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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum LCD Display Scuff Repair
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      08-05-2011, 07:51 AM   #1
Drjferris
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LCD Display Scuff Repair

Hi folks,

Still absolutely loving my 520D F10 M-Sport! Just wondering if anyone knows how best to repair some scuff marks on the LCD (i.e. sat nav) screen? I accidently scratched it by using kitchen towel to clean and made it worse after I did some research on DIY repairs and used an eraser to 'remove' the scratches. It looks 20 times worse now. Is there a matte spray or something that can be applied to dull the glare from the scuffs so that they look less noticable?

Thanks,

Drjferris
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      08-05-2011, 08:04 AM   #2
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The screen is similar to the smartphone screen (such as iphone, blackberry, samsung, etc.)

Typical fix is to use different grit sandpapers (start with 600 grit and finish with 1200 grit), water (in use with the sandpaper) and 3M rubbing compound to polish off the entire screen. Afterwards, buy some screen protection film (like the one used on the smartphone) to prevent future acciental scratches.

Youtube has tons of videos of people showing how to repair scratches of their phones.
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      08-05-2011, 08:18 AM   #3
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Thanks bobblehead, I'm afraid to use any abraisives as I'm sure that I'll make the screen worse and not better. I'm sure what you reccomend would work well if used correctly.
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      08-05-2011, 09:13 AM   #4
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If you can live with those (tiny/fine ?) scratches, then I would not bother to wet sand & polish.
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      08-05-2011, 12:07 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobblehead View Post
Typical fix is to use different grit sandpapers (start with 600 grit and finish with 1200 grit), water...
Sounds rather aggressive to me and I'm not sure I'd want to wet sand anywhere near the electronics - even if you taped the edges, I don't think you'd prevent water ingress.
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      08-05-2011, 01:29 PM   #6
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^ use sprayer to wet the area (assuming a thick towel will be used) ... it's not like you are to pour a bottle of water on the surface.

For me, I have scratches too on mine and I just don't bother to do the fix.
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      08-05-2011, 02:17 PM   #7
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Just put a screen protector on it and it will hide 95% of it and only show with direct sunlight at certain angles.
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      08-05-2011, 02:35 PM   #8
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Hmm yeah given the situation I agree a screen protector film is probably best solution.

It makes me cringe to even think about sanding the screen no matter how careful and what grit.
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      08-06-2011, 12:48 PM   #9
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Scratch Fixer

Quote:
Originally Posted by Drjferris View Post
Hi folks,

Still absolutely loving my 520D F10 M-Sport! Just wondering if anyone knows how best to repair some scuff marks on the LCD (i.e. sat nav) screen? I accidently scratched it by using kitchen towel to clean and made it worse after I did some research on DIY repairs and used an eraser to 'remove' the scratches. It looks 20 times worse now. Is there a matte spray or something that can be applied to dull the glare from the scuffs so that they look less noticable?

Thanks,

Drjferris
I have been refurbishing, rebuilding and hotrodding all types of vehicles for quite a few years - so I can tell what will and what will not work for this type of scratch. You need to find/purchase a tube, or small can, ( I always keep the 32 oz. can around my shop) of "Happich Simichrome" from a high end auto parts store or just search the net for someone close to you that stocks it. It is a German made polishing paste that absolutely works. It works on chrome, stainless (awesome), light rust, etc. Years ago, classic car restorers found that it works on muscle car plastic parts that were not being reproduced and it works beautifully.

You want to be careful and make sure that it will not haze the plastic (a reaction of plastic to some harsh metal cleaners/polishes). To make sure that it will not harm your screen, try it out first on other plastic on the car (after reading your post I went out and tried it on my car - it's safe). The process is very similar to polishing chrome or stainless - dry, clean soft cloth and a small dab that will cover one or two fingers. Use a circular method and keep polishing until you see the scratches diminishing. Use another soft clean cloth to clean/buff the surface. After two or three cycles of this, the scratches should have disappeared or very close to it. If you are happy, leave it alone and admire your work.

