2000 Acura TL Windshield Problem

grif3

As been discussed in Acura TL smart shopper area.
There seems to be a problem that Acura is aware of
that being the wiper on the passenger side can not
be moved upward when cleaning the windshield.
Secondly the entire front windshield does not clean
prperly. That is correct! There is a "film " on
the windshield that is almost impossible to get
off. In speaking with Acura on it's 800# they said
there are aware of these problems and are looking
into it!

pat455

Have you checked out your owner's manual on the wiper issue? I have a 99 TL and my manual clearly explains that all you have to do is turn the key to the on position and turn the wipers on for just a second to move them up on the windshield.

This will allow the passenger side wiper to be lifted cleanly off the windshield for either cleaning the windshield or cleaning/replacing the blade.

I agree it is a pain to do all of this, but it IS do-able!

On the "film" issue, I assume you are speaking of the interior glass? I have gotten the impression from reading the various car care topics in this conference that there is an off-gassing of interior surfaces such as leather and plastic that collects on the interior glass and is very tough to remove, and is not unique to Acura.

You might want to check the previous posts in some of these topics for suggestions:

Paint and Body Care

Cleaning interior surfaces

Store Bought Waxes

Zaino Car Care Experiences

I'm sorry that I don't remember exactly what is the best resource in these topics - I do know I have read that Zaino has a solution for this, but I have never tried it.

I've been happy with Armor All's Auto Glass Cleaner and newspaper - cleans up my windows just fine.

Where is this being discussed in Smart Shopper? Apparently, I missed that conversation.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

vp16

I, among other new TL owners, experience the same problem as grif3. The problem is the outside windshield. It appears that the windshield washer, wiper glade, and windshield combination leaves a diffuse small specks of opaque deposits all over the windshield when we using the windshield washer to clean the windshield. It also leaves a long streak of deposit where the windshield wiper blade stops on the upswing. The passenger blade leaves the streak right in the middle of the driver's view. I needed to use windex to clean the windshield to get rid of the deposits.
I have also taken the car back to the dealer, who was nice enough to replace the washer fluid and the plastic tubing. This only marginally helped the deposits. By in large, its still there each time I use the windshield washer to clean the windshield. My next step is to replace the wiper blades to see if this help. Any help to have the windshield washer/blade clean the windshield properly would be much appreciated.

tgavery

Apparently there are quite a few TL owners experiencing a similar problem: it is nearly impossible to keep the windshield clean. Trying to clean it leaves ugly streaks and filmy deposits. The wipers either don't help or make it worse, and they leave big streaks on the windows themselves.

We're told that Acura is "aware of the problem," but we don't have any idea when they might actually do something about the problem. So we're going to organize a little grass roots campaign, on the theory that one individual may not get much attention, but a group of us might.

If anyone is experiencing this or a similar problem, please e-mail me directly (click on my username to view my profile). For now, I just need your real name and your e-mail address, and it would help to know the month and year you bought your TL. (I have a suspicion that the people experiencing this problem all bought their vehicles right around the same time.) Also include a brief description in your own words of the problem you are having and how it affects you.

Once all of the information has been gathered, I will submit a written letter to Acura requesting that they address our concerns. Before I send the letter, I will first e-mail it to everyone whose name is included so that you will have a chance to review its contents, and so that you can choose to remove your name if you for some reason change your mind.

All those involved will be kept apprised of the progress via e-mail. I will also post brief updates back to this Edmund's Topic for any who aren't directly involved but are curious about the outcome.

If anyone has any other questions or comments regarding this, please either e-mail me for a private response, or post it here.

Thanks,

Tim

pat455

Where in Town Hall are folks talking about this problem? I haven't happened to run into it.

Maybe you are right that it is a problem isolated to a group of vehicles produced at the same time. I wonder if it is a certain type of wiper creating it or something?

I do not have this problem with my '99 TL.

Meanwhile, if any of you are looking for cleaning tips, there are some in the topics I linked in post #1. It's also worth checking out the suggestions in Water Spots on Car Windows/Windshield which is an active topic, and also Windshield Water Spots which is archived.

