Windshield wipers "skipping"

Outback · 10-31-03, 06:46 AM

The patient: '88 FJ62, hers.

The problem: The wipers keep "skipping", you know that annoying "hop" as they wipe back and forth when there's not enough water on the windshield. But they do it no matter what. >:(

The blades are new, infact I just went ahead and bought all new Toyota blade rails instead if refills -- the other ones looked bad. :P

So, could it be the springs in the arms that's getting weak? I just can't see what the problem is, everything lays on the windshield nicely and they still skip. ???

It's driving my wife nuts and I need to fix it

Any help appreciated.

Jody.

woody · 10-31-03, 06:50 AM

is the glass cleaned? sometimes, a residue/film can cause the skipping problem...a good scrubbing with some glass cleaner solve it.

burnt03 · 10-31-03, 07:18 AM

You could try that rain-x stuff. I used it on a trip with my old 4Runner w/ a pretty beat windshield and it seemed to make the passage of the wiper easier.

Landpimp · 10-31-03, 08:03 AM

get some Spot X(home Depot now sells it), it will clean all the oil, gunga and water spots off the glass. ALso even if the blades are new, take some rubbing alchool(don't drink so I can spell it) and clean the blades. Might also play with bending the arms a bit

John H

Outback · 10-31-03, 08:18 AM

These are all great suggestions!! I'll employ them this weekend.

BUT!!

Why do the wipers on my '93 FZJ80 not have any of these problems?? I don't Rain-X the windshield, I don't clean them with alcohol and I haven't tweaked the arms any. Better design? Wierd.

Jody.

woody · 10-31-03, 08:34 AM

older glass, more build up??? (SWAG! lol)

BTW: if she wouldn't drive 90 mph, the wipers would contact the glass and there would be a problem...hehehe

3_puppies · 10-31-03, 08:50 AM

could your linkage need alittle lube at the pivot points? maybe binding alittle. does it happen when your driving or sitting still?

dinkleberry · 10-31-03, 01:29 PM

Use the Rain X, then when she does drive 90mph she don't need the wipers!!

Ming89FJ62 · 10-31-03, 01:30 PM

Bet the wife takes the truck to the wash-o-truck and gets the "full" treatment which include waxing. Wax on windshield plus operating wipers = skipping and complaining wife.

Degnol · 10-31-03, 01:38 PM

Although I used rain-x on my 3.0cs, the windshield was very curved and it worked great especially at speed...BUT it left a film on the ws that nothing would take off, well almost nothing. I use 5-0 steelwool to clean a really dirty windshield. That leaves no residue and will not scratch the glass. It gets any and all old film off the thing.
I did buy some of the Rain-X anti fog to use on the inside of the ws, since I don't have a defrost hooked up yet.
Everybody has given you good possibilities and fixes. I'd clean the thing, check your linkage, lube it and the gears in the motor, and see what happens.
Chattering wipers DO drive me crazy.
GL
Ed

Superbark Cobalt · 07-18-11, 04:09 PM

I feel like it may be due to the length of the blade as well. My car has a dominant blade; 22'' driver side and 17'' pax side. I have the skipping problem, and I think it's because on the longer blade, the top half has to travel faster than the bottom half due to the smaller area of windshield the lower half has to cover. The excessive speed may cause it to skip for the same reason the inner wheel on a 4x4 truck skips when driving on pavement. I forget the physics term for it, but it may be a big contribution to skipping.

cjgoode · 07-18-11, 04:40 PM

Clean them, most likely the cause. 409 works great, make sure you clean the windshield AND the wiper blades. Then some rainX on the windshield work help, but the main key is to also clean the wiper blades.

lovetoski · 07-18-11, 10:02 PM

Wow - old post...revived.

I learned from CDan that a key cause of wiper skipping is if the blade isn't exactly perpendicular to the glass. I tweaked the arms on my 60 to get them as close to 90 degrees as I could, and skipping is gone.

BrentTLC · 02-23-13, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovetoski

Wow - old post...revived.

I learned from CDan that a key cause of wiper skipping is if the blade isn't exactly perpendicular to the glass. I tweaked the arms on my 60 to get them as close to 90 degrees as I could, and skipping is gone.

That's exactly it lovetoski. I just did this today on my '89 62. I installed new wipers, and to my dismay, still obnoxious skipping. I then noticed the wipers weren't perfectly perpendicular. I then grabbed two pliers, grabbed them onto a cloth onto the skinny are, twisted one in the correct direction, vuala! Skipping be gone.