How To: Properly Clean & Maintain a Coated Windshield

**Nexifer** · 08-17-2014, 10:45 PM

Ok. Why would one choose a sealant over a coating if the coating lasts much longer? I applied the sealant. Is it now possible to apply the coating? My assumption would be to first remove the sealant. I'm confused.

**CDot** · 08-18-2014, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by Nexifer

Ok. Why would one choose a sealant over a coating if the coating lasts much longer? I applied the sealant. Is it now possible to apply the coating? My assumption would be to first remove the sealant. I'm confused.

Because sealants sometimes can be easier/faster to apply and take less time (including prep).

Coatings need to be applied over product-free glass, so no coatings over sealants.

**Nexifer** · 08-19-2014, 10:36 AM

So basically, now that I have the sealant on the glass, I would have to polish again before applying a coating. I wish I had known that they were different... The glass was fully polished and prepped before using the Pinnacle product.

**tersplat** · 10-03-2014, 11:37 AM

What about the type of washer fluid? Using Rain-X washer fluid seems to completely cover up and negate any water beading/ sheeting abilities of GTechniq G1, I'd love to hear what others are happily, and unhappily using.

**Nick McKees37** · 10-03-2014, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Nexifer

So basically, now that I have the sealant on the glass, I would have to polish again before applying a coating. I wish I had known that they were different... The glass was fully polished and prepped before using the Pinnacle product.

Now that you know how to polish glass, it wouldn't be difficult to remove the sealant and apply the coating.

Originally Posted by tersplat

What about the type of washer fluid? Using Rain-X washer fluid seems to completely cover up and negate any water beading/ sheeting abilities of GTechniq G1, I'd love to hear what others are happily, and unhappily using.

That's why I made a point to outline the use of Pinnacle GlassWork Windshield Washer Booster. I would not recommend using Rain X or any other over-the-counter windshield washer fluid.

**tersplat** · 10-03-2014, 09:09 PM

You have to have some sort of windshield washer fluid to add the additive to, right? I'm just wondering what that washer fluid should be.

**Billbogey** · 10-14-2014, 12:52 PM

I should receive my order of Pinnacle Glass Work Windshield Washer Booster today. The car is a 2015 Honda FIT so I still have whatever the factory or dealer prep put in there but I plan to empty the washer tank then run some plain water through washer to flush. I need advice on what to put in washer tank along with booster. Is it better to mix washer fluid and the booster in a container then just dump it in the tank? Thanks for this topic. Bill

**CDot** · 10-14-2014, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Nick@Autogeek

That's why I made a point to outline the use of Pinnacle GlassWork Windshield Washer Booster. I would not recommend using Rain X or any other over-the-counter windshield washer fluid.

Originally Posted by tersplat

You have to have some sort of windshield washer fluid to add the additive to, right? I'm just wondering what that washer fluid should be.

I got confused by the bold as well--did Nick mean to not recommend "Rain-X or any other 'repellant-based' OTC windshield washer fluid"?

**Nick McKees37** · 10-14-2014, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by tersplat

You have to have some sort of windshield washer fluid to add the additive to, right? I'm just wondering what that washer fluid should be.

Nope - you can simply mix it with water and make your own.

**PiPUK** · 10-15-2014, 02:15 AM

A couple of thoughts...

- Coatings/sealants - just like with paint products, there are some coatings which are actually sealants. Unlike with paint products, it is harder to identify because it is pretty easy to get a very strong bond to glass. For instance, I have a coating which lasts for 18 months to 2 years. Alternatively I have several sealant type products which will last a year or longer. If it wasn't for me telling the customers, the sealant is more than durable enough to be sold to compete with some coatings, even though it costs about 10 times less to make.

- Use of top up products on a coating. I am uncertain about the wisdom of this. Not all such boosters will be the same but I know that neither of our booster repellents will offer the same water repellency as the longer life products. Perhaps more crucially, they tend to degrade more via contamination 'sticking' than abrasive removal. What that means is that performance drops because they get dirty rather than because they are removed. In other words, put them on top of the coating and the performance is dictated by the booster, not the coating. To rejuvenate, you need more thorough cleaning than the coating alone... Personally, I go with one approach or the other.