We should probably be having this conversation in the active Water Spots topic - Bruce can decide - but either way, let us know what happens.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

pat455

I've been reading that topic in Smart Shopper but I guess I haven't been there since Sunday. You folks only got into this problem earlier this week.

You know, there is another TL topic in the Sedans conference - you may want to check there to see if this is a widespread problem or not.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

grishulia

Just replace those original rubber blades with the new ones, aparently Acura is using the cheap stuff on their upscale car, get a Bosch or something.
A friend of mine was having this same problem and after dealer recommendation to replace the blades it was solved, I will be replacing mine soon.
Also I had this same problem with my previous non-Acura car.

tgavery

I replaced my blades yesterday afternoon with Bosch MicroEdge Excel. These are some of the best (and most expensive) wiper blades that money can buy. I've used them before and they've always worked great.

I went home and cleaned my windshield within an inch of its life using just Windex and paper towels (the same thing I've used to clean the windows on every car I've ever owned). I cleaned off every last speck of grime, dirt, dust, etc. The window was spotless.

Then I went to use my washers today. Guess what? It left splotches all over the window. Doesn't seem to be quite as bad as before, but still noticeable. And the wipers are still leaving streaks at their top positions.

So far I've ruled out the washer fluid (which I mentioned in another post that I had already drained and refilled) and the original wiper blades. That narrows it down to either some problem with the windshield itself, or something in the washer system (like it's adding some sort of deposits to the washer fluid). Myself, I think it's the windshield.

Someone on another board suggested cleaning the windshield with Bon-Ami. I may try that next. I was a little hesitant because I was afraid it might be too harsh and scratch the surface. But I don't think it could make the problem worse. (Famous last words, right?)

tgavery

I've had nine responses thus far from affected people willing to participate. What are the rest of you waiting for?! We're going to wait until the end of this week before proceeding to see how many more we can get. The more the merrier! (Or maybe it's, "Misery loves company.")

ATTENTION "WJK": I've been trying to send e-mail to the reply address from the message you sent me, but it keeps coming back "unknown recipient." Any ideas?

tgavery

In response to several inquiries I've gotten regarding this matter, I wanted to clarify exactly what it is we are hoping to do at this point. We simply want to send a letter to Acura that describes the problem, and includes as many names as possible. The hope is that Acura will want the chance to prove to us that they are indeed the world-class service organization that they claim to be, and that they will respond by quickly addressing and resolving the problem for everyone involved.

We are not threatening any sort of legal action. Our only "risk" at this point is that they'll say no, or that they will just ignore us altogether. So I really feel that there is no risk at all. I'm proceeding under the assumption that, "It never hurts to ask."

If we should get an unsatisfactory answer from Acura (or they laugh in our face), some participants may decide that they want to take the matter further. However, no one involved up to that point will be under any obligation to proceed. Essentially, you can opt out at any time.

So if you have a streaky windshield on your TL that just won't go away, go ahead and contact me. What have you got to lose, other than all that dirt on your windshield?

chiroman

I got my 2000 Acura TL this past June. A couple of days after using my blades, I noticed a vertical line where both blades end coming across the windshield. I took it back to the dealer who said they needed to be cleaned. That helped for a day or so then it started again. Again the dealer cleaned them. The third time the dealer replaced them. That still didn't solve the problem. I went to a place to have my blades changed. They said that the blades are hitting the windshield too hard and that the arms needed to be adjusted. I spoke to the service manager who said that the problem is with the inserts and other TL's have that same problem. Just clean the blades once a week. I DON'T THINK SO!!! I am writing Acura to see what they say. I'll keep you posted. Mark

bjohnson71

I also have had this problem with my TL. I originally thought it was because I applied RainX, but the RainX has long worn off and it is still happening.

mh15c

I'm experiencing the problem too. I bought my car on June 15. It just came off the truck, so it was probably manufactured shortly before that. I'm bringing the car in this coming Wednesday. The first time I had it looked at, they flushed out the windshield washer system and cleaned the window and the wiper blades "with alcohol".

This helped for a few days, but the problem came back again.

The dealer now claims that "Acura knows about the problem" and that it has to do with "some kind of film on the glass". They said that when I bring it in, they're going to clean the window with alcohol again and replace the wiper blades. The service manager told me that the problem wasn't solved the first time because the wiper blades absorbed whatever it was that was coating the windshield.

