[dushmish]

Originally Posted by Sowmya

I too have the same issue. Recently just 15 days back i have installed.

You have swirls of micro thin scratches? I am planning to visit the shop where I got the film installed. What could be the reason for scratches? It can't be an abrasive cleaning cloth. The scratches are too uniform across the windshield.

[Xehaust]

Originally Posted by dushmish

I have got Garware Ice Cool Shield on the front windscreen. There are mysterious scratches that have appeared on the windshield. The scratches are like swirls all across the glass. Visible during night when lights of opposite car fall on it.

I have had the film on my zen for 4 years. Never had a problem. What could be the reason? a manufacturing defect? whats the remedy?

Two reasons:
1 - Your windscreen glass is scratched due to worn out wiper blades. Doesnt have to be the current wiper blades & it could be due to previous blades & now your present one is aggravating the problem. This happens over time & old cars tend to pile up the scratches & it becomes every evident at night as light disperses on the scratches & causes eye strain & reduces visibility very very badly making it dangerous to drive at night.
SOLUTION: Get the windscreen changed or get it buffed & polished if scratches arent too deep.
PREVENTION: Change wiper blades yearly and inspect them monthly. If they are uneven or make scraping sounds on the glass when you use them, replace them ASAP.

2 - Your tints are scratched. Could happen when you clean the windscreen from inside and the material used to clean has scratched the tints.
SOLUTION: Only solution is to change your tints. If you have a warranty, then try claiming it. Else, you have to buy new ones.
PREVENTION: I dont have much idea on this but personally, i use water & newspaper to clean. Just make sure the paper stays moist and is not very dry as this may also scratch.

Lastly, dont rule out an insignificant point that perhaps it's just dust built up inside your interiors. Clean the windscreen from inside and perhaps it might be the culprit

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Bubbles are caused by poor installation. Catch the installer. No use blaming the brand.

[invincible7]

Arey baba there are two seperate issues. Bubbles and Small tiny dots.

Bubbles are formed due to wrong installation. And once bubble start forming it will become wider with each passing day or will peel the film off from that area. Some bubbles can be cured and if its a big one its better to reinstall.

Tiny dots - These are dots which remain present on the sides mostly and sometimes on the center of the film. These cant be removed, and they get formed due to the dust in the air during installations which normally/mostly happen in open spaces.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by invincible7

Tiny dots - These are dots which remain present on the sides mostly and sometimes on the center of the film. These cant be removed, and they get formed due to the dust in the air during installations which normally/mostly happen in open spaces.

Still an installation problem, though not human mistake? We still ought to blame the installer? Because he ought have ensured a good atmosphere?

[invincible7]

Well to be frank, there are hardly places where dust is not there in India especially, but yes we ought to blame the installer for not providing a clean and closed area for installation.

Well that gave me an idea to share the information here.

Yesterday saw a place on Rama Road i.e near Moti Nagar (Delhi), Fucot Car Beautification Saloon where they have closed area for doing all kinds of beauty treatments including film installation of Garware & Lumar, Antirust treatmenst, Paint Protection treatments. Looked good than the most installations which happen on road side.

[dushmish]

Originally Posted by Xehaust

Two reasons:
1 - Your windscreen glass is scratched due to worn out wiper blades. Doesnt have to be the current wiper blades & it could be due to previous blades & now your present one is aggravating the problem. This happens over time & old cars tend to pile up the scratches & it becomes every evident at night as light disperses on the scratches & causes eye strain & reduces visibility very very badly making it dangerous to drive at night.
SOLUTION: Get the windscreen changed or get it buffed & polished if scratches arent too deep.
PREVENTION: Change wiper blades yearly and inspect them monthly. If they are uneven or make scraping sounds on the glass when you use them, replace them ASAP.

Thanks for your elaborate response. It is not the wipers causing the scratches. The scratches are all over and uniform in swirls. My car is just 3 months old. Have hardly used the wipers.

Originally Posted by Xehaust

2 - Your tints are scratched. Could happen when you clean the windscreen from inside and the material used to clean has scratched the tints.
SOLUTION: Only solution is to change your tints. If you have a warranty, then try claiming it. Else, you have to buy new ones.
PREVENTION: I dont have much idea on this but personally, i use water & newspaper to clean. Just make sure the paper stays moist and is not very dry as this may also scratch.

