2017 CX5, parked it outside for the first time on a chilly winter night. Had to use the ice scraper to clear the windshield, and now the glass is plagued with scratches. I have never witnessed this with any other car. Has anyone else observed this problem with Mazda?
Windshield Scratches after using ice scraper
- Thread starter double00
- Start date
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- Denver, CO
Didn't use one of these did you?
OK, I kid!
Anyway, I've used ice scrapers on my CX-5 many times over the years. Can't say it's caused scratching on either my factory windshield or the new one I got a little over a year ago.
OK, I kid!
Anyway, I've used ice scrapers on my CX-5 many times over the years. Can't say it's caused scratching on either my factory windshield or the new one I got a little over a year ago.
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- 2018, Mazda, CX-5, Snowflake Pearl, Grand Touring
It would appear that you had some dirt under the ice.
Check with a glass repair shop to see if the scratches are too deep to polish out. Other wise, a new windshield is in order.
Windshield scratches
2018 Touring: I too had windshield scratches after ice scraping. Dirt under the ice or not, my plastic scraper should not scratch glass. My scratches are low and in the middle, so I don't see them unless I look. Disappointing.
2018 Touring: I too had windshield scratches after ice scraping. Dirt under the ice or not, my plastic scraper should not scratch glass. My scratches are low and in the middle, so I don't see them unless I look. Disappointing.
If something harder than glass is between your plastic scraper and the glass, expect the glass to scratch. That is physics. Nothing the automaker can do about that.
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- USA
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- 2023 CX-50 PPT
I've luckily never had this happen to me during a few decades living in NJ and across a fair number of vehicles, but if you Google plastic ice scraper scratched windshield, it seems disturbingly common across many different makes of cars....a lot of theories why (plastic coatings on glass, etc), but nothing that seems definitive....the theory I give most credence to is that all cars get some amount of potentially abrasive debris stuck on the glass, and that will end up between the glass and any added layer of snow, ice or frost. When you use even a plastic scraper, that debris can then scratch the glass in some instances if it happens to lie directly under the edge of the scraper or gets caught in it as it gets pushed/dragged across the glass. So, the potential is always there, but it won't always happen. Essentially what Murky is saying above.
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- Denver, CO
Not just ice scrapers...just look at your windshield wipers. When your windshield gets dirty during a storm and you run your wipers, yep expect scratches.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
This makes me glad I put Rain-X on the windshield and rear glass.
It also gives me a reason to keep it refreshed so ice can slide off without having to really scrape...I've only been an occasional user in the past.
And it gives me a reason to do the side windows and the outside mirrors. I was thinking "What's the point?" but now I see one.
It also gives me a reason to keep it refreshed so ice can slide off without having to really scrape...I've only been an occasional user in the past.
And it gives me a reason to do the side windows and the outside mirrors. I was thinking "What's the point?" but now I see one.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
I'm with you. Coming up on 50 years of driving in Virginia in lots of cars of lots of manufacturers from several countries, and (to my knowledge) have never encountered this. I clean my windshield whenever I get gas, but I'm not fastidious with my cars.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
Here is a website that gives a couple of home remedies for removing scratched from tempered glass. https://glassdoctor.com/blog/how-to-remove-scratches-from-tempered-glass
He goes from toothpaste to liquid pumice soap to #0000 steel wool to a professional shop.
I hate having imperfections in my windshield. Drives me nuts.
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- 2018, Mazda, CX-5, Snowflake Pearl, Grand Touring
Many years ago, and I believe it was mainly GM cars, when the wipers were parked, they were lifted a fraction of an inch off of the windshield. This prevented dirt from getting trapped on the wipers like they do on today's vehicles.
Unfortunately, modern vehicles no longer have a "windshield wiper parked" position. It's less expensive.
When I am driving into a storm, I let the rain wash as much dirt off of the wipers as possible before I start them. I never allow the auto wiper function to be enabled on any of my vehicles.
Unfortunately, modern vehicles no longer have a "windshield wiper parked" position. It's less expensive.
When I am driving into a storm, I let the rain wash as much dirt off of the wipers as possible before I start them. I never allow the auto wiper function to be enabled on any of my vehicles.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Yes, many of those good old American vehicles in 1970's were having this "windshield wiper parked" position which moves wipers further down the regular wiping area and also lifts wipers up a little. This not only prevents dirt from getting trapped on wipers but also keeps the rubber inserts in the natural vertical position not to get pushed to one side by constant arm pressure when parked. My first 1974 Chevrolet Impala had this feature, along with additional wiper arm on driver side changing the wiper angle to cover more wiping area. This nice windshield wiper design back in the old days is more advanced than windshield wipers on current modern vehicles! (cool)
I scratched the windshield of a BMW 3 Series loaner car with a plastic ice scraper when my 2000 BMW 528i was in warranty service at the dealership. That's the only time happened to me with many ice scraping experience! I concluded that the 3 Series were assembled in Brazil at the time and inferior windshield was used.
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- USA
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- 2023 CX-50 PPT
I'm essentially lazy, and when I lived in areas with frost and snow, I was that person who started their car early and let it warm up with the defroster on full blast, and then would just push the remnants off with a brush when it was time to go. I rarely ever actually scraped for that reason, so that could explain why the scratching issue never had happened to me. On the other hand, I HAVE scratched windshields when younger and poorer and when I didn't replace wiper blades soon enough....
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- 2018 CX-5 Sport
I've never heard of scratching a windshield with a scraper or dirty windshield wiper before.
