Sponsored

Wiper blades don't touch the glass in upright position - how to fix it?

Rhyanski

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Threads
8
Messages
257
Reaction score
465
Location
Bulgaria
First Name
Adrian
Vehicle(s)
2021 FJG Mach 1 #M5810, 2018 Mazda CX-5 Ultimate
It is the first several rains since couple of months now, and I happened to drive during the rain. I noticed that the wipers, mostly on the driver's side, were leaving a trail of water in the middle of the screen, so they weren't very much helpful in getting clear view. I went to the dealership, bought a pair of new wipers, no-change. Then I checked and I saw the gap, spent a couple of hours there so they would fix it, they did something and the situation is improved, but still the center of the wiper does not touch the glass from like middle position (45 degree angle ) to full upright position.

Check the video what I'm trying to explain - it was taken before the repair by the dealership, currently the gaps are not that much evident, but still the wipers don't wipe as how they should. I know I can tighten the screws (mounts) in the wipers base, but aren't they supposed to be tightened to a specific Nm?
Any ideas?

Sponsored

 

dhborden

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
743
Reaction score
1,046
Location
Sagamore Beach, MA, US
First Name
Doug
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1 Chassis# M1869, Iconic Silver
It is the first several rains since couple of months now, and I happened to drive during the rain. I noticed that the wipers, mostly on the driver's side, were leaving a trail of water in the middle of the screen, so they weren't very much helpful in getting clear view. I went to the dealership, bought a pair of new wipers, no-change. Then I checked and I saw the gap, spent a couple of hours there so they would fix it, they did something and the situation is improved, but still the center of the wiper does not touch the glass from like middle position (45 degree angle ) to full upright position.

Check the video what I'm trying to explain - it was taken before the repair by the dealership, currently the gaps are not that much evident, but still the wipers don't wipe as how they should. I know I can tighten the screws (mounts) in the wipers base, but aren't they supposed to be tightened to a specific Nm?
Any ideas?

Probably nothing loose. I had a little of the same issue at higher speeds. Bent the arm down (toward the windshield) just a touch - 1/8- to 1/4-inch - and the problem was solved.
 

PC_GUARD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2022
Threads
37
Messages
628
Reaction score
501
Location
Fl
First Name
Scott
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP1
The arms need to be rolled towards the roof, when at the bottom.

Blades at the bottom need to be angled like this / (just to give you a direction)

Use a microfiber or something that will prevent marring where the small arm comes out of the larger "drive" arm, with vice grips, and grab near the wiper pivot/where blade attaches, and bend/twist the arm. Little bit at a time. This also corrects wiper chatter. The blade needs to be angled
 
OP
OP
Rhyanski

Rhyanski

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Threads
8
Messages
257
Reaction score
465
Location
Bulgaria
First Name
Adrian
Vehicle(s)
2021 FJG Mach 1 #M5810, 2018 Mazda CX-5 Ultimate
The arms need to be rolled towards the roof, when at the bottom.

Blades at the bottom need to be angled like this / (just to give you a direction)

Use a microfiber or something that will prevent marring where the small arm comes out of the larger "drive" arm, with vice grips, and grab near the wiper pivot/where blade attaches, and bend/twist the arm. Little bit at a time. This also corrects wiper chatter. The blade needs to be angled
Are you refering to this?

Probably nothing loose. I had a little of the same issue at higher speeds. Bent the arm down (toward the windshield) just a touch - 1/8- to 1/4-inch - and the problem was solved.
Yeah, I thought about it, but I think there should be kind of the "normal" way, otherwise all cars should come out of the factory with faulty wipers, and then someone shall be bending them, which does not seem right...

I was thinking it is the tensioner of each wiper, but doesn't seem so.
 

Mike Pfeifer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
1,120
Reaction score
1,279
Location
Wesley Chapel, FL
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ruby Red Mustang GT A10
It is the first several rains since couple of months now, and I happened to drive during the rain. I noticed that the wipers, mostly on the driver's side, were leaving a trail of water in the middle of the screen, so they weren't very much helpful in getting clear view. I went to the dealership, bought a pair of new wipers, no-change. Then I checked and I saw the gap, spent a couple of hours there so they would fix it, they did something and the situation is improved, but still the center of the wiper does not touch the glass from like middle position (45 degree angle ) to full upright position.

