I am just amazed, I was going to replace the rear plastic window after seeing a crease around the bent area. Well, I took the advice and bought the Meguire's Plastic Polish from AutoZone for $4.99 plus tax, came home, wiped some on a cotton rag and applied some on the plastic window and, OMG! As the black dirt came off, the window looks brand new.

I just saved about $135.00 since I renewed the plastic window! Just amazing! All that was dirt on the plastic that is not detectable from naked eye! Lots of dirt accumulated there which gave it a haze.

Thanks all!:stickoutt

be sure to do the inside too. it tends to get this gross filmy build up.

i have that stuff too. it works pretty well!

Yup, I always do the inside. Unfortunately, wiping it down with a wet shamy did not do anything. Now the plastic feels so much supple and soft.
be sure to do the inside too. it tends to get this gross filmy build up.

i have that stuff too. it works pretty well!

Now go buy some Plexus, and hit the inside and outside of the window everytime you wash the car, and it will look great for a loooooong time.

do any of you guys get tiny white spots of polish stuck on the window that are impossible to get off? the window gets all staticky, and the polish dust sticks to it. my window is prefectly clear, but i just have those spots. i can smear them around, move them around, but cant completely remove them. :mad

do any of you guys get tiny white spots of polish stuck on the window that are impossible to get off? the window gets all staticky, and the polish dust sticks to it. my window is prefectly clear, but i just have those spots. i can smear them around, move them around, but cant completely remove them. :mad

I use some type of terry cloth and I dont seem to have much problems. You might try that and see if it helps.

good post! i stopped at autozone yesterday bought a bottle and some rags. went for it in the parking lot. amazing! i had all but given up on that back window! i tried rubbing compound and a magic eraser a while back with minimal results, and thought if that wont polish it nothing will. i was wrong. my window was so bad it was dangerous to drive around. couldnt see s*it.

"I was blind but now I see..."
good post! i stopped at autozone yesterday bought a bottle and some rags. went for it in the parking lot. amazing! i had all but given up on that back window! i tried rubbing compound and a magic eraser a while back with minimal results, and thought if that wont polish it nothing will. i was wrong. my window was so bad it was dangerous to drive around. couldnt see s*it.

Anyway, thanks for the tip. I just saved like $135+ or $400+ if you're talking about Princeton BMW, those dirty rats!
be sure to do the inside too. it tends to get this gross filmy build up.

i have that stuff too. it works pretty well!

Good to hear! I used BMW's stuff with so-so results. I bought some Plastic X but stored the car before I got to use it. Can't wait!

Now go buy some Plexus, and hit the inside and outside of the window everytime you wash the car, and it will look great for a loooooong time.

I 2nd that. Plexus is an excellent product for the rear window as well as other plastic items like tail light lenses. And for you motorcyclists, its the best thing for your helmet visor.

Not to beat a dead horse, but if anyone is wondering if this really works, trust me it does! My new BMW looked terrible, and it was dangerous to drive because of the rear window. My wife and I polished it with Plastx and it is amazingly clear.

The person who originally found this stuff deserves a medal!!!

Wow....I can see again now too!!

Works good on motorcyle helmet visor good too.

Used it over the weekend- much cleaner. Still think I like the 3M cleaner & polish (2 step) a little better.

Autosol from Bavo is what I use most.

So obviously this stuff gives great results for the rear windows, but has anyone used it for the hazing plastic headlight covers? Good results?
JH

So obviously this stuff gives great results for the rear windows, but has anyone used it for the hazing plastic headlight covers? Good results?
JH

it could work as a temporary fix, but you should seriously look into upgrading to european style headlights. the light output is so much better than the plastic US spec headlights. plus, the outer cover is glass.

if you dont want to do that, id recommend getting a headlight polishing set from autogeek.net to get the plastic cleaned up thoroughly. (10% off if you use coupon code: clubmember)

do any of you guys get tiny white spots of polish stuck on the window that are impossible to get off? the window gets all staticky, and the polish dust sticks to it. my window is prefectly clear, but i just have those spots. i can smear them around, move them around, but cant completely remove them. :mad


Been there.

The fix is to use a soft damp cloth (water only) in one hand, and a dry soft cloth in another. Wipe on and buff off. It's a bit of a pain to do but it works.

