Water smeared side windows!

[mackeroni]

Every time I wash my car and polish the glass, I have to remember to NOT PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN for at least two days. Why? Because no mater what I do, they come back up wet and they look horrible and spotted until I clean them off again. Has anyone discovered a way to avoid this problem, other than never washing the car? Is there some way to dry the rubber seals which I assume are holding the water and messing up my windows?

Yes, this is a petty complaint, but its late and that's just the kind of hairpin I am.

Peace... Mack

[chris_flies]

The solution for me was switching to a no-water wash. My paint might not appreciate it long-term, but it's convenient, quick, and lets me roll my windows down afterwards Maybe you could use some painter's tape or saran wrap over the lower seal so the seal doesn't get wet? Interesting problem that I just ignore lol

[jkoral]

This drives me absolutely bonkers. For me it definitely seems to last more than 2 days -- I do a lot of winter washing and park in a garage at home/work, so I don't get the warmth of the sun to dry it out.

I've given up trying to get the lower 1-2cm of the inside window perfect due to the auto-lowering of the windows. Even cleaning them rolled up (sitting in seat), they just get wet/dirty when you get in/out of the car.

I've just lived with the problem by not lowering the windows. If it's a nice summer day and I know I'm going to be washing my car that day or the next, I will put the windows down.

I don't have this problem with my other two Japanese cars. I've had other BMWs and I don't recall if I had the same problem, perhaps it's just slightly worse with the 1er.

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by mackeroni

Every time I wash my car and polish the glass, I have to remember to NOT PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN for at least two days. Why? Because no mater what I do, they come back up wet and they look horrible and spotted until I clean them off again. Has anyone discovered a way to avoid this problem, other than never washing the car? Is there some way to dry the rubber seals which I assume are holding the water and messing up my windows?

Yes, this is a petty complaint, but its late and that's just the kind of hairpin I am.

Peace... Mack

It's the type of felt used and how tight it is against the glass, unavoidable really.

What I do:
-Wash car
-Ignore windows
-Wipe down once a day with Stoners Glass Cleaner till dry

[blue135]

Not just BMW. See this with my '10 Colorado much worse than 1er. Bugs me.

[iminhell1]

I'll roll the windows up and down until they come up almost dry. Generally about 10 wipes or so and I'm satisfied. Adds maybe 5 minutes to my drying routine.

[tock172]

Doesn't this happen to every car? I think what really makes the 1 Series, or any BMW coupe with frameless windows worse, is that the glass drops 1/4" or whatever whenever you open the door. Those are the water streaks that annoy me.

[mackeroni]

Originally Posted by iminhell1

I'll roll the windows up and down until they come up almost dry. Generally about 10 wipes or so and I'm satisfied. Adds maybe 5 minutes to my drying routine.

Originally Posted by iminhell1

I'll roll the windows up and down until they come up almost dry. Generally about 10 wipes or so and I'm satisfied. Adds maybe 5 minutes to my drying routine.

Tried this today. Didn't work very well for me. Thanks anyway.

Peace... Mack

[HyeWarrior]

I get this too. I just started keeping some windex and a microfiber towel in the trunk in case it really pisses me off lol

[Rmtt]

Do any of you guys have tinted windows?

Just wondering if that is a factor. I finally got a chance to wash mine over the weekend. Afterwards I use compressed air to dry everything off, then go over the windows with a microfiber towel.

But I noticed when I took it for a drive about two hours after washing, I didn't have that issue. The weather was nice enough to drop the windows and open the sunroof.

When I got home and rolled them up, they were bone dry. Just wondering if window tint could contribute somehow as mine are tinted.?

[HyeWarrior]

Maybe, I don't have any tint. Still going back and forth if I want to or not

[JimVonBaden]

Bugs me too. Seems a little worse on the BMW since I put the windows down a lot with the top.

[bobdavisnpf]

Things I've found that work for me:

- drive with windows down
- focus on the stain on convertible top
- think about whether using the windshield washer fluid is gonna prematurely wear out the top's fabric protectant
- lament how much road dust & dirt I've picked up in the 3 days since last wash
- so, yeah, I got nothing, but lots of it

Compressed air sounds like a good idea. Maybe rolling the windows all the way down, and blowing the felt while the window's mostly in the cavity?

I might try painter's tape for the wet-down, wash, rinse, and dry-off, then take it off for the post-wash detailing. If it works, this could prove useful before doing meet-ups and shows.

[mackeroni]

Originally Posted by bobdavisnpf

Things I've found that work for me:

- drive with windows down
- focus on the stain on convertible top
- think about whether using the windshield washer fluid is gonna prematurely wear out the top's fabric protectant
- lament how much road dust & dirt I've picked up in the 3 days since last wash
- so, yeah, I got nothing, but lots of it

Compressed air sounds like a good idea. Maybe rolling the windows all the way down, and blowing the felt while the window's mostly in the cavity?

I might try painter's tape for the wet-down, wash, rinse, and dry-off, then take it off for the post-wash detailing. If it works, this could prove useful before doing meet-ups and shows.

Sure, bobdavisnpf, I have lots of other things to distract me too. The problem with the window spots is that they are right there, ten inches from my right ear. Too hard to ignore. Every time I check my driver side mirror, there they are. Every time I look over at the car beside me, there they are. I think Matticus91 has it right. Just wipe down the windows once a day until they are dry.

Peace... Mack

[Gangplank]

I don't roll the windows down for a day after washing. Keep a towel in the trunk if I have to wipe them down.

[ferocity02]

Every car does this. It should dry out after a day, but maybe longer if you park in the garage or live in a cold place.

[mackeroni]

Originally Posted by ferocity02

Every car does this. It should dry out after a day, but maybe longer if you park in the garage or live in a cold place.

Aha! So its the damn garage! I knew it! From now on, I will be parking my 135i outside. Hopefully, all the snow and rain that we get here in Ohio will keep my windows dry and streak-free. Hey… wait just a minute!!

Peace... Mack

[apex_prd8r]

Experiencing and annoyed with the same issue on my new to me 2011 128i. I've never had a car with widows that stayed this wet for so long. Last carwash, I purposely left them up for 24-hours (admittedly in cold WI environment with little sun to dry things up), but they were still covered in water after I dropped them and rolled back up. I've never had a car with this issue. I'll be experimenting as the weather improves in the next few weeks.

[mackeroni]

Originally Posted by apex_prd8r

Experiencing and annoyed with the same issue on my new to me 2011 128i. I've never had a car with widows that stayed this wet for so long. Last carwash, I purposely left them up for 24-hours (admittedly in cold WI environment with little sun to dry things up), but they were still covered in water after I dropped them and rolled back up. I've never had a car with this issue. I'll be experimenting as the weather improves in the next few weeks.

Trust me. Time spent experimenting will be mostly wasted. If the windows get wet, they stay wet for days. Just dry them off or never put them up.