Good evening all! I've picked up a new Fabia this morning, lovely car!

However 70 miles in to the day whilst going down the motorway home, the wipers started going out of sequence a bit and catching each other! It then got pretty bad as one got stuck under the other. Managed to pull into a carpark at the next junction and move them down (very easily) and now they won't move at all.

Anyone experienced this before, or even know what the problem is? I suspect one or both are loose and have gone out of timing and getting stuck has just made it worse.

Naturally, I'll be down the dealers tomorrow morning as it's not safe to take to work on Monday as far as I am concerned.

Edited 22 August, 201510 yr by RDC

Ouch. Looks like they weren't checked at PDI --- though why they were loose in the first place is odd.

 

Just be careful of snagging them on the bonnet edge - Can only lift wipers with the bonnet open - and then only when they're parked at bottom. just don't turn them on until they are down flat on screen and bonnet closed. Or don't try lifting them with the bonnet closed.

 

Hopefully, it's just a case of re-setting them on the spindles and tightening the nuts properly.

 

(aside - impressed that your dealer is open on a Sunday)

This happened to me 3 times with my previous car (a3), every time somebody tried to stole the wipers but couldn'the fully remove the nuts. Try and see if it'still not too loose.

I'm not going to be touching them because I don't really understand what the problem is and might do some damage. It does sound like it could be an easy fix though if it is simply a case of them being lose and coming out of time.

The dealers are certainly open on a Sunday, but I am not sure if their workshop staff are. I suppose I'll see when it opens at 11!

You could have called Skoda Assist. They would say, 'not a big problem.see the dealer' you say

I need to go someplace and might need the wipers. So just send out Skoda Assist /aa. They can fix or get a hire car to me until Skoda UK sort it out

Their expense or the dealerships not yours.

Turns out it was indeed just loose bolts on the wipers. One of the mechanics was there on his day off and was kind enough to have a look at it. He said they normally have to use a special tool to loosen the bolts because they are normally so tight, but on my car they just span off with hardly any force using a socket set.

He did say it wasn't something they would normally check as a part of the PDI, and he's never seen it before, but then it was an easy fix so happy days! Didn't think it would be a big problem, but on a brand new car it just makes sense to take it to the dealers to let them fix things.

Or call at the dealership. Busy sales day on a Sunday and you can get a Sales Managers car until Monday night

They can drop yours off

This is proper Customer Service. Vorsprung durch technik.

I had a less serious version of this when I picked up wife's new Polo, basically the driver's side wiper was whacking off the side pillar - ie movement being limited by the pillar, not good. I ended up moving the driver's side wiper arm down an inch and the passenger's side wiper arm up half an inch. I did not get the impression, from slackening off the securing nuts, that the mounting point was splined as they were in the past, so really if the arm securing nut is not tightened fully, that arm is free to move relative to its pointing point.

 

I do remember thinking that that wiper arm was sitting high (visible from driver's seat) when I picked the car up, but I'd doubt if much is done on a PDI nowadays, really probably just a quick look around, fit any requested dealer supplied parts, add a bit of fuel and a paper floor covering protector - and walk away!  My VW Polo had the thermal barrier beside the turbo just located near where it gets fixed to the car - ie not in the correct place to "do its job", no cover on the battery +VE terminal (maybe missing on all Polos from South Africa), and the blanking covers, bungs missing from the front door manual locking points, again maybe a VW SA thing, I just dealt with these things as I'd doubt if my dealer would have understood my annoyance on having bits wrong/missing. I'll be saving dealer visits for serious issues which I hope do not arise!

Edited 23 August, 201510 yr by rum4mo

Good that it is sorted.

 

Maybe check all 4 tyre pressures and see what they were set at at the PDI,

and you are as well to check the Wheel Bolts tightness, plus dip the Oil now and see the level it is at as the car was handed over.

Good that it is sorted.

 

Maybe check all 4 tyre pressures and see what they were set at at the PDI,

and you are as well to check the Wheel Bolts tightness, plus dip the Oil now and see the level it is at as the car was handed over.

yep agree

 

check all the obvious things that should be covered by PDI, 1/2 hour - 1 hour of your time checking the car over can save a lot of agro and arguments later

I'll certainly make sure to, thanks for advice!

Cheers!