Hey there. Just wanted to say thanks for the great tip. I just signed up for this forum moments ago and in reading this very first post I got a gem of a solution for my hazy back window. And what a great looking silver convertible, I bought used and got black, but preferred silver, anyhow...

Tried this andit didn't do a damn thing. Then again, my window is pretty much opaque because it's so oxidated, so I didn't expect much results.

I just bought a new window from eMiata. Anyone have experience putting these in? Is there anyone in the Seattle area that wants lunch/dinner on me to help me put it in? The auto glass guy up the block will do it for $80, but I'm looking to save that.

I use Griot's plastic cleaner/polisher. It's amazing on that rear screen

Tried this andit didn't do a damn thing. Then again, my window is pretty much opaque because it's so oxidated, so I didn't expect much results.

I just bought a new window from eMiata. Anyone have experience putting these in? Is there anyone in the Seattle area that wants lunch/dinner on me to help me put it in? The auto glass guy up the block will do it for $80, but I'm looking to save that.
did you do it inside and out? mine was totally opaque too. now clear.

Yeah, I did. Given, I used an old shirt and about 20 minutes time on it, but still I saw absolutely no difference so I gave up. Should I do something differently?

good post gonna have to try some for the new vert its got pollen all over...

This worked great for me on my car, though before you could still see through my window, it just looked constantly foggy.

After using it the window looks new. I used some soft rags I got at Autozone and did it inside and out.

Yeah, I did. Given, I used an old shirt and about 20 minutes time on it, but still I saw absolutely no difference so I gave up. Should I do something differently?
try a other brands.

ive found plastx to be pretty mild compared with other plastic cleaners/polishes that ive used in the past.

I took the advice and bought the Meguire's Plastic Polish from AutoZone for $4.99 plus tax, came home, wiped some on a cotton rag and applied some on the plastic window and, OMG!


Now I just want to make sure!!!! shoot me for wanting to know for sure...but will this stuff work on any window issue...i see posts about the amount of dirt on the window but my window is CLOUDY and unable to see through...this stuff will make it clear again??

Yes my window was cloudy as well now it is clear!

http://aycu06.webshots.com/image/14565/2003722479233426712_rs.jpg


There's my window. A whole bottle of Mequire's didn't do diddly squat for me...

Dude, that window is pretty bad. Have you tried Autosol plastic cleaner? :woowoo:

Dude, that window is pretty bad. Have you tried Autosol plastic cleaner? :woowoo:

you like to post pics of your car, huh? in your last three posts you included 3 different pics, 2 of them unrelated to the posts. why not make a thread about your car in the show section?

I'll think about it.

Try the BMW stuff...

you like to post pics of your car, huh? in your last three posts you included 3 different pics, 2 of them unrelated to the posts. why not make a thread about your car in the show section?
/\ lol...

That stuff worked GREAT for me. Do small sections at a time like the instructions say and don't skimp on the product!! Do the inside and the outside of the window. I thought mine was pretty clear till I used it and now it is very clear, I had tons of brown crap coming off my rag just from inside the car.

I used it on my head and tail lights. They're both OEM. Now they look super clear, even in comparison to another e36 owner friend of mine.

M3SPININ, did you have your car parked at the Vashon ferry the other day behind the gate? I saw an M3 over there with those tails and was staring at it as I wait to buy a ticket.

I just looked at that picture you have there and realized your location is "Sea-town" (I'm guessing Seattle?)

Yours?

Not mine, I was in Bellevue. Was it a M3 Tecno Violet convertible , dropped? Curious, have not seen many around.

About three years ago I bought the Meguiar's two-step kit. It's the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Cleaner (#17) and the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Polish (#10). I finally got around to using the stuff this weekend, and wow what a difference. I'd been hesitant to do anything as I have scratched the window in the past. This stuff was easy and worked great. Took a little while - about an hour - to clean it inside and out but since I hadn't done any serious cleaning on the window in about three years (!) I figured it was about time...

Some pics. Rear headrests are removed for ease of cleaning...

Before - from the inside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/Start-Inside.jpg

Before - from the outside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/Start-Outside.jpg

I cleaned a bit with water, then cleaner, then polish. Here's the left half like what they do in those cheezy 70's easy polish commercials:

After - from the inside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/RightDoneInside.jpg

After - from the outside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/LeftDoneOutside.jpg

After doing both sides, here's the final result.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/Finished.jpg

I had some problems with some of the polish/cleaner blobbing up (white spots?) and getting real thick in some areas - I hadn't done anything different and so I figured it was some kind of chemical reaction. I let it dry a bit and just buffed it out with a clean cloth, and all was well.

