There's a sticker on the inside of my rear screen which has been there for quite a few years and which I'd like to remove, but the action of sunlight and heat has baked its adhesive hard, and it's impossible to peel it off because it's too brittle. I can't use a scraper because that'll almost certainly destroy the rear window heater element.
Can anyone recommend something that'll soften it sufficiently to remove it?
I would scrape what you can with a razor blade and then use brake cleaner to soften and remove the remainder.
I'd try using a hairdryer to see if warming it will soften the adhesive enough to allow removal.
It's worked for me in the past.
Chris
but be very careful, a hairdryer produces more than enough heat to break the glass, I have broken a headlight while trying to dry it out with a hairdryer. Perhaps a hot wet cloth would be safer.
I wouldn't have thought that it would be a huge risk; the problem would be the temperature differential between the two sides of the glass, and a windscreen copes with at least that differential when defrosting.
Chris
I think it was more warming one spot only that does it, defrosting is fairly spread out. I was quite surprised when the glass broke, I was indoors with the hairdryer blowing in the back of the lamp, so a good way from the surface of the glass, yet it went bang ! I guess that the bulb entry point (of the hot air) concentrated the heat in the middle of the glass.
I have a $20 heat gun I use to remove window tint that I purchased from the local hardware store. I use some brake cleaner to remove any left over adhesive.
Thus spake snipped-for-privacy@denturessussex.ac.uk ( snipped-for-privacy@denturessussex.ac.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:
Thanks to all for your suggestions.
RS Components sell label remover which shifts most stickers, but test if first to ensure it doesn't knacker the element.
I've found that, and the Ambersil one that is probably the same formulation, works well on paper stickers, but less well on non-porous plastic ones.
Smells nice though!
Chris
It does smell nice!. Yes, it's less effective on non-pourous stickers, but it will creep under them given time, especially if you lift a corner and re-apply.
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