We'll see what happens.

I also suspect that this is only a problem for cars manufactured within some time frame. I regularly log on to Acura-tl.com and there wasn't really a lot of complaining about this, which you would suspect if it were really widespread.

When I posted something about it, though, I did get a number of responses.

tgavery

The letter mentioned in posts #3,8,9 goes out today. It will include the names of as many as seventeen TL owners experiencing this problem. I'll post another update if/when I hear anything from Acura.

kent25

windshield thoroughly with windex last weekend, including the wipers, and it seemed to remove most of the problem. Not sure if it will stay OK when the windshield is dirty again. Will advise.

shelee

How do I contact you? The dealer replaced blades before I took delivery. I think I still have a problem, windshield can not show a clear clean finish.I think there is a problem in the glass.Pls E mail me at sjslsinfl@webtv.net when you hear something fom Acura. Thanks what is a good product to clean glass??? Might have wax deposits.

lagunagreen1

Thank you to post #13 (and others) for confirming I am not crazy! I bought my TL in late July and have had the same problems with cleaning the outside of the windshield. The only way it gets clean is with Windex. I thought this might stop once the car had a few months of age but no luck.
Washer fluid and all the rest leave those hard-to-describe marks which really have "tainted my view" of an otherwise great car. I will be contacting my dealer next week to see what they plan to do.

Is there any reason why we shouldn't be insisting that they replace the windshield if none of these other "fixes" work?

grif3

I think this is a larger problem. I just met a fellow TL lover while picking up the newspaper this morning. She to is experiencing the very same problem with her windshield. She plans to bring back to her dealership this week.

I have tried everything suggested except Bon Ami, which I am having one heck of a time locating in the stores. Have found the cleanser, not the soap or cleaner!

Personally, not being mechanically inclined, I believe this most frustating and irritating problem lies with the windshield itself.

I have contacted Acura at their 800#, and they do say that they are aware of "this problem"; however they suggest that I contact the dealer were we purchased the car to have them look at it.

I know there is a letter that was sent Acura pertaing to this problem, but I really believe this problem is bigger than we are led to believe. I agree with the gentleman who posted (#17), that Acura should be prepared to replace the windshield, or certainly give us a straight answer!

kent25

carefully cleaning with windex, the problem seems about 90% gone. By the way, I also cleaned the wiper itself with windex. If problem reappears, I will refer it to the dealer with next oil change.

tgavery

I previously wrote that I replaced both my washer fluid and my wiper blades a couple of weeks ago, but saw no improvement. Now I think that I am seeing some improvement.

After the replacement, I have since cleaned the windshield thoroughly, twice, using Windex and paper towels to remove all the deposits and gunk. At first the problem persisted, but since the second cleaning, it does appear noticeably better. It is still too early to tell for sure if the improvement will be permanent, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Hindsight being 20/20, I would recommend doing all of the following steps, in order:

1) Drain the fluid reservoir (just keep running the sprayer until it sprays no more).
2) Refill the reservoir with water, and drain it again to rinse it out completely.
3) Refill the reservoir again, this time using regular washer fluid.
4) Clean the windshield thoroughly by hand, and really scrub out all the filmy deposits.
5) Replace the wiper blades.

Replacing the blades last is key, because that means the new blades will not have a chance to collect any of the deposits and gunk that would have been on the windshield.

If anyone tries this, let me know how it works.

pat455

Both for getting Acura to talk to you about the problem and for figuring out the solution on your own.

Great work!

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

satch2

Tim; Did Acura give you any info. on when this problem was occuring and after what date of manufacture the problem should have ceased to exist. I am considering buying a 2001 TL and would like to know if I might still be getting one with this problem or whether I should even be concerned. Thanks

wsk0

Not surprisingly, it's happening to us folks with 2001 CL's as well! Hopefully, and it now sounds promising, we'll all finally be done with this problem!

tgavery

Unfortunately, Acura was not very forthcoming with additional information. Everything I was told was contained in the last post, and much of that was only in response to questions I asked.

If you are in the process of buying, I recommend that you just run the washers a couple of times before you drive off the lot, and point out to the dealer if there is any problem.

