Suggestions on removing 'ghosting' after dealer sticker removed...

[stephenmercedes]

Lighter fluid will get shot of that

No it won't...

Wd40

No, tried it...

Nail polish remover.

Panel wipe.

Acetone (with caution)

Tried them all LOL

Keep 'em coming, some thing is bound to work! The surface feel perfectly smooth to the touch. Above 3c, it is absolutely invisible with no residue mark whatsoever, only appears when cold. Doesn't keep me awake at night, but just thought it would be easy to get rid of - it isn't!

 

[stephenmercedes]

Failing the other suggestions, I would try careful use of a Stanley type blade to scrape off the easiest and safest bits - not right up to the elements of course!

There is nothing really to scrape off, the glass surface is perfectly smooth...

 

[TitusD]

There’s a thing you can get called stick stuff remover. Think you can get it in Rylands stationers.

worth a try.

 

[TitusD]

Did you leave the lighter fluid on it for a minute or two...needs a wee bit time to melt the adhesive.

also ebay search sticky stuff remover...there’s a few there

 

[whitenemesis]

If it's changed the glass surface, rather than just a residue on the surface you may need to polish it, ruby paste or similar?

 

[clk320x]

What car is it?

 

[stephenmercedes]

What car is it?

It's a 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo...

OK, only joking, It's a Ford Focus LOL

 

[clk320x]

It's a 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo...

OK, only joking, It's a Ford Focus LOL

Used tailgate in same colour from ebay if you get really stuck

 

[stephenmercedes]

Used tailgate in same colour from ebay if you get really stuck

Now, that really is the proverbial sledgehammer to crack a nut LOL

 

[ringway]

chuck a brick at it and claim on windscreen insurance....LOL

I thought of posting that, but you obviously have more bottle than I.

The replacement would probably have an indellable ghost image of Gavin from Autoglass every time one looked in the rear view mirror.

 

[ringway]

maybe in the glass

That's a thought in my mind, that somehow, over time through either heat or cold, the glass has somehow become impregnated.
I found the link I posted earlier by Googling 'ghosting glass' or similar to see if my theory held any water.
At first, the search revealed some sort of nasty lung condition.

 

[ringway]

Now, that really is the proverbial sledgehammer to crack a nut LOL

The replacement tailgate would have something along the lines of 'HONK IF YOU'RE HORNY!' etched into the glass this time.

 

[ringway]

That was interesting and reminded me that I sometimes see sticker ghosts on my double glazing. You would think the window glass manufacturers would recognise the problem and use a sticker adhesive that didn't cause this problem.

Yes, makes you wonder if it is because of the stickers and protective stuff are usually left on windows until all the dirty work is finished on a new installation or renovation, which, if the job is a lengthy one, could be for months allowing things to bake on or cure nicely.

 

[Merc220cls]

Cellulose thinners on a wet rag should shift it. I keep a can of gun wash in the workshop and have used it on various trim stains including leather.

Failing that an angle grinder will definitely remove it ‍

 

[stephenmercedes]

Sorted!!



Now, the science bit...

Nearly all the above suggestions assume some type of glue residue, there isn’t! The glass feels squeaky clean, so no ‘solvent’ is going to make any difference. For those that did physics at school, you’ll know glass is a super cooled liquid, which mean it’s always in a state of change but the change is so painfully slow that for all intents and purposes, we treat it like a solid. However, if you ever visit a stately home where the windows can be over 100 years old, you’ll see the bottom of the window is thicker than the top.

As such, I propose that having a decal stuck on the glass for 15 years, makes an imperceptible minute change in the surface of the glass. Brasso, being a mild abrasive, would likely polish the surface out of this very slight change. Anyway, that’s my two pence worth, would be happy to be proved wrong.

I discovered the Brasso by googling this issue which is more widespread than I thought. It was on a 10 year old forum where all the usual solvents had been suggested but the author finally fixed it using this product.

 

[Will]

To be fair, I did suggest Brasso back on the first page of this thread !

 

[stephenmercedes]

To be fair, I did suggest Brasso back on the first page of this thread !

Sorry buddy, got so many suggestions fired at me I simply overlooked this...

 

[DITTRICH]

Let's wait for the proof!

 

[Toobad]

For those that did physics at school, you’ll know glass is a super cooled liquid, which mean it’s always in a state of change but the change is so painfully slow that for all intents and purposes, we treat it like a solid. However, if you ever visit a stately home where the windows can be over 100 years old, you’ll see the bottom of the window is thicker than the top.

OMG! I do actually remember that physics lesson from 50 years ago!!! IIRC the process is referred to as Brownian Movement or Brownian Motion. It is good to know I am still staving off the onset of dementia although these days I often find myself upstairs with absolutely no idea why I've gone there.

I would have thought that an alternative explanation is that the chemicals in the sticker glue have etched the surface of the glass over that period of time and you have simply abraded the surface with Brasso to expose uncontaminated glass. This is the same approach people adopt when their headlights go cloudy.

 

[ProfGURJ1976]

Super physics