# Oily film inside windshield

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** windshields\
**Created:** [April 4, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737 "2009-04-04T19:02:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![naumoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc29f/32.png) [@naumoff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/naumoff)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737/1 "2009-04-04T19:02:26Z")

</div>

Bought 08 civic new in July. Oily film inside windshield…cannot get it off…have tried:  
  
 1.Leaving windows open all the time weather permits.  
  
 2. Ammonia window cleaner.  
  
 3. Greased Lightening, being careful not to drip it on the dash.  
  
 4. dish soap and water, scrubbing hard, drying.  
  
 5. Car parts spray on bottle specifically for the oil residue.  
  
 No luck from any of them…they sometimes smear the film around a bit…you can see it from outside looking in, (the smearing), driving with sun coming in, and at night from oncoming lights.  
  
 It’s not on the outside of the glass.  
  
 Ideas? and thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![naumoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc29f/32.png) [@naumoff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/naumoff)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737/2 "2009-04-04T19:12:44Z")

</div>

Follow up to my above post about oil windshield: This car has a steeply slanted windshield, and a huge plastic dash, seems double the size of a traditional dash(cab forward design I think it’s called) if that makes a difference.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737/3 "2009-04-04T19:23:00Z")

</div>

What you might be seeing is film that forms on the inside of the windshield when the vinyl on the dash starts to off-gas the chemicals that were used in the production of the vinyl.

Tester

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737/4 "2009-04-04T19:36:00Z")

</div>

I suggest using rubbing alcohol on newsprint. Put the alcohol on the newsprint, not the window. Rub the window and see if it is removed. If that doesn’t work, try Simple Green in water; about 1:10 mix ratio. Wet the newsprint and try again. You might follow up with water in a paper towel to remove the Simple Green.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737/5 "2009-04-04T19:40:38Z")

</div>

My ultimate cleaner is scrubbing bubbles.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Reuven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Reuven](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Reuven)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oily-film-inside-windshield/28737/6 "2010-02-23T20:39:07Z")

</div>

Try using brake cleaning spray that has no residue. Wipe it off with a soft towel. It works for me. It is the only stuff that I have found that works. Make sure the doors are open to avoid problems from the fumes.