Over the past 2 months, I've made three trips to Europe in both our L405 and L322.

Both cars have received stone chips to the screens during the trips. The one on the L405 has now turned into a 10 inch crack, having switched on the air con after being parked in 30 degree direct sunlight - Won't do that again!.

Also, despite frequently stopping at petrol stations and cleaning off the dead insects, both screens now seem to have dead insect damage, pretty much engraved into the screen, and I can't seem to shift these marks - The screens seem permanently damaged.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Also, as both screens are now going to have to be replaced, I'd be keen to avoid this damage again - Are there any products on the market, which will reduce / eliminate this marking of glass and ideally (although I suspect unlikely) reduce the likelihood of stone chips?

Many thanks

Driving with a bigger gap between you and the car in front is the best way to avoid more chips, easier said than done on a lot of roads as someone usually fills the gap you have left... The other problem is the upright rake of the windscreen... nothing you can do about that...

As for the marking by bugs, try mentholated spirits, neat on the screen to remove marks and add a cupful to the windscreen wash, as well as additive... works for me...  Pete
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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

For bugs I fat a large beach towel, lay across the windscreen and soak with a hose. Leave it on for an hour or 2 making sure it’s wet and then they just wipe off.

Insects wouldn't cause damage to a windscreen, if anything is just the residue left from hitting them at 80mph then baked on by the sun. I'm a European trucker so know exactly what it's like to keep cleaning the windscreen. France have the right idea supplying 'raquelettes' at fuel pumps to clear the flies away, although very good at doing it, it doesn't get rid of the dead residue. I use a green scouring pad to go over my truck windscreen and does a great job indeed in taking away the insect residue. It doesn't even scratch it either, just make sure it's nice and wet and job done. Another good product that i use is fly-away from Chrome products, you'll get this from most services in the UK. Just spray it on windscreen whilst you fill up, then use sponge or the raquelette at French services and clears the screen from dead bugs in no time.

Thank you all for your different ideas / methods - All sound worth a try, so a few good options to experiment with.

Many thanks again

I always use an old stocking, (not mine..)

I'm in the south of France at the moment and yesterday we had 40 degree weather...as you can expect we had many foreign body's on the windscreen... McDonald's wipes and water cleaned pretty well... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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put 30 ml of ipa in spray bottle fill with pure water or filter water in a 500ml sprayer very good for ripping the guts off also use for cleaning the rest of the windows you will not use anything else use microfiber cloths .

also for the washer bottle i mix 5 ltrs up i use 50 ml of sonax and put in 20 ml of ipa fill up with filter water deionised water i always use this water when i wash the car on the final rinse no more streaky body

Click image to enlarge

stan wrote:

as you can expect we had many foreign body's on the windscreen... McDonald's wipes and water cleaned pretty well...

I suppose that's one way of dealing with the French

oggy wrote:

put 30 ml of ipa in spray bottle fill with pure water or filter water in a 500ml sprayer very good for ripping the guts off also use for cleaning the rest of the windows you will not use anything else use microfiber cloths

Will give it a whirl oggy

Hi AJA, apologies I did say I would ask the guys who did my PPF about a product called ClearPlex which is a PPF for windscreens - it might be worth a look. Im back at REEP next friday so will ask about its suitability for a heated RR screen.

https://www.reepsouthern.co.uk/clearplex/ 2021 P400 Silicon Silver AB
Gone 2011 Bournville TDV8 VSE
Gone 2008 Black Canadian HSE LUX

Haylands wrote:

As for the marking by bugs, try mentholated spirits,

I assume you mean methylated spirits - unless you blokes in the UK can get a drinkable version of metho.  Ron B. VK2OTC
2003 L322 V8 Auto
2007 Yamaha XJR1300
Previous: 1983, 1986 RRC; 1995, 1996 P38A; 1995 Disco1; 1984 V8 County 110; Series IIA

I couldn't spell either so it's spell checks fault......  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

gtechniq that do ceramic coatings do a g5 g4 max repellency glass kit which is a coating you put on and it states easy bug cleaning new vehicle purchase
2007 supercharged 4.2 java black .sand leather vogue se trim
previous cars .
range rover classic 200 tdi
discovery 1 200 tdi
freelander 2 2008 hse
discovery 1 300 tdi
p38 4.0 ltr man r380 ex royal support vehicle on v5c
discovery td5 man off roader