Cerium Oxide Windshield Polishing... Does it work for pitting?

[jcage89]

Wondering if anyone here has used Cerium Oxide for slight scratches or even minor pitting on the 4runner windshield? My 9 months of rock free luck ran out this week when your typical muddy rock loaded semi which I was locked to the rear right of on freeway decided to swerve slightly off the left lane into shoulder rubbish and shake loose a nice flying rock at my window.

So the damage is very minimal with just an inch worth of minor scrape line and a few minor pits where rock hit but its right in front of my nose while driving and obviously no longer transparent so looks like perpetual bug splattered there or something. This will drive me bonkers because impossible to ignore it right now. My insurance will replace the window because it is in line of sight and therefore possible safety issue, but I'm always reluctant to have this done because I get to argue about them using OE glass and then you play roulette on the quality of the install job depending on who is working that day.


SO I did some searching and found that the only possible way to "polish" a window is with compound made from Cerium Oxide which gets a wide variety of reported results ( I suspect based on proficiency of the user) from totally eliminating slight scrapes like wiper blade scratches and even minor pitting to "It doesn't work at all". For less than $25 on Amazon I can get the supplies I don't already have and watched YouTube on method for mixing the compound and polishing the area while keeping it lubricated. I'm probably gonna do it but also curious if anyone here has tried in similar circumstances. If it doesn't work I just get the window replaced, but I suppose not a lot of $$$ or Effort to check it out.


BTW - Why can't those damn semi's cover their loads like the rest of the world legally has to do???? Sometimes I imagine the drivers of those rigs actually relish the cosmetic carnage they bring upon other motorists. :whoo:

Cheers - JC

 

[Hans Moleman]

In for this because my windshield is also sandblasted with rock chips.

 

[jcage89]

Wondering if anyone here has used Cerium Oxide for slight scratches or even minor pitting on the 4runner windshield? My 9 months of rock free luck ran out this week when your typical muddy rock loaded semi which I was locked to the rear right of on freeway decided to swerve slightly off the left lane into shoulder rubbish and shake loose a nice flying rock at my window.

So the damage is very minimal with just an inch worth of minor scrape line and a few minor pits where rock hit but its right in front of my nose while driving and obviously no longer transparent so looks like perpetual bug splattered there or something. This will drive me bonkers because impossible to ignore it right now. My insurance will replace the window because it is in line of sight and therefore possible safety issue, but I'm always reluctant to have this done because I get to argue about them using OE glass and then you play roulette on the quality of the install job depending on who is working that day.


SO I did some searching and found that the only possible way to "polish" a window is with compound made from Cerium Oxide which gets a wide variety of reported results ( I suspect based on proficiency of the user) from totally eliminating slight scrapes like wiper blade scratches and even minor pitting to "It doesn't work at all". For less than $25 on Amazon I can get the supplies I don't already have and watched YouTube on method for mixing the compound and polishing the area while keeping it lubricated. I'm probably gonna do it but also curious if anyone here has tried in similar circumstances. If it doesn't work I just get the window replaced, but I suppose not a lot of $$$ or Effort to check it out.


BTW - Why can't those damn semi's cover their loads like the rest of the world legally has to do???? Sometimes I imagine the drivers of those rigs actually relish the cosmetic carnage they bring upon other motorists. :whoo:

Cheers - JC

Here is the YouTube video showing process....

How to Remove Scratches from Windshield Using Cerium Oxide

 

[lyodbraun]

This stuff is supposed to work good https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=0G68XLDPCM6EsAWHiomQCw&q=ceriglass+polish&oq=ceriglass&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-hp.1.1.0l6j0i30l2.2259.6135..7607...1.0..0.735.2518.1j3j2j0j1j1j1......0....1.......8..35i39j46i131j0i131j46j0i10j46i275.xUhn-IX8udo

 

[LandCruiser]

If your windshield is pitted, time to get a new one.

 

[jthoms1]

Cerium oxide does a great job. I’ve used it to restore old windshields. It just takes some elbow grease. An orbital sander or buffer makes it much faster. Watch the YouTube video someone posted previously, or the myriad others out there.

