Windshield wiper leaving 4" section

[NLScooby]

Both wiper blades were leaving big streaks on the glass - so I changed the blades with the Goodyear Hybrid blade (not cheap!) and now the passenger side is leaving a 4" section unwiped right in the middle of wiper blade path.

Could the spring in the wiper arm have lost tension?

 

[CT3]

In some of the recent snow/ice we've had in the northeast I was not pleased with the performance of my wipers at all. Being as the car is only a few months old in my case I don't think it's already a loss of tension but I'm also not sure if I'm just expecting too much. I will say that my previous Audis and even my last Explorer did better. So needless to same I'm very confused

 

[LCHardriver_02]

Try pushing the blade against the glass to make sure that the whole thing is making good contact and then see if you are still getting a missed section. My rear blade was doing the same on my 100 until I pushed it against the window. Now, no issues.

 

[CT3]

My other question relates to when is best to use the wiper de-icer.

In some past Land Rover products I had heated windshields, with the coils running throughout the glass, and those worked quite well. The feature on my 200 though I'm not as convinced on. I think it does a fine job of initially clearing the blades --but maybe it's a result of my not immediately turning it off --but all the water then just instantly refreezes.

Should I only be activating that heating element for a relatively short period of time and then quickly switching it back off?

 

[Island1064]

It will stop itself after 15 minutes of operations, and it's definitely just to make sure the wipers are not frozen in place.

 

[NLScooby]

Try pushing the blade against the glass to make sure that the whole thing is making good contact and then see if you are still getting a missed section. My rear blade was doing the same on my 100 until I pushed it against the window. Now, no issues.

I thought I did when I installed them, but I'll try it again. This section was being missed by the old blades as well.
My drivers side and rear are working perfectly. There is a slight arc to the new blades, but they are flexible....I wouldn't think they would retain a "memory" of sorts. But I'll try anything before having to replace the arm itself....I have a feeling the spring is probably not available as a part alone.

 

[gaijin]

You may find this Toyota Tech info helpful:

Inspection Procedure and Maintenance

Inspection Procedure

1. During routine maintenance or in the event of a customer concern for wiper performance please inspect wipers for any performance concerns.


HINT

^ Bugs, sap, road grime, car wax treatments, and other contaminants on the rubber inserts or windshield, can cause wiper performance concerns.


^ Make sure to complete the Inspection Procedure and the Cleaning Procedure before deciding to replace the rubber wiper inserts or other wiper related parts.

Examples of Performance Concerns that Could Be Caused by Dirty Wiper Inserts/Windshield

2. Contributors to poor performance/decreased rubber wiper insert life (requiring rubber wiper insert replacement).


^ Dust or dirt on the glass surface causes the rubber edge to wear quickly.


^ Sand and salt used for road conditioning during Winter months causes the edge to wear quickly so geographical locations with significant snowfall require more frequent rubber wiper insert replacement.


^ Heat and length of time in service can cause the rubber to become hard and brittle causing the rubber to not turn over resulting in streaking and/or unwiped areas on the glass.


^ The use of an ice scraper near the blades can easily damage the rubber insert.


^ Pulling blades off a frozen windshield can cause the rubber insert to tear.


^ Using wipers instead of an ice scraper to remove frost and ice from the glass can dull nick or tear the rubber.


^ Slamming the wiper on the glass to remove ice & snow can cause the blade to bend and the rubber to come out of the blade increasing the potential to scratch the glass.


^ When ice forms in wiper blade pin joints it may cause streaking and unwiped areas. To remove ice from pin joints compress the blade and rubber with your hand to loosen the frozen joints.


Cleaning Procedure

1. If any performance concerns are found clean the rubber wiper inserts and the glass surface using the following cleaning procedure.

A. Rubber wiper inserts: Clean road and environmental debris from the rubber inserts by using a cloth or paper towel soaked with windshield washer fluid or a mixture of mild detergent and water.


B. Windshield: Rinse the glass with water and apply non-abrasive cleaner such as Bon ami(R) (www.bonami.com) or equivalent with a sponge.


NOTICE


Make sure to use plenty of water with all powder based cleaners to avoid scratching the glass surface.

C. Inspect wipers for improved performance. If no improvement was found continue to step 2.


2. If there is still a performance concern inspect the wiper inserts other related components and replace as needed.

 

[NLScooby]

Wow - I didn't expect that to be in the service manual! - Nice detail - thanks!