# Scratches on the Nav Screen: I have them. Can they be fixed?



## trikerider (Sep 30, 2004)

First, I've searched the forum and topics on the nav screen scratches are all about the correct way to clean it. That's NOT the problem.

I recently purchased my dream car. A 2006 CPO TiAg E46 M3 with under 20K on the OD. While I had no problems keeping the nav screen in the 330i I'm selling pristine for the past 4 years, the dumb #ss that owned the M3 I just bought managed to scuff it all up and I hadn't noticed it until after I got it home.  (see pictures attached to this post below).

Is there anything that can be done to fix it?

#750


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## aarasteh (May 13, 2008)

Congrats on the new car!

This may sound weird but It works on lcd computer screens, I'm sure it would work on lcd nav screens. First clean the screen really well with an lcd cleaner. Next spread a thin layer of vasaline over the screen and buff off with a microfiber towel. This is supposed to fill in the scratches and make them less visiable. 

You could also search how to repair scrached lcd screens if you prefer not to try this methood. Good luck!


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## Johnz3mc (Jan 5, 2005)

There's a plastic spray cleaner/rejuvenator/scratch filler called Plexus made just for that job.
It's not a permanent fix, but it does clean and fill in scratches for a long time.

I also have just tried spraying it on my clearcoated wheels to offer long term protection from brake dust etc. It's much quicker applying than the usual wheel sealants.

Nav screens, dashboard guage plastics and wheels are naturals for Plexus.

Check it out then go and buy a can or two. You're in Iowa so you can probably find it locally at plastic shops, otherwise, Autogeek has it.
-John C.


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## trikerider (Sep 30, 2004)

Johnz3mc said:


> There's a plastic spray cleaner/rejuvenator/scratch filler called Plexus made just for that job.
> It's not a permanent fix, but it does clean and fill in scratches for a long time.
> 
> I also have just tried spraying it on my clearcoated wheels to offer long term protection from brake dust etc. It's much quicker applying than the usual wheel sealants.
> ...


This is great. Thanks. BTW, awesome car. I hope to have a 2001/2 M coupe sitting next to my M3 some day.


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## trikerider (Sep 30, 2004)

Johnz3mc said:


> There's a plastic spray cleaner/rejuvenator/scratch filler called Plexus made just for that job.
> It's not a permanent fix, but it does clean and fill in scratches for a long time.
> 
> I also have just tried spraying it on my clearcoated wheels to offer long term protection from brake dust etc. It's much quicker applying than the usual wheel sealants.
> ...


Ordered some. It arrived a couple of days ago. Doesn't seem to be doing anything for the scratch marks on my nav screen.

Anyone have any other ideas. See pictures of effect in original post.

#750


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

Clean the screen with a computer alcahol wipe an then use a very fine abrasive (slightly dampen some talcum powder) and polish very lightly using a micro fibre towel


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## Bill-SD (Feb 18, 2002)

TOGWT said:


> Clean the screen with a computer alcahol wipe an then use a very fine abrasive (slightly dampen some talcum powder) and polish very lightly using a micro fibre towel


Very interesting. I have never heard that one before.


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

IMO..once you've scratched the screen on nav systems or the likes you are not going to remove the scratches...you can only fill them in temporally or replace it.

Plexus is one and Novus is another for filling.

ANYTHING that you use on it that is abrasives is only going to make the screen worse...trust me I ruined one on a car of mine some time back thinking that I could polish some out. Those screens are very soft and can mar easy..I keep mine cleaned these days with a eye glass cleaning cloth..

From the looks of the pics you've posted it looks like they went after this with an abrassive product or cleaned it with something that was dirty or had some grit to it...

Tell me about how you applied the Plexus, and what you used to do it...processes is 90% product is 10% you could have not applied it correct


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## trikerider (Sep 30, 2004)

dboy11 said:


> From the looks of the pics you've posted it looks like they went after this with an abrassive product or cleaned it with something that was dirty or had some grit to it...
> 
> Tell me about how you applied the Plexus, and what you used to do it...processes is 90% product is 10% you could have not applied it correct


I've tried a few approaches. The first was to apply exactly as instructed by the manufacturers of the product. I sprayed it directly onto surface (NOTE: in addition to the big can of this stuff I purchased, I also bought a small, 3-oz squirt bottle full in anticipation of the need to do this without coating the entire dashboard) and then wiped it off with the brand new lint-free microfiber cloth the product came with. No change. I then did it again and let it dry for a while. No change. I then did it again and let it dry for about an hour. No change. Then I started using a lot of it and smearing it around with my fingers - thinking that I might be able to work it into the scuffs. I let this dry for about an hour and then - as gently as I could - wiped it off with another new micro-fiber cloth.