 

[Hans Moleman]

Does anyone know anything about Glasweld Pit Filler?

 

[jcage89]

Here is the YouTube video showing process....

How to Remove Scratches from Windshield Using Cerium Oxide

OK, so the verdict.....

Messy as hell but feasible even though I screwed it up. I thought having half my car covered with drop cloth was good enough but wrong because the compound flies everywhere. I mixed the powder with water as per video and masked the area and had spray bottle on hand to lubricate during polish process. Upon completion, I thought I nailed it! (see pic) The pitting was GONE, clean glass where pits were before. Unfortunately when I cleaned everything up and took it for a drive, I quickly noticed there was a distorted "warpy effect" area where I had been polishing which means I was too aggressive and created too much heat and that damaged the plastic laminate layer between the glass panes. Ok so for me it looks like outcome will be trip to Safelite to replace the windshield … BUT... you can do better and this absolutely is possible I believe with more patient, less rotational speed and more lubricant. Toward the end I lost patience with one small remaing pit and noticed the contact point smoking briefly so threw water on it immediately but too little too late.

Better luck to any of you who care to try... only cost $25 for compound on Amazon + 3" felt polish head.

Cheers,

JC

 

[Smitty19TRD]

I use a product called Ceriglass by Carpro along with their rayon pad on a Porter Cable dual action polisher. Yes there is a technique to even polishing. Removing wiper tracks and general haze is relatively quick and easy.
Polishing removes material from the surface. Spot polishing on glass can create a dip in glass which will cause a distorted view. You must polish the entire windshield evenly to prevent this. In the case of deep pits, it is a the type of thing you try knowing the glass may need to be replaced anyway.

 

[FinntheT4R]

I use a product called Ceriglass by Carpro along with their rayon pad on a Porter Cable dual action polisher. Yes there is a technique to even polishing. Removing wiper tracks and general haze is relatively quick and easy.
Polishing removes material from the surface. Spot polishing on glass can create a dip in glass which will cause a distorted view. You must polish the entire windshield evenly to prevent this. In the case of deep pits, it is a the type of thing you try knowing the glass may need to be replaced anyway.

Glad to hear this stuff works! I just ordered some Ceriglass with their 5in rayon pad to use with my DA polisher - should be at my doorstep by the time I get home. I got blasted by some heavy sand on the highway and ended up with some light pitting on my windshield and am hoping this can take at least some of the defects out. Like you said though, worst case I have to replace the windshield, but it doesn't hurt to try this out first. Did you have any problems with overheating your windshield?

 

[Charlievee]

If your windshield is pitted, time to get a new one.

I have 10 k on the TuRD and the windshield is starting to get pitted. Not changing it every 20 k.

 

[LandCruiser]

I have 10 k on the TuRD and the windshield is starting to get pitted. Not changing it every 20 k.

You really don't have much choice.

And pits are really hard to see through when it's sunny.

10k is a good run for a windshield.

 

[jcage89]

I have 10 k on the TuRD and the windshield is starting to get pitted. Not changing it every 20 k.

I can handle pitting except for when the rock strikes the window in front of my nose and creates a pronounces constellation-like pattern which is impossible to ignore.


Again, I think the commercial truck drivers secretly relish in this carnage. Any semi truck full of gravel/dirt rolling down the freeway should have a cover over that load. I have seen trucks that do, but most don't. IMHO it should be law for the trucking companies to minimize this crap.

JC

 

[Smitty19TRD]

Glad to hear this stuff works! I just ordered some Ceriglass with their 5in rayon pad to use with my DA polisher - should be at my doorstep by the time I get home. I got blasted by some heavy sand on the highway and ended up with some light pitting on my windshield and am hoping this can take at least some of the defects out. Like you said though, worst case I have to replace the windshield, but it doesn't hurt to try this out first. Did you have any problems with overheating your windshield?

No, Ceriglass should not heat up the windshield that much if you keep moving and do 1 full pass at a time until you get the feel for it. After a few windshields, I now may do 2 or 3 passes between wipe off and inspection.