Team-BHP - Rain-X

I'm sure most here know of Rain-X, the product that claims to be the "invisible wiper". Basically it's a solution that bead's up the water when it hits glass, allowing it to slide off easy. Pretty much what wax does to the car body.

I've tried this many times over the years, but never had much luck as the results were never as I expected.

Was wondering if anyone else here has some GOOD experience with this stuff, or any other similar product.

I'm asking as the rear hatch glass of my Octi. doesn't have a wash/wipe, and it becomes a pain in the rain's at times, so I need a solution to keep the water/dirt away or atleast to a minimum.

R tech, ihave a similar one which i had picked up from the states, its called,
Castrol AcuVision, basically arin-x type product.

Was disappointed when i udes it the first time- on the front, But tried a new tack and am reasonably pleased with the results-

Here's what i got.
Basically anyone who is using it and expects to have crystal clear windows, is in for a big disappointment.
What i did- first washed the rear & side glasses clean.

Then applied the stuff a little too generously (by mistake)

result- windows are notcrystal, but the water is in much smaller droplets,
actually enabling me to see through and figure out what traffic is behind me
The effect was especially excellent at night, when the lights of other vehicles make visibility a disaster.

Masterstroke - I also(brainwave) used it on my side view mirrors and am now able to see
fairly well through them , whereas previously in the rain, they were useless , the effect of water on the side glass + the mirror meant no visibility.

Hint - use it a little frequently as it tends to wear off soon (its just for 3 months anyway, i dont use it at other times), say every 10 days or so.

conclusion, - dont expect miracles, but it will give you a fair degree of improved visbilty which could turn out to be crucial

Ok, this time I actually READ the instructions on the back of the bottle :D

What I was doing wrong was I did not wipe the glass clean after applying the Rain-X. Here's what I did now:

1. Clean glass with cloth
2. Apply Rain-X on cloth and rub onto the glass
3. Apply a 2nd coat and allow to dry for a few minutes.
4. Take an old newspaper (B&W) and wipe the glass clean.

This seem's to make it a bit more effective. The water beads up nicely, and once over a certain speed, it just fly's off the windows. However you have to be doing above 50 kmph to get the real effect. Anything less than that and the water just sit's on the window.

I also applied it to my wing mirrors like revvhead.

after clearly follow Rtech's instructions i applied rain X on the windscreen.

as mentioned before if you expect it to be spotless without even a litlle water you are in for a big surprise but it does help a little.the water drops bead up and slide down hence making it a little clear and as Rtech mentioned if you are above 40 - 50 kmph it just flys off hence making it even better.

the most improtant thing is to clean the glass thourougly before you apply it.

i put a little extra by mistake and so the result was really good but i do have a few questions.one is how much of it do you have to apply and will it help if you put it on the rear glass as well as the side view mirrors. and how long is that bottle supposed to last i mean how long do you think it will last with you.

Rev

I'm using Rain X on all windows + the mirrors on my Esteem and I did follow RTech's method (which is printed on the bottle too ;) ) ...

It is some kind of "micro silicone wax" that fills up the "pores" in the glass and makes it smooth and slippery to the touch. Results are pretty good initially, esp. at high speed in heavy rain... water forms beads on the glass instead of spreading and that helps you see thru the glass. The wipers also clear away the water better at first, but...

In a week or 2 of getting splattered with muddy mist from trucks, buses etc., the stuff seems to break down (or get scraped off ?)... then the results are worse than without the Rain X. Just after the wiper sweeps, the glass gets hazy for a second... not good :( Also, if the glass is wiped / washed after getting a little muddy, the mud mixes with the invisible "wax" and it is as if I'm cleaning the glass with engine oil!

Still... if you keep the glasses clean (wash with liquid soap often !) and re-apply the stuff regularly, it works well... just does'nt agree with the Mumbai - Pune mud I guess!

- T u r b o C -

What is rain-x and what does it do? Though its name points to do aomething with water or moisture.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvhead (Post 881171)

Hiya guys, anyone know of anyplace in and around bandra/andheri that sells rain-x
or a similar kinda product. my stock has finished,
but the guys i go to dont have any

Thanks

Rain-x has a lot of detractors. Another product you might seek out is Aquapel. It has a different chemical make up and works differently to repel or bead water on your windshield. Aircraft use this and not rain-x. You might try a shop catering to aircraft to find such a product. Yeah, I know, it's India.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvhead (Post 881171)

Hiya guys, anyone know of anyplace in and around bandra/andheri that sells rain-x
or a similar kinda product. my stock has finished,
but the guys i go to dont have any

Thanks

You can get it from any maruti dealer or MGA shop. They have similar of Rain-X.

The windscreen gets a layer of oil/grease from all those fumes in traffic.
Using any detergent will remove it.
Wipe with a soft dry cotton cloth.

Clean both sides of the windscreen.

Tobacco from a cig also helps in cleaning the windscreen.

I add a small amount of glass cleaners like Mr Muscle.
Prefer Mr Muscle because its cap has a lock feature.
So you can keep a bottle in the car without worrying about spillage.