Check the video what I'm trying to explain - it was taken before the repair by the dealership, currently the gaps are not that much evident, but still the wipers don't wipe as how they should. I know I can tighten the screws (mounts) in the wipers base, but aren't they supposed to be tightened to a specific Nm?
Any ideas?
At the 0:00 mark of the video, it looks like the arm is bent, on the driver side, causing it to have less spring pressure on the blade. Its hard to tell about the passenger side from the video, but looks like it may be similar. Has any work been done to the vehicle, like a new windshield? I have seen where someone pulls up on the arms not knowing how to remove. Or a car wash spinner getting caught on it and yanking it. Long story short, those arms need to be bent back to the correct angles or it will never be right. It may be easier to replace the arms. Perhaps the dealer will warranty them since they already committed to trying to fix it.
 

Sponsored

WD Pro

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Threads
121
Messages
5,694
Reaction score
10,980
Location
United Kingdom
Vehicle(s)
Lime GT
Vehicle Showcase
1
@Mike Pfeifer the BMW guy :like:

Do I recall that going back to the e38 (or maybe even e32) era BMW had a service tool / gauge to ensure the blade to screen angle was correct ?

WD :like:
 

PC_GUARD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2022
Threads
37
Messages
628
Reaction score
501
Location
Fl
First Name
Scott
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP1
Are you refering to this?


Yeah, I thought about it, but I think there should be kind of the "normal" way, otherwise all cars should come out of the factory with faulty wipers, and then someone shall be bending them, which does not seem right...

I was thinking it is the tensioner of each wiper, but doesn't seem so.
I didnt watch the vid but the still is showing bending the wiper, i dont recommend bending that, its the arm that slides into the "slot" of the driver. I did it to mine just a week ago, and it went "pop" and was perfect. Before that no matter how much i polished the windshield cleaned the wipers they chattered like a bastard. I adjusted both arms and its perfect now.

They get twisted from wind, pressure washing, etc etc Its just maintenance
 
OP
OP
Rhyanski

Rhyanski

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Threads
8
Messages
257
Reaction score
465
Location
Bulgaria
First Name
Adrian
Vehicle(s)
2021 FJG Mach 1 #M5810, 2018 Mazda CX-5 Ultimate
At the 0:00 mark of the video, it looks like the arm is bent, on the driver side, causing it to have less spring pressure on the blade. Its hard to tell about the passenger side from the video, but looks like it may be similar. Has any work been done to the vehicle, like a new windshield? I have seen where someone pulls up on the arms not knowing how to remove. Or a car wash spinner getting caught on it and yanking it. Long story short, those arms need to be bent back to the correct angles or it will never be right. It may be easier to replace the arms. Perhaps the dealer will warranty them since they already committed to trying to fix it.
No, nothing has happened to the vehicle at all. It was delivered like that. I thought that the problem were the blades initially, staying here and there on its way from the US to Europe I thought they may have burned or something, but in the end, it turned the arms don't apply sufficient pressure to the center of the screen when moving upwars. Horizontally, it's fine, but when halfway or above on the windshield, they stand at a distance from the screen in the middle of the wiper blade, just below where you hook the blade to the arm.
 

Mike Pfeifer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
1,120
Reaction score
1,279
Location
Wesley Chapel, FL
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ruby Red Mustang GT A10
No, nothing has happened to the vehicle at all. It was delivered like that. I thought that the problem were the blades initially, staying here and there on its way from the US to Europe I thought they may have burned or something, but in the end, it turned the arms don't apply sufficient pressure to the center of the screen when moving upwars. Horizontally, it's fine, but when halfway or above on the windshield, they stand at a distance from the screen in the middle of the wiper blade, just below where you hook the blade to the arm.
Then it should be a covered repair. I would have the dealer order new arms, they may have been bent in shipping somewhere.