All things considered, I don't think I would let this problem stand in the way of buying the car. It's truly a great car for the price in every other aspect. (Particularly if this does turn out to be the final solution.) But it can be a very annoying problem simply because it is so visible.

vp16

Great job heading up this effort to resolve our common problem. My washer fluid and tubing was changed last month, but it only improve the problem slightly. However, over the past four weeks, the problem is improving slowly. I no longer see the streak from the passenger blade upstroke. The opaque deposits are still there, but smaller. I still haven't changed the wiper blades yet. Perhaps the dealer will do that for me. Overall, its been a solid car.

idamian

and his heavy lifting, I called both my dealership (still oblivious to the problem) and Acura HQ, who said they would open a file on me using their DPSM (Distric Parts/Service Manager). At my first maintenance visit (still under the 7,500 on my 2000 TL, DWP) they would "take care of everything" which I asked them to spell out: alcoholic cleaning of windshield, replace both the wiper blades and the fluid, after draining the fluid and cleaning the tubing/housing with water. I shall let you all know how this comes out. While I am one of the original named persons on Tim's letter, my problem was limited to the oblique smudge due to upstroke of the passenger's blade.

karluvver

To clean the scum off my w/shield. It worked!

tgavery

I used a razor blade once on a previous vehicle (trying to get parking stickers or something like that off), and ended up leaving a bunch of tiny little scratches in the window. It wasn't always noticeable, but when the sun shone on it the right way, or when it was wet, it looked really bad.

kent25

windex has solved 97% of my issue with the windshield.

anonymous

i have a y2k acura tl, and the windshield streaks so badly whenever i attempt to use the windshield cleaner that i have to pull off the road and clean the windshield. i reported this to tustin acura, and they claim that they have never heard of a windshield wiper problem. are they just playing dumb or what?

chiroman

Acura called me regarding the letter I sent them, They told me to return to the dealer to have the system flushed and the blades replaced. I will see after Tuesday if this works. They even called the service mgr. and informed him of the problem. Let's see!!!

chiroman

Well the dealer changed the washer fluid and the blade inserts on my 2000 TL. Now the vertical lines on my windshield are bad again. I am going to contact Acura's customer service again. Also is anyone having a vibration coming from the rear when going over bumps? It sounds like my rear window is vibrating.They fixed my sun roof thing that was the problem but it isn't. Take care, Mark

rphostetler

I have experienced same problem. Here is my read - Acura is using something like "RainX" on the windshield and is adding it to the washer fluid. I checked RainX at the local auto parts dealer to see if RainX had some sort of remover - like a floor wax remover - you know - like for removing wax from no wax floors. No such luck. However, I did use straight ammonia on the windshield and was able to get most of the crud off.

Remember when you first drove in the rain with the car how the rain drops beaded up and "blew" off the windshield so that if you were patient you really didn't need to even turn on your wipers? That is classic RainX behavior. I am guessing the formula is very similar to the wax that goes on the body finish - but very clear. Anyway it sure behaves that way. I agree with the prior posts to flush the fluid from the reservoir - don't run it on the windshield though - that will only compound the problem - disconnect the hose and run it out into a bucket - then I would flush the whole thing out with one round of tap water - then refill with regular fluid that has the antifreeze in it. Mine has cleared up and I have around 7500 miles on it. Thanks.

sranger94

I don't own an TL, I own an 2000 RL (no problems with windshield wipers). I had used Rain X several years ago and was not happy with its performance and was told by Rain X that the best way to remove it from is with Bon Ami. I purchased this at my local supermarket, applied it with a wet paper towel and with some rubbing effort, the Rain X was completely removed and the wipers perfomed as they had in the past. I did not see any scratches or negative effects from using Bon Ami on the windshield, but I was also very careful to keep it off the paint.

chiroman

Well I took my car to the dealer as per Acura and had them change the fluid and wiper inserts. The problem is still there. Acura said a lot of the dealers still have that bad batch of washer fluid. I have to go back again. New Problem!!! Does anyone have a raddle in the rear when going over bumps. It sounds like the rear window is vibrating. They fixed my sun roof which is a problem with the TL's but that didn't take care of it. Mark

kent25

aggressively cleaned with windex and solved the problem on my TL, or apparently so.