Lastly, dont rule out an insignificant point that perhaps it's just dust built up inside your interiors. Clean the windscreen from inside and perhaps it might be the culprit

I have tried cleaning the dust from inside. I also use moist newpaper. The tint film is hardened so it cannot get scratched so easily. The side ones are subjected to much abuse by my two little daughters but not a scratch. There seems to be something wrong in the film in front. My zen never had any scratches. I clean this car very much the same as last car.
Shall let you know after checking with the dealer.

[adzegeek]

Hi
I need someone experienced to let me nail down a problem.

I got 3M RE 70 sunfilm installed on the windscreen glass, along with RE50 on the sides. while driving at night, I feel that the lights (incoming cars head-lights, taillights of vehicle ahead of me, the street lights) all have "smudges" or "halo" around them - anything with light does not seem sharp enough. It is OK to see these lights at short distances, but any light beyond 2-3 meters has this halo effect.

Can anyone tell me whether this is expected behaviour, potential film problem, wrong choice of film for windscreen or installation problem.

Thanks
Rajesh

[Xehaust]

@ adzegeek, im not sure but ive generally experienced this in cars when either the windscreen or the tints have scratches leading to the light at night being dispersed & causing the halo effect. doesnt have to be deep, even fine scatches may lead to it.

@ dushmish, hope ur problem is sorted after visiting the dealer

[k_shanz]

I prefer for dark films! Now i have Garware Natural Ash dark, its the darkest film in that shade, but i want it more darker. Can i fix one more same film over that?
I dont want to lose my Lite-Silver finish that i already have on my current film!
Please Help!

[k_shanz]

Hey any idea which is the best film to tint my front Winshield glass??
and how much it will cost?

[adzegeek]

Originally Posted by Xehaust

@ adzegeek, im not sure but ive generally experienced this in cars when either the windscreen or the tints have scratches leading to the light at night being dispersed & causing the halo effect. doesnt have to be deep, even fine scatches may lead to it.

Xehaust - thanks for the input, I didnt have this problem without the sunfilm - and the car is relatively new about 4 months, so I dont think its a problem with windscreen. I read in some other forums on the same topic that there is some curing period for the films and some people had halo effect for the first week. Guess I will wait and talk to the installer anyway. Thanks

[Xehaust]

Alright. Hope it gets sorted & enjoy the cooler ambience in your car.
Do update so we know what was the problem, will help others in troubleshooting.

[adzegeek]

Many many tiny scratches in the film could be the problem - or so the guy said - however when they peeled off the film I could feel traces of some powder on it.

I checked how the guys were installing the film on another car - and they were using talcum powder, so could the fault could be the film itself (bad to begin with) or poor installation.

Left my driver to get the new film installed, things are better - no halo BUT, I can bet he had put RE50 instead of RE70 film that I wanted - much darker - one more trip required to get it corrected.

Originally Posted by Xehaust

Alright. Hope it gets sorted & enjoy the cooler ambience in your car.
Do update so we know what was the problem, will help others in troubleshooting.

[sps]

Was in search of a suitable sun control film for my toyota innova. I would have loved to run this without the sunfilm on. But wife is insisting for it to keep away the sun during our travels.
I don't want to lose visibility by a large extent. IMO bright interiors will give a perception of more roominess inside the vehicle.

My search for films with local dealers left me with some worries. Installers were not trained on job. Hence possibility of things getting messed up is more. also the same film was quoted different prices in different shops. So cannot find out which is genuine and which is not.

Contacted 3m directly by email and got the contact of the distributor in Kerala. He has got a trained installer also. But I have to go to cochin to do that. For RE 50 he quoted Rs.380 per sq ft. The standard packet comes with a 35 sq ft film (means 14k). I don't have this budget for the time being.

The local Toyota dealer is offering a sunfilm with 55% heat rejection and 50% visibility for sides. brand name is "sunshield". hez telling that it is a german brand. Price quoted is 4k for sides and back with 3yr warranty. Does any one know about this brand. Or should I wait till I can stretch my budget in 10k range?