I wanted to do another pass, but the monsoon season in Miami prevented me from doing any more. Regardless, it's a lot better than before. Almost looks like glass.

I'll think about it.
;)
About three years ago I bought the Meguiar's two-step kit. It's the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Cleaner (#17) and the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Polish (#10). I finally got around to using the stuff this weekend, and wow what a difference. I'd been hesitant to do anything as I have scratched the window in the past. This stuff was easy and worked great. Took a little while - about an hour - to clean it inside and out but since I hadn't done any serious cleaning on the window in about three years (!) I figured it was about time...
I cleaned a bit with water, then cleaner, then polish. Here's the left half like what they do in those cheezy 70's easy polish commercials:

I had some problems with some of the polish/cleaner blobbing up (white spots?) and getting real thick in some areas - I hadn't done anything different and so I figured it was some kind of chemical reaction. I let it dry a bit and just buffed it out with a clean cloth, and all was well.

I wanted to do another pass, but the monsoon season in Miami prevented me from doing any more. Regardless, it's a lot better than before. Almost looks like glass.

wow, that the best before & after i think ive seen. :eyecrazy

I can actually see cars behind me now! It was just blobs before. I used to be frustrated that we don't have glass rear windows, but after this it doesn't seem too bad.

About three years ago I bought the Meguiar's two-step kit. It's the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Cleaner (#17) and the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Polish (#10). I finally got around to using the stuff this weekend...

Anyone know where I can buy some 3 years old Meguiar's?:evil2

I can actually see cars behind me now! It was just blobs before. I used to be frustrated that we don't have glass rear windows, but after this it doesn't seem too bad.

yeah, details aren't as clear as they would be looking through a glass rear window, but i have no problem being to see where cars are behind me.

CLOUDY and unable to see through...this stuff will make it clear again??


LOL...i'm quoting myself...hehehe...well Meguirs PlastX is what i decided to try...i used it on my back window...holy sh*t!!!!...thanks guyz

Not mine, I was in Bellevue. Was it a M3 Tecno Violet convertible , dropped? Curious, have not seen many around.

Ah I see. Can you post more pictures of your tail lights? I'm thinking of buying a set.

Here's another pic. They are FK's, bought them from BMtown a couple of years ago.

One more.

Any codes thrown?

Can you post a picture in plain daylight of the entire rear of the car?

Sorry I just never really got to see these on a car before and this is a good chance. :)

why not make a thread about your car in the show section?

Why not, indeed?

Or heck, why not use this thread for just that purpose?

I mean, I can't imagine someone else would want to know about these bling tail lights. So burying these pictures in a thread about useful products for cleaning the rear plastic window makes a lot of sense to me.

That way the people who don't use the search feature will NEVER find it.

Mwahahahahaha!

:devillook

:babyd

:babyd
Wah wahh wahhh...

I will work on those pictures for you.

do you guys no of anything similar they sell in the uk which will do the trick for me?

Sorry it took so long. Picture you requested.

those tail lights are god awful

Thank you I've been waiting for a bad comment for 3 years. You are my first.

those tail lights are god awful

+1 ......they are terrible, sorry.

+2

...but at least the vanity plate is clever. :devillook

do you guys no of anything similar they sell in the uk which will do the trick for me?

Better than similar - the products are available there, as far as Meguiar's UK is concerned: http://www.meguiars.co.uk/

A search of "plastic x" in the top menu yields a result of the clear plastic polish (#10), the clear plastic cleaner (#17), the clear plastic detailer (#18), and PlastX.

Good luck.

Sorry guys, I got tired of the plain lights. I do have quite a few buyers when these get boring though.

i think they are ok i like the idea of led lights :)

+1 on tail lights. Maybe on a black car... maybe.

You should start your own picture thread and post, or even use the current picture thread here. Wasn't this supposed to be about plastic-x?

Yes it was, and I did contribute to that. Then I was asked another question. Sorry.:dunno

+1 ......they are terrible, sorry.

+1 more. Agree :-) But cool to see something different.