By the way, the remainder of the tube/can will not go to waste and you will always be a fan of this stuff. Nothing can touch it for polishing you chrome exhaust tips, hard water stains on glass (especially rearview mirrors) and of course, plastic surfaces like your I-phone. One last tip, if you have an heirloom watch and time to kill, it works great on the crystal face of the watch and all of the metal parts. This is the one product that is guaranteed safe on antique finishes.. Try it, old school restoration tips/tricks are quickly disappearing from view.
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      08-07-2011, 01:50 PM   #10
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Great tip! Give it a try when something needs scratch removal..
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      08-08-2011, 10:29 AM   #11
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Scuff Repair

Anyone else try this yet?? It does work but you do have to find this product first. Not that hard.
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      08-08-2011, 12:52 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobblehead View Post
The screen is similar to the smartphone screen (such as iphone, blackberry, samsung, etc.)

Typical fix is to use different grit sandpapers (start with 600 grit and finish with 1200 grit), water (in use with the sandpaper) and 3M rubbing compound to polish off the entire screen. Afterwards, buy some screen protection film (like the one used on the smartphone) to prevent future acciental scratches.

Youtube has tons of videos of people showing how to repair scratches of their phones.
i would never finish with 1200 grit!!! i would finsih it off with 2000 grit then polish!
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      08-08-2011, 03:03 PM   #13
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Thanks very much for the replies everyone. Just a personal preference but I would lean towards a protective film rather than an abraisive solution. When I used an eraser in an attempt to make the scratch disappear, I ended up removing the matte finish so now I'm left with these streaks on the screen that make the display not sunlight readable.

When I hold my hand over the top of the screen to reduce / block the sunlight, the display is perfectly visible. This is why I think some sort of matte protective film might work.

Does anyone know if theres one made for the f10 displays? I'm guessing that I can just get one for e.g. a laptop and cut it down to size. Thanks for the help!
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      08-08-2011, 04:18 PM   #14
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I used Lexard 7 series precut matte protector here in the US. Bought it from Amazon.com.

Amazing results.
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      08-09-2011, 12:16 PM   #15
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I just ordered an ultrathin MXH anti glare protective film, custom cut for my display from www.photodon.com. The MXH film offers the best transmittance for an anti glare film and is suitable for HD quality use so it shouldnt impact on image quality. I thought it was a bit expensive though, mostly due to the shipping to Ireland ($23 for shipping, total of $39.50). It probably wont arrive for 3 weeks.
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      08-09-2011, 03:00 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drjferris View Post
I just ordered an ultrathin MXH anti glare protective film, custom cut for my display from www.photodon.com. The MXH film offers the best transmittance for an anti glare film and is suitable for HD quality use so it shouldnt impact on image quality. I thought it was a bit expensive though, mostly due to the shipping to Ireland ($23 for shipping, total of $39.50). It probably wont arrive for 3 weeks.
Looks interesting - any chance of posting before and after photos?
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      08-09-2011, 04:28 PM   #17
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Ok, will try to post before and after pics.
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      08-13-2011, 01:52 PM   #18
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I also scratched mine. I ordered an anti glare screen protector on eBay. Removed the screen completely and applied the protector. It looks great.
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      08-16-2011, 12:48 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drjferris View Post
Ok, will try to post before and after pics.
Ok guys, bottom line, the anti glare screen protector seems to have done a very good job on camouflaging the scratches as you can see from the before and after pics below. I've just installed it this evening so hopefully it will withstand the long term test of time.

As you can see the screen was fairly badly scratched so I suppose the protective anti glare film has done a very good job. It slightly affects screen contrast but overall I'm very happy. Thanks to all for the advice and hopefully this thread will be of use to anyone with a similar problem.
Attached Images
  
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      08-16-2011, 12:56 PM   #20
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^^ Nice going. From the 'after' pic, no scratch is visible.
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      03-22-2012, 10:44 AM   #21
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What was it called , did you use it, how did you remove old screen or did you place on top?
I complained to dealer about this and he said only fix was to remove entire display at a cheap cost of $2850 on a 3 month old 2011 535i. I called BMW offices and someone called the next day but said that it was my fault. I barely touched that screen, and it makes me want to smash it, I said that they should put a warning on it if it was so sensitive. I am boiling mad, can you believe it almost 3 thousand dollars to fix when it works otherwise perfectly?
Someone make me feel better.
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      03-25-2012, 09:09 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krugerjq
I also scratched mine. I ordered an anti glare screen protector on eBay. Removed the screen completely and applied the protector. It looks great.
What do you mean by removed the screen completely?
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