# Windscreen Coatings Are They Legal ?



## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

Are they legal ? What testing has been done ? And Where does this testing take place ? And Who does the testing ? TIA


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

why would they be illegal?!?!

what law do you think they are breaking?!?


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## Derbyshire-stig (Dec 22, 2010)

As long as the coating isnt tinted or darkening the screen i cant see what could be wrong.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Why wouldn't they be?


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

I think it's a fair question, it could be argued on a technical perpesctive that it can impair vision, and in practice on this forum, for every application of screen sealant there is another post about smearing from wipers, supposed this smearing occured on a motorway, the results could be fatal


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## John @ PB (Aug 25, 2010)

From our site on the glass sealants pages: "independent academic studies have shown that similar treatments allow drivers to recognise objects up to one second earlier in wet-weather conditions. At 60 mph, this one second advantage can reduce stopping distances by up to 30 m, making driving safer for everyone on the road."

I don't have the source to hand but sure we could dig it out.


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## npinks (Feb 25, 2008)

maybe an insurance company would have to look into it when you say i was driving in the rain, my wolfs glass guard repelled the water, making me not need my wipers and the car in front suddenly braked but i was too busy watching the bead porn roll off my window and didn't react fast enough


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Avanti said:


> I think it's a fair question, it could be argued on a technical perpesctive that it can impair vision, and in practice on this forum, for every application of screen sealant there is another post about smearing from wipers, supposed this smearing occured on a motorway, the results could be fatal


do you work for the daily mail?!? 



:thumb:


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Avanti said:


> I think it's a fair question, it could be argued on a technical perpesctive that it can impair vision, and in practice on this forum, for every application of screen sealant there is another post about smearing from wipers, supposed this smearing occured on a motorway, the results could be fatal


Dirt can impair vision aswell.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

The Cueball said:


> do you work for the daily mail?!?
> 
> 
> 
> :thumb:


Heh heh , no I don't writing is one of my weaker points, although I do notice a lot of glass sealant posts are about how it has not worked.



turboyamaha said:


> Dirt can impair vision aswell.


Indeed, though glass sealant is not required to keep the glass clean, water runs off my screen without it :thumb:

I was going to wash the car today, but it has started raining, anyways, done this quick video, no glass sealant in use

obviously the water is running down and the car is stationary, but it does roll away when in motion


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## bmwman (Jun 11, 2008)

I haven't purchased a dedicated glass sealant. I have used the likes of reload and exp on my windscreen. Far more smearing from exp than reload but both do produce an amount of smearing (consider neither are dedicated glass sealants).Cant comment on dedicated sealants. I only tend to use a sealant in winter. In the summer I ussually clean my car every other day lol .


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

turboyamaha said:


> Dirt can impair vision aswell.


Apparently oral sex during driving can also be detrimental to your vision & impair judgement :thumb: :doublesho


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

John @ PB said:


> From our site on the glass sealants pages: "independent academic studies have shown that similar treatments allow drivers to recognise objects up to one second earlier in wet-weather conditions. At 60 mph, this one second advantage can reduce stopping distances by up to 30 m, making driving safer for everyone on the road."
> 
> I don't have the source to hand but sure we could dig it out.


Thanks John. The reason i asked was When a Customer asks you is that Legal and has it passed any tests what would your reply please John ? I can not afford to get this wrong mate. So appreciate your wisdom John :thumb:


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

ITHAQVA said:


> Apparently oral sex during driving can also be detrimental to your vision & impair judgement :thumb: :doublesho


You lucky man!!


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## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

It's not a silly question IMO. 

For instance (and I know it's not a sealant) AG SRP says not to put it on your windscreen, so do a lot of waxes. This is because they can and do cause bad smearing when you use the wipers. 

I have Carlack on mine and there's a little smearing, but nothing to worry about and this is massively balanced out by the fact I havent had to scrape ice off all week!


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Avanti said:


> Heh heh , no I don't writing is one of my weaker points,


not having a go at your writing...just the 'sensational' part about glass sealants could be the cause of fatel accidents.... 

anyway....