Or the other possibility is corrosion in the hinge, I have seen that, but never on something newer, always several years old. So didn't think it was worth mentioning, but maybe from the shipping over the ocean?
 

dhborden

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
743
Reaction score
1,046
Location
Sagamore Beach, MA, US
First Name
Doug
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1 Chassis# M1869, Iconic Silver
I didnt watch the vid but the still is showing bending the wiper, i dont recommend bending that, its the arm that slides into the "slot" of the driver. I did it to mine just a week ago, and it went "pop" and was perfect. Before that no matter how much i polished the windshield cleaned the wipers they chattered like a bastard. I adjusted both arms and its perfect now.

They get twisted from wind, pressure washing, etc etc Its just maintenance
Blade "chatter" is when the blade hasn't flipped. They're supposed to be flexible enough that the blade "flips" or tilts to have a less than 90 degree angle going up and down the windshield. When it has a greater than 90 degree angle, you WILL get blade chatter, no matter how clean and smooth the windshield. If you get that with new blades, return them because they may have sat on the dealer shelf long enough to age and lose their flexibility.
 

Sponsored

smithhead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
45
Reaction score
17
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
First Name
Craig
Vehicle(s)
2021 GT Premium, Auto, 3.55
Rhyanski did you get this fixed? I have the same problem, it was this way from the day I bought it. The issue is not chatter, the center of the blade simply doesn't touch the windshield when at the top, both sides. I took it to the dealer yesterday and they verified the problem but had no idea what to do about it.
 

dhborden

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
743
Reaction score
1,046
Location
Sagamore Beach, MA, US
First Name
Doug
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1 Chassis# M1869, Iconic Silver
Rhyanski did you get this fixed? I have the same problem, it was this way from the day I bought it. The issue is not chatter, the center of the blade simply doesn't touch the windshield when at the top, both sides. I took it to the dealer yesterday and they verified the problem but had no idea what to do about it.
Same issue for my driver's side only. Replaced the blades but that made no difference. The OEM blade frame has an airfoil shape to it which SHOULD help the blade stay in contact with the glass at speed, but doesn't seem to be doing very well at this point. Looking forward to hearing a solution from someone before I have to take it to the dealer just to get the same "yep, it's a problem. Can't help you." response.
 
OP
OP
Rhyanski

Rhyanski

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Threads
8
Messages
257
Reaction score
465
Location
Bulgaria
First Name
Adrian
Vehicle(s)
2021 FJG Mach 1 #M5810, 2018 Mazda CX-5 Ultimate
Yep, dealer was exactly like that - the car spent about 2 hours with the dealer, mostly guys going around in circles, I din't notice much activity. Whatever they did, the wiper lays better, but I still have an area of approximately 3 inch in length that doesn't touch the glass and the blade 'hovers' above glass. It is in the center, just under the hook where the blade is attached to the arm. I don't get streaks in the middle of the screen though, and it cleans well the whole windshield, but at the end where the blade stops before going back, there's an area which remains uncleaned.
 

smithhead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
45
Reaction score
17
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
First Name
Craig
Vehicle(s)
2021 GT Premium, Auto, 3.55
Yep, dealer was exactly like that - the car spent about 2 hours with the dealer, mostly guys going around in circles, I din't notice much activity. Whatever they did, the wiper lays better, but I still have an area of approximately 3 inch in length that doesn't touch the glass and the blade 'hovers' above glass. It is in the center, just under the hook where the blade is attached to the arm. I don't get streaks in the middle of the screen though, and it cleans well the whole windshield, but at the end where the blade stops before going back, there's an area which remains uncleaned.
Interesting. I checked mine more carefully and the arm simply stands off of the windshield in the up position and doesn't exert any pressure on the blades. It either isn't installed or adjusted properly or it's the wrong arm or bent. I have another appointment Friday.
 

Mike Pfeifer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
1,120
Reaction score
1,279
Location
Wesley Chapel, FL
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ruby Red Mustang GT A10
It’s gotta be bent. They should just replace it and be done with it.
Sponsored

 
 




Top