Front wipers

[BTandSid]

Unless it’s chucking it down the wipers make a bit of a noise sweeping the screen; it’s not mechanical it’s the actual noise of the rubber blades on the screen and it’s 🤬 irritating. Have previously cleaned the blades with Rain-x but seems to make little difference. Doesn’t seem anything that can be adjusted so may just try changing the blades unless anyone has any other thoughts? 

Edited 11 February by BTandSid

[nta16]

Which Rain-X product did you use on the wiper blade rubbers (elements)?

 

Have you also used a Rain-X product (there are so many now) on the windscreen (or rear window)?

 

I use AutoGlym Car Glass Polish, it's cream liquid (others are available I expect) to clean my wiper blade rubbers.

Edited 12 February by nta16

[nta16]

I forgot the links.

 

Rain-X products. - https://rainx.co.uk/our-products/

 

AutoGlym Car Glass Polish - https://www.autoglym.com/car-glass-polish-500ml.html

 

[BTandSid]

I’ve cleaned the wipers with normal car shampoo, Rain-x rain repellant, but neither makes much difference when the wipers are on normal or intermittent setting. They clear the screen, it’s just the irritating ‘scraping’ noise. Will check what blades are fitted and perhaps try swapping them. I’ve had Bosch Aeros on previous cars and never experienced this problem

Edited 12 February by BTandSid

[nta16]

Depends on which Rain-X product you used, which is why I put the hyperlink in my last post, the original repellant I don't think was designed to be used on the rubber elements, check the label instructions on the product bottle.

 

Also depends on which Rain-X or other product you have used on the windscreen by hand and/or in the car's washer bottle or additive in put in there.

 

I used the original Rain-X windscreen repellant (hand wiped on to screen) for decades and the truly concentrated (not like the watered down stuff now) top up additive, never had any issues other than the rake of windscreens on 1960s and 70s cars meant I'd have to go above 40mph for the water beading to happen.

 

If you have too much "product" on the windscreen you cut clean it off by using glass cutter, just a rougher polish really but do read the label instructions and follow them, you don't want or need to use this stuff to often, apply by hand not machine.   Expensive, brand, fancy name and label example, but more basic and less expensive stuff will be about, other suppliers and retailers available. -      Meguiars Perfect Clarity Glass Polishing Compound 236ml -https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/interior-cleaning/meguiars-perfect-clarity-glass-polishing-compound-236ml-836830.html

 

[BTandSid]

I’d wondered if it was perhaps something ‘invisible’ on that section of the windscreen but have cleaned it thoroughly several times to no avail. Have now bitten the bullet and ordered a set of Bosch Aerotwin blades. I’m not sure whether these might be the make that are already fitted, unfortunately there’s no obvious branding or logos to suggest what they are. I’ve had Aerotwin on previous cars without any issue so let’s see how we get on 🤞 Got to be worth £20 to get shot of the irritating noise.

Edited 13 February by BTandSid

[J.R.]

They are something that I would always spend the extra on now and that is very rare for me, by a lucky chance my current vehicle had them on when I bought it, I dont know how long they had already been on there but it could have been a long time, immediately I realised they were light years ahead of anything I had had before, that was 4 years and 50000 miles ago now and the same wipers are on there and still as good as ever, I don't even think I have properly cleaned them with meths or whatever that I had to do on a regular basis on all the others I have had in nearly 50 years of motoring.

[BTandSid]

It’s frustrating that because there’s no obvious markings on the existing blades they might well be Aerotwin so I could simply be replacing like for like. Still, for £20, worth a try and if it doesn’t offer a solution at least I’ve got a spare set of blades. And it’ll be back to the drawing board looking for a solution to the scraping blade; might be a case of turning the radio up 😄

Edited 13 February by BTandSid

[xman]

There's a Bosch logo on the wiper if its a genuine aerotwin

Once wiper rubbers have developed a direction memory theres usually little hope of fixing them. On some skoda models the front wipers park and occasionally move slightly up to help stop memory developing

 

Avoid getting polish/wax/rainx/etc on the rubber. Wash with soapy water (use washing up liquid)

 

 

 

 

[nta16]

xman beat me to it. - https://www.boschwiperblades.com/aerotwin/

 

ETA: it used to be said not to use washing up liquid on a car because of (IIRC) the ?salt? I've no idea if that was correct and still so now and wonder if the dilution would deal (ETA) with the ?salt? an issue if there was one anyway (ETA) on the wiper blade rubbers, I'd not loose sleep over such stuff.