I'm really not getting the point about the wipers causing smearing tbh.... unless I am doing something wrong with my sealants.... but I have no need for the wipers, I can't remember the last time I actually used them.....

:thumb:


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## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> not having a go at your writing...just the 'sensational' part about glass sealants could be the cause of fatel accidents....
> 
> anyway....
> 
> ...


Now I tried this theory of not using my wipers. I agree I could drive without them, I did for half a mile in fact, but why would I?
Wipers - perfectly clear window
No wipers - small droplets on the glass blowing off.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

The Cueball said:


> not having a go at your writing...just the 'sensational' part about glass sealants could be the cause of fatel accidents....
> 
> anyway....
> 
> ...


I know, point taken, you are sensible and I confess not everybody is, as soon as they touch something, they mess it up, whether it be polish shampoo, cloths glass sealant wax, etc etc

I do know clean glass is intrinsically water reppelling though :thumb:


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

ITHAQVA said:


> Apparently oral sex during driving can also be detrimental to your vision & impair judgement :thumb: :doublesho





turboyamaha said:


> You lucky man!!


Nah he's just dreaming...

Haha hope you're good Doug! :thumb:


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

I'm one of these that is sold on widescreen sealants at all. Beading on a window does impair vision. Now if we had hydrophilic window coatings then the water would sheet off rather than bead all over the place that would be cool!


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Miglior said:


> I'm one of these that is sold on widescreen sealants at all. Beading on a window does impair vision. *Now if we had hydrophilic window coatings then the water would sheet off rather than bead all over the place that would be cool*!


The beads occur due to the way the water is presented to the glass (eg rain drops) overtake a HGV n heavy rain, and you may get the effect you are after :thumb:


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

Miglior said:


> I'm one of these that is sold on widescreen sealants at all. Beading on a window does impair vision. Now if we had hydrophilic window coatings then the water would sheet off rather than bead all over the place that would be cool!


beading may impair vision but not as much as a sheet of water just sitting on the windscreen like most unprotected windscreens jay.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Matt_Nic said:


> Now I tried this theory of not using my wipers. I agree I could drive without them, I did for half a mile in fact, but why would I?
> Wipers - perfectly clear window
> No wipers - small droplets on the glass blowing off.


I'm looking far up the road to see the traffic and way ahead... I don't sit and look at the beads, nor does it block my vision...

I have a perfectly good view, as I am not concentrating on the actual screen....

there is more distraction involved in wipers going across the winter (big black bits of rubber and plastic) than a small, clear bead!!

maybe it's the biker in me... we don't have wipers to clear screens or visors... 

each to their own I guess..... but I still can't see how or why this would even be thought to be illegal....and I've noticed the OP hasn't answered that yet! :lol:

:thumb:


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## badman1972 (Jun 24, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> I'm looking far up the road to see the traffic and way ahead... I don't sit and look at the beads, nor does it block my vision...
> 
> I have a perfectly good view, as I am not concentrating on the actual screen....
> 
> ...


Perhaps because many good things become illegal or controlled in our wonderfully free country?.............there will be dodgy looking geezers on dimly-lit street corners soon saying " What will it be tonight sir?..........a bag of hash or a drop of RainX?" PMSL


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

you think we will still have lights on the streets?!? :lol:


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

CraigQQ said:


> beading may impair vision but not as much as a sheet of water just sitting on the windscreen like most unprotected windscreens jay.


See I'm not totally in agreement with that lol


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

turboyamaha said:


> You lucky man!!


The other guy wasn't so lucky tho!

I can't understand why it would be illegal tho.


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## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

Cueball, would you say your natural eyesite would be just as good if you wore a pair of glasses with water droplets all over the lenses as not wearing any at all just because you're not look "at" the droplets?


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## Chris CPT (Dec 16, 2009)

I've used glass sealants on my last few cars' front windscreens. Whenever I get into a car that hasn't got it on, I find it far harder to see through.
I don't agree with the whole 'beading is harder to see through point', I actually don't understand how some think it will impair vision at all. It doesn't bead up on the glass when you're driving either - it blows off. 
As on bodywork, beading only sits still and stays in that form until you start to drive.

