If you can answer this you win 1st prize
 

I am posting this because I am at my wit's end. I purchase an '09 accord 6 cyl. 6 speed this past June. I noticed the 1st time I washed the car that a (i'll call it a stock #) was visible on the drivers side windshield. It's near the top in the darker tinted band that goes across the entire windshield.

The number I guess is irrelevant (98015). It's not etched in the glass. when water falls over this section the number appears. It looks like they used some kind of pen. The numbers were written on by someone so the are not neat. I called the dealer and they say bring it in but they are a 45 minute drive each way. Kinda dumb just to get these numbers off.

When the window is dry you cannot see them at all. Again they only appear when you put any type of liquid on them.
here is what I have used to try to remove them.
simple green
goof off
windex
turpentine
nail polish remover
I used all these chemicals separately and themt all soak in for 5 minutes and then used a straight edge razor blade (carefully), back and forth, up and down...
also used 0000 steel wool in circular motions...

no matter what, the numbers will not come off. Thankfully I have not damaged the glass. I tested all these remedies first on an old piece of glass I had lying around...

Ok any ideas??
thanks in advance..

NOVUS Plastic polish and scratch remover in very fine.

It is typically used to clean aircraft windshields but also works great on glass.

I would certainly test it on a section that is not seen first but I would bet it will do the job.

It might be possible that the grease pen protected the tinted section and the tint has not faded where the grease was. In this case, time and baking in the sun should cure the problem.

Gary

Try straight vinegar.

Try straight acetone - I'm guessing your nail-polish remover was watered-down, IF it even had any acetone.

Try ammonia water.

For any of this stuff, you probably don't want to let it run down onto any paint or rubber mouldings...
I'd also be VERY careful with the steel wool for scratching.

The numbers are usually from when a car is sold from an auction, its the car code. so i guess the dealer you bought it from bought the car from an auction, maybe did some bodywork and then re-sold it. they use a paint marker, so its probably a type of oil?!?!

i dont know if any of this helped, but good luck!

I'd try rubbing alcohol, has always got stuff off for me.