Then I started thinking maybe I need to work in layers. I'd use some, smear it on with my fingers, let it dry, wipe it off gently, . . . and repeat 5 times.

There's absolutely no change in what it looks like.

A CPO purchase doesn't guarantee a scuff free nav screen by any chance, does it?

#750


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

trikerider said:


> I've tried a few approaches. The first was to apply exactly as instructed by the manufacturers of the product. I sprayed it directly onto surface (NOTE: in addition to the big can of this stuff I purchased, I also bought a small, 3-oz squirt bottle full in anticipation of the need to do this without coating the entire dashboard) and then wiped it off with the brand new lint-free microfiber cloth the product came with. No change. I then did it again and let it dry for a while. No change. I then did it again and let it dry for about an hour. No change. Then I started using a lot of it and smearing it around with my fingers - thinking that I might be able to work it into the scuffs. I let this dry for about an hour and then - as gently as I could - wiped it off with another new micro-fiber cloth.
> 
> Then I started thinking maybe I need to work in layers. I'd use some, smear it on with my fingers, let it dry, wipe it off gently, . . . and repeat 5 times.
> 
> ...


Sounds to me that you've given the product a full chance at working for you...I was afraid that someone had gone after it with an abrasive polish of some sorts..The Nissan that I had the screen was coated with some plastic like product...I wonder if that's the case with yours and they have scratched that...was with mine...You might let the dealership look at the car...if its a CPO car that should have been caught and replaced or fixed


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## trikerider (Sep 30, 2004)

Update on Nav Screen Scratches:

This has been a bit of a journey but I've come up with a solution to 90% of the problem and I now need to know if there's a product out there that will get me that last 10%.

Needless to say this has been driving me crazy. If you knew me, you'd realize how upsetting this is. I keep my cars pristine and I'm always doing those little things I would want done if I were buying a used car. Further, I had a 330i ZHP with nav and the screen - as well as everything else about the interior of the car - was indistinguishable from new. When my used M3 arrived (which I bought sight-unseen), I was more than a bit upset to see that the nav screen condition (as well as some other exterior blemishes) was not actually represented in the pictures of the vehicle prior to purchase. (Water under the bridge and I'm slowly bringing the vehicle up to snuff).

I've been experimenting with everything and now have a box of failed products in my basement that were designed to solve this problem and I started to wonder if these were scratches. They certainly look like scratches (see pictures supplied in original post for this thread) but they weren't behaving like scratches where all these products were concerned.

I finally decided to try something drastic and bought a product with a very fine abrasive to see if I could physically polish the surface. This was a last resort because I had resigned myself to either purchasing a new nav screen or buying a used one in very good condition. And as long as I was going to replace it anyway, why not destroy it completely?

I used Miguire's PlastX (because it was available locally) and a soft cloth and . . . . to my amazement, polished the surface of the nav screen so that all the visible problems are gone. In fact, the screen now looks as good as a brand new iPhone screen . . . . complete with a mirror like reflection that makes it impossible to see through if the sun is directly behind.

What happened was that I polished off the anit-glare coating on the screen. That's what was scratched and once it was gone, the surface of the nav screen was perfect except there was no anti glare coating. In most situations it doesn't matter but on those occasions when the sun is low on the horizon and I'm traveling away from the sun, the nav screen is simply a mirror that reflects the sun directly into my eyes.

So the question is, is there a product that you can apply to give the nav screen an anti-glare coating? Does anyone know what navtech uses?

Alternately, I was wondering if there was an actual piece of film that I could cut down to size to provide the anti-glare coating. Similar stuff exists in sizes appropriate for an iphone but it must come from somewhere. Anyone know what this might be called?

Anyway, I'm no longer considering wasting $2500 for a new nav screen - even if I can't solve the anti-glare issue. But it would be nice if there was a solution (ha!).

Thanks in advance.

#750


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## Bill-SD (Feb 18, 2002)

Very cool. Glad you got it cleaned up. I'm no film expert, but I've read about people putting some type of film on their radio display to allow it to be read with polarized sunglasses. I imagine something like that would work for the glare.


