V50 General : Front side windows - rain repellant

[Guru]

Originally Posted by HeliFella

I have been using Sonax Clear View 1:100 Concentrated Lemon Screenwash and with or without repellent it is by far the best I have ever used and smelt to that matter!

Same here bugs, bird droppings and insects come right off without destroying the wipers first. It is an excellent product.

[glypto]

By the way, what do you use to wash the car bodywork ? Getting rid of all the insect from cars front is not an easy job. I'm using Turtle Wax shampoo - do you think I can add a little bit of this Sonax Clear View or something like that ? Won't it damage the paint ?

[Guru]

Hello glypto,

I have Carplan's triple wash and wax now, but not too happy with it, i was using Turtle shampoo before and it was much better. I even bought Carplan's ultra wax and i'm throwing it away after using it just once and never again i must add... don't need frights like that.

No Meguire's products sold in this neck of the woods

But in general i soak the front end of the car and reg plate with warm water and shampoo foam first and leave it on for about 5 minutes, all those insects and droppings soften up and dissolve, and then it's just a matter of a smooth scrub with a sea sponge. But if i were to tackle those insects head on then yes, it would be a struggle to clean them off.

Sonax i guess can't hurt the body paint coz' when it's being sprayed from the washer, a lot of it gets on the bonnet and roof of the car too with no harm done, so i guess it would be safe, but i haven't tried it on body parts other than glass so don't know for sure.

[HeliFella]

Personally I wouldn't use glass products on paintwork - two completely different surfaces.

I also find cleaning the car first thing on a morning while there is still dew on the car really helps with the bugs as they have already been softened by the dew and make cleaning a lot easier. Bearing in mind the car must be outside over night of course!!

Once the paint is clear from bugs etc its worthwhile coating it in a protective layer of somekind. That way it'll make future cleaning a doddle.

[badradar]

I was recommended Sonax screen wash which I got from a Vauxhall dealer but it is premixed so not such good value/long lasting - where can you get the 100:1 stuff?
Have been a RainX fan for years but sounds like Duxback is better?

[Harvey1512]

How long does a coating of Rain X last? I am trying to get a comparison.

[Flanaia1]

Originally Posted by Harvey1512

How long does a coating of Rain X last? I am trying to get a comparison.

best I ever had in winter was about 3 weeks

[Harvey1512]

Originally Posted by Flanaia1

best I ever had in winter was about 3 weeks

That doesn't seem very impressive to me. Am I expecting too much? If I can't get at least 2 months out of this stuff then it does not seem worthwhile.

Mind you I did not take into account you are in Yorkshire. You are not at the height of the Pennines are you? The amount of rain there could strip paint.

[badradar]

Applied a generous coating last week in June and covered 4000 miles since, I would say it became ineffective in the last week or so - not bad as far as I'm concerned. Yes I have been through a lot of wet weather it is the UK after all

[HeliFella]

Originally Posted by badradar

I was recommended Sonax screen wash which I got from a Vauxhall dealer but it is premixed so not such good value/long lasting - where can you get the 100:1 stuff?
Have been a RainX fan for years but sounds like Duxback is better?

Here is where I buy Sonax from.....

http://www.autobestbuy.co.uk/index.asp