[ronnie]

I had Window tint put on my 2019 EX a few months after I got my Insight in late June of last summer. About a month ago some pine sap dripped on my driver's window and I used a kitchen scotch brite to clean off the sap using some detergent. I rubbed too hard. The scotch bright scratched the window tint. The scratches are not super noticeable, but I'm wondering if there's some way to smooth them out so they are less noticeable. Or I might have to go back to my detailer and get that window redone. HERE is the kind of scotch brite I used.

Any ideas?

 

[insightfully]

Short of cutting out the scratched area of tint, I don't know of method/material to smooth out scratches on tint film.

For future sap removal, try rubbing alcohol (or hand sanitizer or bug/tar remover) atop the sap for a while (via damp rag), wiping up with the same rag, and repeating steps if needed.

 

[andrew28]

I had Window tint put on my 2019 EX a few months after I got my Insight in late June of last summer. About a month ago some pine sap dripped on my driver's window and I used a kitchen scotch brite to clean off the sap using some detergent. I rubbed too hard. The scotch bright scratched the window tint. The scratches are not super noticeable, but I'm wondering if there's some way to smooth them out so they are less noticeable. Or I might have to go back to my detailer and get that window redone. HERE is the kind of scotch brite I used.

Any ideas?

https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/products/meguiars-perfect-clarity-glass-cleaner-g8224-24-oz-spray
I use this glass cleaner from Meguiar to clean my glass. I don't have tint but the description mentions it's safe for tint. Removes bugs, tree sap, vinyl fog, road grime, smokers film, and bird droppings. So you might not need to use scotch brite in the future.

 

[hasarad]

@ronnie - It's been a while since I've done tint on a car, but I thought the tint is applied to the inside of the window. How'd sap get inside the Insight?

 

[ronnie]

@ronnie - It's been a while since I've done tint on a car, but I thought the tint is applied to the inside of the window. How'd sap get inside the Insight?

The sap was on the outside. I thought the window tinting was on the outside. I guess I was wrong. So the light scratches from the scotch brite that I'm seeing on the outside of the driver's window are actually on the glass itself and not on the window tint. Is that correct?

 

[insightfully]

The sap was on the outside. I thought the window tinting was on the outside. I guess I was wrong. So the light scratches from the scotch brite that I'm seeing on the outside of the driver's window are actually on the glass itself and not on the window tint. Is that correct?

Sounds like the scratches are in the glass. Scotch Brite only rates the "No Scratch" (sponge or pad) and "Light Duty" versions as being safe for glass.