If there's a heavy downpour when you're driving at 70mph on the motorway, there's not a chance that it can be denied which is better to have - a screen with protection on is 100% better to see through, and far, far safer too.
When heavy rain occurs, and wipers can't keep up with shifting the water (it happens loads on motorway journeys, we've all been in that situation at some point) glass sealant means between your wipers going back and forth, the water is also blowing off the screen - the same effect as when someone goes through the drying section of an auto car wash. 
Also, instead of having a sheet of flat, 'standing' water on the glass (which totally impairs vision), the sealant breaks the water up, and you can see through, as mentioned, so, so much better.
If you disagree with these points, IMHO you've either 1. Never actually used a glass protection product. 2. Had a bad experience with a glass sealant (go try another one, there's loads out to buy), or 3. Haven't applied it properly.

Cheers, 
Chris.


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## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

I personally found my window cleared better without the sealant, but the difference is so small and the fact my windows arent frozen solid on cold mornings means I'll never not have sealed windows again. 

If your glass is 100% clean and decontaminated the glass will, IMO, behave in the almost exactly the same way as sealed glass.

Regarding dropletts blowing off, perhaps my E46 has a funny windscreen angle, but only the biggest dropletts blow off mine, the rest seem to become pinned to the screen more than anything.


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## bazves (Mar 24, 2011)

Matt_Nic said:


> I personally found my window cleared better without the sealant, but the difference is so small and the fact my windows arent frozen solid on cold mornings means I'll never not have sealed windows again.
> 
> If your glass is 100% clean and decontaminated the glass will, IMO, behave in the almost exactly the same way as sealed glass.
> 
> Regarding dropletts blowing off, perhaps my E46 has a funny windscreen angle, but only the biggest dropletts blow off mine, the rest seem to become pinned to the screen more than anything.


Oddly I was driving the car the other day and the GF commented how well 'whatever new product you've bought' was causing the rain to bead and run off the windcsreen. Although I thought about it I have yet to try windscreen treatments . Windscreen is always clean though:thumb:


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## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

My Mrs said EXCACTLY that about mine BEFORE I sealed it too lol. 

"Wow, I can see the stuff on your window makes the rain come off easier" 

"I havent put anything on there, I just keep it clean"


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Chris CPT said:


> I've used glass sealants on my last few cars' front windscreens. Whenever I get into a car that hasn't got it on, I find it far harder to see through.
> I don't agree with the whole 'beading is harder to see through point', I actually don't understand how some think it will impair vision at all. It doesn't bead up on the glass when you're driving either - it blows off.
> As on bodywork, beading only sits still and stays in that form until you start to drive.
> 
> ...


Chris, I cannot understand how a moving vehicle with water droplets decending upon on it can a) not roll off , b) form a sheet 
So following your summary I do disagree and have never used a glass sealant to 1) have a bad experience 2) to not appliy properly.
Folk should be able to post vids of the sealed glass in action, just as I have posted unsealed glass in action


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## Chris CPT (Dec 16, 2009)

Avanti said:


> Chris, I cannot understand how a moving vehicle with water droplets decending upon on it can a) not roll off , b) form a sheet
> So following your summary I do disagree and have never used a glass sealant to 1) have a bad experience 2) to not appliy properly.
> Folk should be able to post vids of the sealed glass in action, just as I have posted unsealed glass in action


I don't understand, have you used glass sealant before or not?
If not, as they say 'don't knock it 'till you've actually tried it'. 
No offence meant at all, but if you're questioning the abilities of them and theorising but have never used it - go and try it for yourself first! 

Also, if you want vids of glass sealant in action (driving) go to the Nanolex.de website - they have their own videos on there.

Cheers, :thumb:
Chris.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Chris CPT said:


> I don't understand, have you used glass sealant before or not?
> If not, as they say 'don't knock it 'till you've actually tried it'.
> No offence meant at all, but if you're questioning the abilities of them and theorising but have never used it - go and try it for yourself first!
> Cheers,
> Chris.