Absolutely amazing, agree. I'm about to do the same. Is there any need to do anything else, like give it a coating to protect it?

Thanks.

About three years ago I bought the Meguiar's two-step kit. It's the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Cleaner (#17) and the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Polish (#10). I finally got around to using the stuff this weekend, and wow what a difference. I'd been hesitant to do anything as I have scratched the window in the past. This stuff was easy and worked great. Took a little while - about an hour - to clean it inside and out but since I hadn't done any serious cleaning on the window in about three years (!) I figured it was about time...

Some pics. Rear headrests are removed for ease of cleaning...

Before - from the inside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/Start-Inside.jpg

Before - from the outside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/Start-Outside.jpg

I cleaned a bit with water, then cleaner, then polish. Here's the left half like what they do in those cheezy 70's easy polish commercials:

After - from the inside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/RightDoneInside.jpg

After - from the outside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/LeftDoneOutside.jpg

After doing both sides, here's the final result.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/bigbillybmw/Finished.jpg

I had some problems with some of the polish/cleaner blobbing up (white spots?) and getting real thick in some areas - I hadn't done anything different and so I figured it was some kind of chemical reaction. I let it dry a bit and just buffed it out with a clean cloth, and all was well.

I wanted to do another pass, but the monsoon season in Miami prevented me from doing any more. Regardless, it's a lot better than before. Almost looks like glass.

Absolutely amazing, agree. I'm about to do the same. Is there any need to do anything else, like give it a coating to protect it?

I don't know of any protective coating options, but now that I've finally done it (after a few years of putting it off) it's really not that hard, so having to re-do it wouldn't be a big deal.

BTW - they sell an "18 detailer" too, to use between treatments. I haven't tried it, but I did buy some. I'll give it a try when the window gets a little bit dirty/hazy and let you know.

My biggest fear with all this - and the reason I put it off for so long, was about grinding dirt into the plastic and leaving scratches. Cleaning with water seems to do the trick.

Oh, and for anyone living near one, West Marine carries all three of these products - 10, 17, and 18. And plasticX as well I think. And believe it or not, their prices aren't too bad.

BB

Cool, thank!

I found another use for the plastic polish. I used it to clean around the door handle and door armrest. With dove grey interior, that area is almost white. It did a great job!

do youknow of any other polish similar i cant get this prduct in the UK and i cant find it on ebay thanks

do youknow of any other polish similar i cant get this prduct in the UK and i cant find it on ebay thanks

So post #58 above didn't help? www.meguiars.co.uk? I searched the site and found the products there...

Granted, this post probably got lost in the middle of the very important (and highly relevant) posts of some godawful tail lights...

:devillook

thanks yes i must have missed that ill try them now,



edit.. what would you sujest i use as they have four items for sale? thanks in advance

Give the plastic X a shot - if nothing else it seems to accomplish what the 10 and 17 products were also developed for.

I just got the 10/17 system as I didn't know of the plastic X (and maybe it didn't exist back then either).

Let us know how it works for you...

yes i will thanks we have got rain all this week with great weather coming this weekend so ill be doing it then thanks again

Will that stuff work on headlights too?

Absolutely amazing, agree. I'm about to do the same. Is there any need to do anything else, like give it a coating to protect it?

Thanks.
That stuff is great!!

Pastic X is spot on - Did mine at the weekend. Mine was cloudy and you could just about make out if a car was behind you, plus it was getting the horrible crease line accross it, now its like looking through glass you can even read the plates! and spot if its old bill or not! Cheers guys saved me a few quid as i was thinking of replacing the screen....:)

I am still waiting for mine to be delivered we have a postal strike to deal with sigh ill let you know

so i need your opinions
what is the best product for cleaning plastic rear windows??

some say plastx by Meguire
others say Plexus
and that amazing before and after photos by bigbilly suggest the #10 and #17 cleaner and polisher from Meguire seem very sufficient

also, i may have just been ignorant, but I saw alot of you experienced some kind of white accumulation of cleaner/polisher when cleaning... how do you solve this problem??

Plasticx seems to do what the old #10/#17 was designed to do, but in one container. If you're starting from zero I'd give that a shot.

As for the white spots, dunno as I never had that problem. Mparallel has a recommendation, above, though.

hey, im using Plastx right now and while it seems to improve the quality,
its nothing for me to say HOLY S&$% yet. Of course, one coat won't do that.
But what do you guys recommend... as in what is the entire process you guys do to make your rear window become like new??

