Top Tip for smooth wiper operation.

[Brandane]

Recently the windscreen wipers on my car have been driving me nuts with their noisy, juddering movement across the windscreen. And in true Brandane tradition, they get plenty of use!

I tried thorough cleaning of the glass using Auto Glym glass cleaner, and experimenting with slight adjustments of the bend angle of the wiper arm. No improvement. The wiper blades are not old, so ruled out wasting money on replacing them.

So I decided to try cleaning the blades with silicon lubricant, as I use that to cure the sticky feeling I sometimes get on the rubber hoods on my bikes. It always leaves them feeling much smoother. I can confirm that it has the same effect on wiper blades. A rough spray over the blade, then spray some more onto a clean cloth and then wipe down the wiper blade with the lubricated cloth. Wipers now gliding smoothly across the windscreen at legal speeds, silent and judder free. No smearing on the windscreen either.

 

[PeteXXX]

You can also cut a potato on half, make a V shaped slit in the juicy part and rub that up and down the wiper blades.
Works well!

(obviously taking car not put a chip on the windscreen.. before anyone pops in with that old joke)

 

[Smokin Joe]

I thought this was going to be a link to Viz.

 

[fossyant]

Time for new blades if they judder - this will be a temporary fix wih silicone. Just watch you can still see properly when it chucks it down.

 

[midlife]

Used to use Piaa silicone wiper blades and the silicone prep wipes that came with them..... Doubled the value of my car lol

 

[gavroche]

I believe WD40 on a cloth does the job too by wiping the blade with it.

 

[presta]

I thought this was going to be a link to Viz.

Like this you mean?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Comma Xstream screenwash.

Had no end of juddering wiper blade issues with our various VW's. They even replaced all 3 blades on one car twice and then gave up.

Emptying the crap they use and replacing with this stuff sorts the problem instantly.

VW main dealer maintains that the approved product they use is the best.

Utter rollocks - we usually ensure that the washer system is completely full before a service so they cannot put any of their rubbish in.

We forgot a few services back and when used the wioers juddered and made a hell of a noise...

 

[Brandane]

Time for new blades if they judder - this will be a temporary fix wih silicone. Just watch you can still see properly when it chucks it down.

Been out today in heavy rain, visibility was fine. Agree that it might be a short term fix; time will tell. Blades (Bosch) are only about 6 months old, and haven't covered a lot of miles.

 

[fossyant]

TFR is good sprayed on the screen. Do you regularly wipe the blades ?

 

[Brandane]

Do you regularly wipe the blades ?

Not really. Used to be a fairly OCD car cleaner and maintainer but as I get older the less I can be bothered. Cover less miles too. I tend to go by the "if it aint broke don't fix it" theory now. So unless the blades are juddering, they get left alone.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Like this you mean?
View attachment 630349

Oh my, that image takes me back.
I still despair that my daughter and her generation will never know what a tag nut, a winnit, or a dangleberry is.

 

[biggs682]

I was told once that cutting a lemon in half and wiping down the blades would work , never tried it .

Best cure is the stereo volume button

 

[fossyant]

Not really. Used to be a fairly OCD car cleaner and maintainer but as I get older the less I can be bothered. Cover less miles too. I tend to go by the "if it aint broke don't fix it" theory now. So unless the blades are juddering, they get left alone.

That will be it then. If you ran the 'sponge' down them, you'd get a streak of black - the silicone would have cleaned it. As the blades are 6 months old, they don't need replacing, but were just 'dirty'. Mine get done each week - but I do wash the cars each week !

 

[DRM]

I just lift the wipers after it’s rained and wet my fingers, with the rain water, then pinch the rubber between my fingers and run them the length of the blade a couple of times, last Van I had got to 97,000 miles on the original wiper blades before being replaced doing this, the amount of black carp that comes off is astounding