Oily Drop on Inside Windshield

[Charger68]

My 2025 GT, 2200 miles, sat for 5 months until Spring. An oily drop rolled down the inside of my windshield from the rearview mirror housing when backing out of the garage. Everything works. No issues. But what the heck is this?

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[AZ_Ryan]

Can we get a picture or do we have to take guesses?

 

[Charger68]

Can we get a picture or do we have to take guesses?
[/QUOTE

You can’t see Jack, unless you like Stihl. There is a smudge on the blower’s tube from where I touched the windshield, but it’s about 12 inches long And clear. I thought it was on the outside at first.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I can't see anything in that picture, but if its clear is probably just grease or adhesive from assembly.

 

[BrownsReds]

That was a helpful picture lol!

 

[GhastlyTT]

Probably from the rain sensor gel pad.

 

[Charger68]

That was a helpful picture lol!

That’s why I didn’t include a picture in the first place. You can’t see anything. This was really strange. It was the first time I move the car since November 15. And I thought it was a drop on the outside of the windshield coming from the garage door. If this was adhesive, I wonder what made it liquefy.

 

[GrabberB]

Trying to rationalize every anomaly in life has been one of the hardest things for me to get over, let go of, etc.

Placing myself in your shoes for a minute... There was a time when an anomaly such as this would have nagged at me. I have no idea how I finally got over this "burden" but I did.

Wipe the oil drop/run off and don't waste your time trying to rationalize the "how, where, what" caused this. Unless it returns I would move on and forget about it.

Assuming the source of the oil like substance emanated from a part within the vehicle is..... well... a mistake. It could be as simple as a large insect that for whatever reason secreted this substance while hanging out on the inside of your windshield. Oh shoot, I just tried helping you rationalize this. Maybe I'm still carrying a small amount of this burden with me....?

In all seriousness, clean it and move on to something more fun or important.

 

[Charger68]

Trying to rationalize every anomaly in life has been one of the hardest things for me to get over, let go of, etc.

Placing myself in your shoes for a minute... There was a time when an anomaly such as this would have nagged at me. I have no idea how I finally got over this "burden" but I did.

Wipe the oil drop/run off and don't waste your time trying to rationalize the "how, where, what" caused this. Unless it returns I would move on and forget about it.

Assuming the source of the oil like substance emanated from a part within the vehicle is..... well... a mistake. It could be as simple as a large insect that for whatever reason secreted this substance while hanging out on the inside of your windshield. Oh shoot, I just tried helping you rationalize this. Maybe I'm still carrying a small amount of this burden with me....?

In all seriousness, clean it and move on to something more fun or important.

Hey thanks. Is there any charge for my psychoanalysis? I was just curious as the only other thing I had come down from there was the mirror itself: 1992 T-Bird Sport.

 

[GrabberB]

No charge whatsoever. I did bill myself and as of now have not been paid.... some people! Good to see you have a sense of humor.

 

[Charger68]

No charge whatsoever. I did bill myself and as of now have not been paid.... some people! Good to see you have a sense of humor.

Brought my car in to a dealership for an oil change. Sure enough, they had no idea what the oily drop could be. In fact, the service guy asked if i had a sunroof. I said, yes, but on my Challenger.

 

[Skye]

There is a gel inside the rearview mirror assembly. The purpose of the gel is to maintain the proper refractive index of light and electronic signals as they pass into and through the windshield.

As energy waves pass through glass at an angle or a medium of a different density, those waves (signals) are bent. To the eye and electronics, things do not appear as they really are. Any measurements such as speed or distance made by the vehicle can be compromised.

The gel in the mirror assembly maintains the index so it appears as though the glass or water is not there.

The assemblies can leak. If you start seeing something akin to a streak or long-term weeping, visit a dealer.

 

[Charger68]

There is a gel inside the rearview mirror assembly. The purpose of the gel is to maintain the proper refractive index of light and electronic signals as they pass into and through the windshield.

As energy waves pass through glass at an angle or a medium of a different density, those waves (signals) are bent. To the eye and electronics, things do not appear as they really are. Any measurements (speed or distance) made by the vehicle can be compromised.

The gel in the mirror assembly maintains the index so it appears as though the glass or water is not there.

The assemblies can leak. If you start seeing something akin to a streak or long-term weeping, see the dealer.

Exactly what is this monitoring?

 

[Skye]

Exactly what is this monitoring?

I believe there is one forward-facing light sensor (camera) and one infrared emitter/receiver in the rearview assembly. There maybe more.

From reading of other models, I'm left with the impression some of the security electronics are there as well. A "jostle meter" (my word), to detect if someone is moving the car. There's a radar, to determine if someone or something is moving inside the vehicle. There's also an inclinometer, to detect if the vehicle is being lifted on one end, like from a tow truck or someone jacking to steal the wheels.

Specific to the forward-facing sensors:

1. Pre-Collision Assist. In concert with the radar (see flat black panel in the grill area), the systems determine where a danger is and how quickly the vehicle is coming up on it.

2. Rain-sensing. The infrared sensor is always emitting a signal. Whether or not the signal is reflected back is used to detect the presence of water on the outside.

3. Automatic headlights. The camera can detect headlights facing the driver at a distance, and automatically turn-down from a high to a low beam.

Yet another sensor facing rear supports auto-dimming of the rearview mirror when a high-intensity light coming from behind is detected.

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