pusscat

Am I missing something? I've had my TL for 8 months and no windshield problems.

sar10

Apparently, this problem is not confined to the 2000 TL. I own a 1999 TL which was delivered in December 1998. I had no problems such as those described here for the first year or so of ownership. After the problem first appeared, I replaced the wiper inserts which did not help. I have been to the dealer and their remedy was to clean the windshield with a clay bar and replace the fluid in the reservoir. This did not help. I have not yet returned for a second try. Thanks for a venue to attack this problem.

hikari

I first didn't think this would be a problem for my 2000 TL purchased in May but sure enough, the first time I used the washer, streaks and spots remained and stayed until I washed the windows. I brought my car into the dealer for my 3700 mile service. According to the service department, relying on a Acura "tech line," the wiper blades were replaced with non-graphite blades, the washer system was flushed and refilled with a 5% solution of methanol. This appears to work. The first time I used the washer system after the service, there were no streaks or spots on the window. Good Luck!

chiroman

Well I got my car back from the dealer yesterday. They changed and flushed out the windshield washer and changed the blade inserts. So far, so good. I think the problem is solved. I think the problem started in June because that was when I received my car and other people started having problems also. Good luck to everyone. Mark

rma1848

I have a 99 Accord EXL V6, and have experienced the same type of rattle as what's being described in the TL. I found my rattle comes from the manual crank for the sun roof (although when driving it sounds like it comes from the back seat).
It's taken me 4 trips to the dealership before they finally believed me. They're supposed to fix it at my next (45000) service.
Just a thought, but you can try tapping the roof liner near the manual crank plug and see if maybe it's the same problem.

Good Luck!

jswi1973

I was advised to use amonia and water which I did and have not had the problem since.

jswi1973

Had this problem.Turned out to be the sunroof which was ultimately replaced by the dealer.

chiroman

Thanks for the info on the sun roof problem. The service mgr did check it and said that was probably the problem but they still didn't correct it. Back to the dealer again. Thanks,Mark

chiroman

Well I thought the problem was solved but the vertical lines are gradually showing up again. I am going to try cleaning them myself and see. MARK

mitsllee2

I bought my TL Mon of last week and because of the windshield problem decided to not use the washer fluid or wipers until I had cleaned the windshield as the posts had suggested. Each day after cleaning I could still see streaks where I had wiped the windows. I believe it is a deposit on all the windows not limited to the windshield. This would lead me to conclude that it is due to where this glass is stored or what warehouse airborne contaminate gets on the glass before installation. I will let you know if my windshield shows streaks after I use the fluid once I have the courage to try it.

naenae

I've had my TL for 6 months, & I thought I had done something to my windshield. After using the washer fluid, I couldn't see anything. My husband replaced the fluid, & I cleaned the windshielf w/ ammonia which really helped. My only problem now is the line where the wipers stop, & that a rock hit the windshield & broke it, so I guess I'll see if a new one has any problems. Just glad to know that it's not just me.

bbc2000

I got my 00 TL last month. I do not experience any windshield problem at all. I think the wipers are working good and fluid spray is covering the whole windshield which is very good too. This is good, because I also have an Accord and the fluid spray is just limited on certain area of windshield which creates problem cleaning the whole windshield. TL is an excellent car. Just luv it!

iamritesh

Is HONDA written on the glass of your windows ??? Can anyone tell me the reason why HONDA is written on that ? They could have written ACURA or left it blank.

chiroman

Well the vertical lines where the blades end are slowely coming back. The blades seem to work fine in the rain. Only when I use the washer fluid, there is a problem. I will have to contact the dealer again. Mark

mhammy84

what is the problem with writing "HONDA" on the glass. after all, Honda is the parent company of Acura...and if you venture abroad, there is no "Acura" nameplate (this is especially true of Japan, where all Acura autos here are under the HOnda nameplate). My Infiniti has "NISSAN" written all over the glass...and I would expect that Lexus vehicles have "TOYOTA" written on the glass. teh same is true for those luxury divisions also, where in Japan, they go under their original nameplates (Toyota, Nissan, etc.)