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## trader37 (Jun 25, 2009)

I have a suggestion that *might* work...

3M makes privacy filters for computer (primarily laptop) and electronic screens. It's a polarized material stops glare. It can also be carefully removed from the lcd.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ComputerFilter/Home/


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## dap200 (Jan 24, 2012)

Trikerider, let me know if you decide to try the anti-glare film. I too, have purchased a used X5. I purchased a 2011 X535d with 12k miles. It still smells brand new but once I got it home and was cleaning everything ...there it was a fairly large scratch on the upper right hand side. I am not sure I want to rub all of the anti-glare off as I'm only missing about a two inch across and 3/4 inch down area but I have to admit, it bothers me. So I will be monitoring what you do.

Thanks for the information.


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## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

That's what I said about the screen in an earlier post. There is a plastic cover over the screen that's what got scratched, I had experience with a Nissan I had. Anything that you use to polish should be a chemical based polish like a paint cleaner. There are no abrasives in them, or grit if you will that's what may have been used on the screen to start.


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## dap200 (Jan 24, 2012)

trikerider said:


> First, I've searched the forum and topics on the nav screen scratches are all about the correct way to clean it. That's NOT the problem.
> 
> I recently purchased my dream car. A 2006 CPO TiAg E46 M3 with under 20K on the OD. While I had no problems keeping the nav screen in the 330i I'm selling pristine for the past 4 years, the dumb #ss that owned the M3 I just bought managed to scuff it all up and I hadn't noticed it until after I got it home.  (see pictures attached to this post below).
> 
> ...


I have a 2011 35d. I noticed the nav screen was disclolored and realized the antiglare "rubbed off". It may have been my fault with armour all or it could have come that way, (bought used w/ 12K miles). I took it into the dealer and requested a new navigation system under warranty. APPROVED. I have a new system. Very happy.


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## zibawala (May 1, 2006)

Darn it.Me too, on E93 Nav screen LCD, superficial scratches, thanks to my better half


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## bdgtexas (Jan 29, 2012)

dap200 said:


> I have a 2011 35d. I noticed the nav screen was disclolored and realized the antiglare "rubbed off". It may have been my fault with armour all or it could have come that way, (bought used w/ 12K miles). I took it into the dealer and requested a new navigation system under warranty. APPROVED. I have a new system. Very happy.


I have noticed the same issue with a 'new to me' CPO X6. There is a line along the bottom of the screen where the anti-glare coating has worn off or been scratched off. Presumably as someone has cleaned the screen or the plastic housing lip below the screen, as its right level with where the round of where your finger/towel would hit when wiping the lower lip of the screen housing to get dust etc. I literally thought it was something on the screen when i got the car until i went to clean it this morning and noticed the line was growing as I tried to wipe it off with a cotton terry cloth towel. Its highly disappointing that an anti glare coating literally will just rub off. It looks disturbingly similar to if someone ate a greasy pizza and the wiped their finger along the bottom of the screen for 2" or so.

I am wondering how much blow back the dealer gave you on getting it fixed. Did you really get a full new nav system? I am hoping to maybe get it covered under the new vehicle warranty of 4yr/50k, but suspect I have no hope once I switch over to CPO in a little over 3k miles.

If I can get it fixed under warranty perhaps there is an anti glare screen protector that can be applied similar to those out there for phones and tablets to keep this from happening again. Alternatively maybe applying over the issue would 'fix' it as well.

Amazon has anti glare protectors listed for the several bmw's of various years and models by somebody called Lexerd. There are anti-glare and crystal clear versions. Any body tried something like this or want to be the guinea pig? I figure the X5 version will fit my X6 as well.... so maybe I will give it a try.

http://www.amazon.com/Lexerd-TrueVu...5&sr=1-8&keywords=lexerd+screen+protector+bmw


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## zibawala (May 1, 2006)

My dealer denied it under warranty;(


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## garychampagne (Nov 15, 2012)

i recently cleaned my nav screen and realized there must have been a rock in the towel and had pretty deep scratches in the anti glare coating of the nav screen. When the sun was reflecting, the scratches were pretty bad, but not visible at night. I put a NUSHIELD antiglare film over the screen and it did the trick. It does make the screen slightly dimmer, but it takes 90% of the scratches out when in direct sunlight. I have a 2013 X5M and they have one cut to fit the screen. Highly recommended!


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