HELP!!!!
Ok so the Plastx is improving the window (I got the basic polish/cleaner all in one bottle).
this was wat the window looked like when i got it
http://buckner-engineering.com/private/automotive_forsale/E36_CT/pages/IMG_1301.htm

i wish i could post a picture of wat it looks like now... but how many posts do i need??
anyways, some of the stuff and grime is gone, however, that main "fold" line in the middle is still there and there are little white spots all over the place.
On the outside, it looks pretty nice, but from the inside, it still looks really cloudy and unclear...
what do you guys suggest to fix this stuff??

Nothing is going to make a 13 year old window (if it's original to your car) like new. From what I've read Plastix, Plexis, and McGuires all have very good products, but there is a limit as to what they will do. The best fix is a new window which every convertible top owner will have to do at some point regardless of how well you clean and treat your window.

I purchaed Plexus and it worked great the first time I used it... dirt and haze built back up and I used it again... only this time it has left some obvious spotting on the plastic windshield.

Its hard to explain because the spots arent white.. they are actually more clear than the rest of the window, but its really annoying....

any suggestions? Should I clean it with something before using Plexus? does the cloth that I use matter? That is the only thing I can think of that I did different, as I used Terry cloth the first time and a regular cotton rag the second time.

I hate to cause a panic, but I went to the AutoZone to give this PlastX a try, and the clerk said they've discontinued selling the product. I called a couple stores and they're all out with none on order. Don't know if that means they've discontinued it nationwide, or just in San Diego, but I'm going at lunchtime today to pick up the last two bottles at the big store. It's still available online at autozone.com. I ordered a bottle there. If this stuff doesn't work, or I get marginal results after a good effort, I'm scheduled to replace the windshield Friday. Be careful on that btw, if you pay more than 450 just for the back window, you're a sucker. this guy tried to charge me $575.00. I guess that's the BMW price in San Diego though.

anyone tried autoglym glass polish on the plastic window?

+1 for not liking the ricer racer led lights :-)

Well fellas, the results are in. While improvement was seen, I didn't see the drastic improvement in the rear windshield marked by others. I applied several coats(and burned quite a few calories in the process buffing and wiping), making sure to apply copious amounts and on a few coats just let it sit there for a while to absorb the dirt. The first time around i got a pretty black terry cloth. But the 3rd 4th 5th and 6th time I got little or no dirt.
It went from a cloudy mist to more of a greasy chicken look, and the crease from where the top folds is still in there. I've got what also appears to be like, old tape marks on mine and where a previous own put a sticker, so I think it's best if I just replace mine.
To conclude, I'd say PlastX works for a rear window that hasn't been neglected for years. If you use this product once a week or once every two weeks, I think your rear window will last you a little longer.

Well fellas, the results are in. While improvement was seen, I didn't see the drastic improvement in the rear windshield marked by others. I applied several coats(and burned quite a few calories in the process buffing and wiping), making sure to apply copious amounts and on a few coats just let it sit there for a while to absorb the dirt. The first time around i got a pretty black terry cloth. But the 3rd 4th 5th and 6th time I got little or no dirt.
It went from a cloudy mist to more of a greasy chicken look, and the crease from where the top folds is still in there. I've got what also appears to be like, old tape marks on mine and where a previous own put a sticker, so I think it's best if I just replace mine.
To conclude, I'd say PlastX works for a rear window that hasn't been neglected for years. If you use this product once a week or once every two weeks, I think your rear window will last you a little longer.
257587

I've had very good success with 3M Plastic Cleaner and Polish in the past.

Not to put down PlastX but I think it is more cleaner with limited polish ability. I've read the raves on PlastX and got some to try but still prefer 3M products, give it a last shot before replacing.

With each application of polish you keep polishing out the haze and scratches where cleaner will remover the dirt & funky build up ON the plastic. I have removed the fold mark on my '96 Z3 before I replaced the window a year later due to stitching failure.

And it did a very good job on my Z3 headlight housings but wasn't aggressive enough to polish out the deep pitting.

Maybe hit the tough spot with a good metal polish with an even finer cut, like Flitz.

My 2 cents, if it's plastic or adhesives look at 3M products that's their day job.