Taking Care of Your Windscreen
(and the benefits of genuine replacements)
Inadequate visibility can be a real danger, particularly when driving in difficult weather conditions. We’ve put together some tips to help keep you and other road users safe on the road.
Winter brings with it a number of factors that directly affect your visibility when driving (take a look at our previous post on winter driving for more tips). More obvious risks include driving when your windscreen is ‘fogged up’ or partly obscured by ice, more driving in the dark, and even a higher risk of sunstrike when the sun is low in the sky.
Note: Looking for information on replacing your windscreen or after a quote? Click here for Volkswagen genunine windscreens.
For these reasons, it’s worth taking extra care to clear your windscreens before the daily commute. We’ve gathered a few facts and tips to help with windscreen care for this, and any, season.
Did you know?
- A windscreen is an active component of the vehicle body and provides up to 30% of a vehicle’s body stiffness!
- Your windscreen’s complex structure can be drastically affected by stone chipping damage or light scratches
- A windscreen is an essential part of airbag deployment, with the windscreen supporting an inflated airbag from behind (and therefore must be able to withstand high pressure from inside the vehicle)
- Fine scratches from dust, sand, ice scrapers, etc., can diffuse light from the sun or oncoming traffic, causing dangerous glare for the driver
- Even if your windscreen isn’t visible cracked, a windscreen has a finite life and should be regularly replaced to ensure maximum safety
Why use Genuine Volkswagen Windscreens?
Whether your windscreen has been damaged in an accident, or your windscreen has worn with age and causes excessive glare, when replacing your windscreen on your Volkswagen it’s important to request a genuine Volkswagen windscreen.
Volkswagen’s genuine windscreens:
- Are produced to manufacturer’s specifications for your vehicle, retaining their stabilising effect on your Volkswagen’s body structure
- provide effective UV protection
- contribute to a comfortable ride given their excellent noise insulation properties
- restore your vehicle’s original operating and functional safety
- are built to high optical standards
So be sure to ask for genuine Volkswagen parts when replacing your Volkswagen’s windscreen.
Caring for your Windscreen
While a windscreen will wear over time, you can lengthen a windscreens life and effectiveness through proper care.
Use Quality Windscreen Cleaner
Volkswagen genuine windscreen cleaner is available from our parts department and offers extremely strong cleaning properties – removing waxy and oily residues – to keep your windscreen clean. This is particularly important when using your windscreen wipers as stubborn grime on your windscreen can cause excessive wear to your wiper blades or, worse, to the windscreen glass itself.
Volkswagen’s genuine windscreen cleaner is also free-flowing and so suitable for the fine fantail nozzles used on many new Volkswagen vehicles.
- high cleaning power with very good material compatibility
- suitable for use with fantail nozzles
- reduce risk of limescale
- … and it even has a pleasant smell!
Use Quality Wiper Blades
While wiper blades contribute significantly to traffic safety, they’re often overlooked and receive little attention. The average wiper blade travels roughly 8000km across the surface of a windscreen every six months!
The fine edge of a wiper blade can be damaged by solar radiation, ozone, tough insect residues, ice, and freezing temperatures, so it’s important to regularly check and replace your windscreen wiper blades as needed.
Unlike many third-party products, genuine Volkswagen wiper blades ensure an even contact pressure thanks to their precision-made flex rails, adapted perfectly to the curvature of the windscreen, operating extremely smoothly and evenly. This helps prevent skipping across the glass as well as squeaks. They remain effective at high vehicle speeds thanks to their aerodynamic form and can withstand extremely harsh winter weather thanks to the use of outstanding cold-resistant materials.
Genuine Volkswagen wiper blades also have an integrated wear indicator that reminds the driver when it’s necessary to change the wiper blades.
- perfect performance in any weather
- smooth operation without skipping or squeaking
- effective at all vehicle speeds
- suitable for severe winter weather
Windscreen Calibration
As more Volkswagen and ŠKODA vehicles are fitted with modern Safety Assistance systems such as Lane Assist and Blind Spot Alert which hold a camera in the windscreen, allowing safety systems to read an accurate description of the road ahead.
A misaligned camera could jeopardise the functionality of the system and lead to dangerous driving or accidents, so it’s crucial that cameras are aligned perfectly which is what windscreen calibration ensures.
If any of the below occur, you’ll need to recalibrate your windscreen:
- After a windscreen replacement
- If the dashboard shows a fault code
- If the camera has been disconnected
- Change of suspension
- Change of wheel alignment
As an Authorised Volkswagen and ŠKODA Service Centre, our team can carry out windscreen calibrations. If you’d like to book one in, or simply ask a question, you can contact our team through our online form.
So, next time you need to replace your windscreen or wiper blades, ask for Volkswagen Genuine Parts. Speak to our team if we can be of assistance.
You can also find more advice on the NZ Transport Agency website.
