I fucked up... (Windshield)

My windshield has been hazy for awhile.

I've owned my truck since December 2017 and have cleaned the inside of it a dozen times. Today I decided to deep clean it, and as I was wiping, I was smearing years of previous nicotine/tobacco residue off, and smearing my windshield in the process. After 45 minutes, half a bottle of Windex, 4 microfiber towels, and 15 Windex wipes, I decided to use a scraper with a razor blade on it.

Seemed to work great. Making quick work of what I'd labored on for 45 previous minutes! Until it wasn't.

It tore off a triangular 2.5x1.5" piece of the original Windshield tint. I didn't even know there was such a thing!

So now, I'm left with two questions.... How hard is it to remove the OEM windshield tint, or should I just try and get an aftermarket windshield? I got one on my wife's IS-250 recently from Safelite and it seems like it was done properly, but I only have a chip in my shield, where hers was a crack that seemed to be growing every single day.

I'm willing to get it re-tinted by the local Tint guy who has nothing but glorious reviews, but I didn't even realize that our windshields were tinted!

 

Doubt the windshield tint is oem. Search, there are sprays that help finish removing it, but it will be a chore.

 

Why not ask said tint guy what he would charge to remove the old tint before applying new tint?

 

Not sure if location would matter, but if you can find a good place to install new tint, they usually waive or charge a little to remove the old tint.
My (Houston) charges $50, but I give him enough jobs that he waives it for me....

 

Is it tint or is it the inner plastic lining of the windshield?

if you scraped through the lining, it’s time for a new windshield.

 

Resist the urge to apply steel wool.