Wipers. 100q

[Hanuman]

Ever since the windscreen was replaced, the drivers side wiper has been somewhat less than good. In fact, pretty bloody hopeless.

In the dry, it's perfect....

The slightest bit of moisture, and speeds above about 60mph, and selection of the wipers results in the right hand one simply skipping and skimming across the screen, barely removing any rain. Heavy rain is bordering on disastrous.
A few days after the windscreen was replaced, there was a torrential downpour, and the right hand wiper was suddenly hanging overboard; the glass shop had not tightened the nuts!
There's no obvious damage or change that I can see. The wiper appears to sit in the right position, the arm appears to have sufficient spring tension, and yet it barely maintains contact once the speed is up. And it's been getting worse.

There is wear in the mechanism, as would be expected, but it's pretty much the same on both sides, and the passenger side clears perfectly. But there's no obvious difference between how it was before, and how it is after the windscreen replacement.
The wiper blades have been changed, first left to right, then a blade with the aerofoil was fitted, all to no avail.

It's driving me nuts, and short of replacing the whole assembly, I'm at a loss as to why.
Any thoughts?
(Smut and filth welcome, if entertaining. Thread drift should include babes in swim kit)

[sinbin5t]

Originally Posted by Hanuman

Thread drift should include babes in swim kit.

If i could only post photo's

[s2x2]

Can I suggest you take off the 'faulty' wiper arm.

Put the stiff bit from the nut to the hinge in a 'vice'. You're looking to straighten this section, to get it to apply more pressure to the windscreen. A curve has crept into this section over the years, and maybe more so during the taking off of the wiper arm when the windscreen was replaced.

It works, BTDT, if you're not sure, get a second-hand wiper arm and do the 'repair' on that.

HTH.

[Hanuman]

Curious, but Ok. I have to admit I'd been working on the principal that it wasn't applying enough pressure. I guess it could have been messed up either by the muppets during the replacement, or later when it almost departed the car.

So, I'll tweak it in the vice.
Cheers

[s2x2]

Use bits of wood pieces etc. to stop embossing marks from the vice jaws on the wiper arm.

[missfire]

Maybe silicone smeared all over and 'cleaned' off (or not cleaned off) the older the vehicle the less they seem to give a sh*t in our experience of windscreen replacement!

[John.]

I'd be very cautious about trying to bend the above part and as said maybe try out on a 2nd hand bit.
Have you tried shortening the spring?

What about putting Rain-X on the screen meantime.

[s2x2]

You're only trying to take a slight curve out of the short rigid section of the wiper arm, not put a bend in it, just to clarify.

It needs to be straightened gently and a bit at a time in the vice.

If you think about it, it is the only part of the puzzzle that can have changed since the car left the factory.

The spindle hasn't moved in relation to the windscreen and the windscreen hasn't moved either.

I wasn't sure of it before I tried it, but it worked a treat.

No one can tighten the spring.

[Hanuman]

Well, i tried a slightly more conservative approach, and S2x2 is spot on.

I have replaced the arm, and all is now as it should be- infact, we've even had some varied rain conditions in which to test it, and its great being able to clear the windscreen properly. Comparing the two arms, the 'problem' arm has a curve in it, which is very obvious when compared to the replacement arm. I'll have a play with it in the vice, to straighten it, then put it back on a see how it goes.

I had quite a bit of play in driver's side spindle, but replacing the mechanism doesn't cure the problem. The same poor performance happens with the same arm on a better mechanism.