All I am asking (and it's not an attack on you or the advocates) am I going to notice a night/day difference on my glass ? Or would I perhaps feel suckered into a wasted purchase, as all the benefits that folk are mentioning, I experience on my glass anyway


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## Captain Pugwash (Mar 23, 2011)

only ever used rainX on my windows and in heavy to medium rain it was good...but not so great at night, and if it was just a slight drizzle or fog, then i found it to smear the window even in daylight (at night it was really bad) 

now it may have been they way I put it on, or he wipers or even the window itself, but I did clean the window with vinegar first buffed it clean and then applied the rainX ...I also did try brand new wipers and was till the same 

took me ages to get the stuff off as well, and have never used anything since. I just clean the windscreen with vinegar and an old newspaper and it seems to work ...maybe its time to try some of these new types that are out now


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## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

I only ever used a rain repellant once and never again on the front screen. I had wiper judder and a ghosting effect after every wipe. I find a good shampoo with wax causes a similar sort of roll off effect without any wipers issues. I know alot of people swear by glass sealants though and if they work for you then carry on. As to them being legal, I have no idea how anybody could ever enforce a law to prove a sealant had been used even if they did want to make them illegal. It would require some sort of lab testing.

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Matt_Nic said:


> Cueball, would you say your natural eyesite would be just as good if you wore a pair of glasses with water droplets all over the lenses as not wearing any at all just because you're not look "at" the droplets?


no idea, I don't need glasses... but, it's an unfair comparison as glasses are far closer to your actual eyes... IMO

I do use swimming goggles, and have no issues seeing out of those.. yes they are sealed as well... can't believe I just admitted that 

:lol:



Avanti said:


> All I am asking (and it's not an attack on you or the advocates) am I going to notice a night/day difference on my glass ? Or would I perhaps feel suckered into a wasted purchase, as all the benefits that folk are mentioning, I experience on my glass anyway


knowing you.... I would say it's not worth your while... if you already have a clear screen without the need for wipers, stick with it...

all I know is, I was in torrential rain the other day, in a car without good wipers and protection and I hated it.... maybe I'm just too used to having the screen protected with something or other... but I really hated the wipers going all the time...

:thumb:


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

The Cueball said:


> no idea, I don't need glasses... but, it's an unfair comparison as glasses are far closer to your actual eyes... IMO
> 
> I do use swimming goggles, and have no issues seeing out of those.. yes they are sealed as well... can't believe I just admitted that
> 
> ...


My wipers are on auto and sweep when required, but I do know what you mean regarding visibilty in the rain, mine is good.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Cant stand wipers going either!


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## Chris CPT (Dec 16, 2009)

The Doctor said:


> I only ever used a rain repellant once and never again on the front screen. I had wiper judder and a ghosting effect after every wipe.


Bad experience then, but there are so many out there right now that you can't just write them off after one go.

For instance, as I test products as part of my job, I've used quite a few. Some did haze a little yes, but I've also used some that were brilliant.
The Nanolex Glass Urban was an excellent product, 
For instance, I've just used another new one and it's been great - no juddering, smearing etc at all.

Cheers,
Chris. :thumb:


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

G1 on my last car started to work from as little as 35mph. At 60, rain would just clear the screen without the need for wipers, not so good with spray from the road surface though. 

It's on my wife's Golf but not the Skoda yet - so far this year I've had to scrape my car while she hasn't even realised there was a frost. That's enough reason to hope someone picks me up another bottle for Christmas.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

clean glass 2


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## CliveP (Feb 1, 2009)

I actually think a glass sealant improves safety if applied correctly. I've only used Autobrite Repel, but my windscreen clears quicker in the morning from frost/ice, etc, water marks are not present after I've had to use the wipers.

Tell you what though, if I'm unlucky enough to be in a serious accident, first I'm not going to say is 'oh I wonder if that sealant had anything to do with it'! Because I don't think it could have anyway under any circumstances!

Noisy kids in the back are a far bigger distraction I think!

Regards,
Clive.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)




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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

The windscreen has be super clean and dry when you apply any coating on the windscreen, but you have to remember being winter, there will alot of road film on the windscreen so that may intervene with coating, such as haziness when you use the wipers.

This can be easily sorted again, by washing the windscreen throughly then applying a good sealant on top again.. and choose a good screen wash as well....


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