard to see while driving in the rain and two, it's ugggly.

Outlaws eXtreme

You can actually clay the windows?

Well what happened was I washed the car, and the next day it sprinkled a little. Since the car is still relatively clean, I didn't mess with it. As I was driving later though, i noticed the back window had all these spots. Tried windex, alcohol, warm distilled water, some car wash with the distilled water, and no luck.. still spots.

Clay the window hmmm...

mqandil

I have used a very fine steel wool from the hardware store, and used Meguaire (Car polish) heavy cut cleaner # 4. Apply the polish to the steel wool, and scrub the window. It is very fast, you can do the all windows in 15 minutes. Please use the finest steel wool you can find, you may also want to try a craft store. the windows will be as good as new, and no scratches. You may wan to try on your home windows for practice. I have been using this method for so many years, it is the trick that most car detail shops use. Good luck

amartin

I would NOT suggest you try steel wool on the windows.

I've tried this before, and depending on the glass, you can seriously run the risk of scratching the glass-- BADLY.

Try: 50% Vinager + 50% distilled water and a micro-fiber towel, and/or clay-bar.

Metal on glass == NO, NO, NO!!

(And the reason I know this-- I tried it on my S2000 windshield...which was badly pitted anyway, so this just broke the camels back after scratching it up, and I ended up getting a new windshield)

Toadman

AAAAHHH!!! Strands and particles embed into the paint and rust in a few hours if wet!

XDEEDUBBX

exactly what i would do...

bunglega

Vinegar and Water should work. You could also try making a solution of Dawn and water...just don't get it on your paint since it will strip the wax.

JoeRX8ter

I use a solution of one third denatured alcohol and water. It is the best glass cleaner I have found. Denatured alcohol is a better solvent than rubbing alcohol. Don't use it on the inside of your back window as it may remove the defroster grid.

S3/P3/E2

Ok, the prospect of some of these solutions is flat-out frightening. Rain-X makes a DEDICATED window cleaner to remove water spots. No, it's not the Rain-X product for making water bead on the glass; but it's from the same company. Any decently stocked auto parts store like a Pep Boys should have it in stock. I've used it for years and it works wonderfully. It has a super-fine abrasive designed to clean the glass without scratching it.

jonalan

Anyone try Mr Clean Autodry car wash? It's suppose to eliminate water spots. Haven't tried it myself, just saw commercials for it on TV.

jtdwab

Are the spots inside or out. I have water spots but they are on the inside. I guess I didn't dry it fast enough when I washed the inside or the rear window. Cleaning the inside of the rear window is a pain in and of itself. The manual says no cleaners because they will damage the defroster and the antenna. I followed the instructions but it didn't clean very well. I haven't taken the time to try and clean it better. Anybody got any suggestions on what to use on the inside?

oosik

Sheesh people.......Zaino Z6, or while you are Z2-ing, use Z2, that's all I use for my windows these days!!!

CoastalKT

I use a SPRAY FOAM - maded by WINDEX - I saw it at Home Depot. Label says it is professional grade - for what that is worth.

It seems to do fine and I like it because it does not run all over the place...there are probably other foam window cleaner available. Cheers

CoastalKT

I use a SPRAY FOAM - maded by WINDEX - I saw it at Home Depot. Label says it is professional grade - for what that is worth.

It seems to do fine and I like it because it does not run all over the place...there are probably other foam window cleaner available. Cheers

CoastalKT

I use a SPRAY FOAM - maded by WINDEX - I saw it at Home Depot. Label says it is professional grade - for what that is worth.

It seems to do fine and I like it because it does not run all over the place...there are probably other foam window cleaner available. Cheers

CoastalKT

Sorry about the 3 duplicate posts - don't know how that happened. Modarator - can you delete the duplicates? I did not see that option under edit. Thanks

FirstSpin

The record's stuck. The record's stuck. The record's stuck... For those of you over 30, you'll probably know what I mean.

Anyway, my thoughts on the water spots are that they are caused by calcium carbonate that forms as the water evaporates. The calcium content of the water exceeds the solubility limit and the calcium begins to "salt out" leaving a white scale behind. The same phenomenon that you observe around your kitchen sink .

I'm sure most if not all of the above methods (except the steel wool - that scares the bejeezus out of me) will work or help. One other method to add to the mix, use about two capfuls of vinegar in your final rinse-water. It will drop the pH of the water, making calcium salts more soluble. This effectively gives you some extra time before the scale begins to form.

On another, somewhat related subject from the above thread, I've tried the rain-x version of the no-wipe carwash soap and it's pretty good. I still wipe my car down but instead of soaking 3 towels with the residual water, I only go through a single towel. It might even work if I didn't towel it at all. I'm not sure I want to find out.

A bit of chemical trivia for ya. The 30% denatured alcohol in water is approximately the same composition as vodka. The only difference is the trace amounts of chemicals that are added to make the denatured product un-drinkable. If you're going to use ethanol as a cleaner, get yourself a cheap bottle of vodka. If you have some left over after cleaning the glass.. well you get the idea....

MrWigggles

FirstSpin,

I do the exact same thing. I mix 50 percent everclear and 50 water and it works great. Denatured Alocohol will be a lot cheaper.

All,

If you are going to store the solution in your car keep it at 30 percent alcohol or less and keep the nozle firmly shut and it won't be a fire hazard.

I also use the California Waterblade to remove the solution after I spray it on. The results are excellent and streak free every time.

-Mr. Wigggles.

Ps. Even plain rain water or dew can leave spots not because of calcium carbonate but because you are driving around with a wet window and dirt in the air gets absorbed into the water

2001F4S

This is a problem with Mazda Glass. We have a Tribute and had a Miata, both are susceptible to spotting on the glass. I recently visited a Mazda dealer in California and he had a glass polish on his counter. I asked him if he was selling this to his Mazda customers and he confirmed the experience we have all had.

I bought a glass polish from Griots Garage in Tacoma, WA. It takes a little work, but will get the spots off. They can be reached at griotsgarage.com

FirstSpin

Given that Mazda's not in the glass-making business, that last comment seems a bit strange. I would suspect that Mazda's glass-maker has contracts with other dealers as well. Besides, glass is pretty much glass (at least the surface characteristics).

Thanks for the info about the glass polish though. BTW, so far, after 2 months, I've seen no spots on my glass after washing the car, but then again, I dry it by hand when I'm done.

2001F4S

I have no doubt that there are differences in the quality of auto glass whether that is related to the production process or the materials used.
Based on the response I received from my local dealer it does seem as if it is a known issue with the glass used on the Mazdas.