 

If the wipers have always had that logo on them then I've not had them but I've certainly put some Bosch boxed 'bendy' wiper blades on some car as wiper blades, and using them, is something that can irrationally annoy me and my wife is particular fussy about clearly seeing out of the windows, particularly when she's in the passenger seat co-piloting for me when I ask her to, or not.

 

I think in America you can get longer lasting silicone blades but here and Europe we've been trained to expect to spend more and more often on our cars.  On my wife's previous car I put on some expensive 'rally' 'silicone' type blades not what I was expecting, not sure if the 'rubber' was silicone or not and there was IIRC a small sachet of silicone IIRC that you applied to the screen.  I've no real idea of how effective they were as it was spring and unexpectedly the car had to go shortly after that.

 

Let us know how you get on with them and if the issues continues or returns.

 

Edited 13 February by nta16
ETA:

[J.R.]

Aerotwins are a specific profile and the rubber will not fit any other blades which are by and large a standard profile, genuine ones are marked, other makers make wider blade holders to mimic the Aerotwins but they are not the same animal.

 

Finally Bosch sell cheaper non Aerotwin blades which are a complete waste of time other than for Bosch who make loads of money selling the branded Chinese items to those who think they are being smart in not paying the premium for the Aerotwins, I am not criticising the decision but they should simply buy the cheapest non branded Chinese wipers as that is all that they are getting inside the Bosch packaging.

 

Having said the above there is or was an Ebay seller selling Aerotwin profile rubber by the metre, it will only fit Aerotwin blades, it wont upgrade a standard blade as it will not fit, I bought some for the future but after 5 years and 50000 miles using the genuine Aerotwins the future has yet to come so I cant say if it is any good or not but having the genuine blades for the money it was worth a try.

[J.R.]

2 hours ago, BTandSid said:

looking for a solution to the scraping blade

 

The quickest and usually successful method is to twist the arm along its axis altering the angle of attack or return of the rubber, it takes a lot of force and is not for the weak willed, you may not know which way to twist but if the noise gets worse it will confirm the diagnosis and you simply twist it back the other way and then some more.

 

Clean the screen and rubbers before doing this.

[xman]

23 minutes ago, nta16 said:

ETA: it used to be said not to use washing up liquid on a car because of (IIRC) the ?salt? I've no idea if that was correct and still so now and wonder if the dilution would deal with an issue if there was one anyway, I'd not loose sleep over such stuff.

 

Don't use washing up liquid on a car, but just use on wipers (easiest if you remove them completely and wash in a sink using hot water). The idea is to remove polish/wax/road grime etc. I've been known to use brake cleaner on occasion as that removes contamination easily.

 

Obviously on a car generally you don't want to strip protective wax/polish. Use only car products.

[nta16]

3 minutes ago, xman said:

Don't use washing up liquid on a car, but just use on wipers (easiest if you remove them completely and wash in a sink using hot water).

Sorry I meant washing up liquid on the rubber blades and windscreen (when they had rubber seals) typing at speed I'm even worse than usual slow typing, I'd worry about wiping the blade rubbers with soapy washing up liquid water.

 

[xman]

Obviously I'd rinse them with clear water afterwards. I understand your concern but never experienced problems but only do it once in a blue moon.

[nta16]

As stated you do need to start with a thoroughly clean screen to really know one blade, or it's metal reprofiling, against previous.  Halfords used to sell bottles of glass cutting polish cleaner, but no longer, that seemed good when used very occasionally, if required.

 

Halfords also used to sell their own labelled rain repellant which seemed about as good as Rain-X, I was also gifted some expensive Japanese rain repellant stuff (and a very nice luxurious microfibre towel) and that didn't seem any better or worth its reputation or cost.

 

I used rain repellant more for the fact it made the (very small) windscreen easier to clean on my old car which could be covered in flies at the next stop despite being cleaned at the previous stop.

 

I still have the last little bit left in a very old bottle (shows Quaker State on it, I've no idea if that dates it) of the older Rain-X 'Super Concentrated Windscreen Washer Additive' with its instructions of squirt once into one litre of water or any pre-mixed winter washer solution, in the washer reservoir - that level of super concentrate I think disappeared a good few years back.  😄 

[BTandSid]

Thanks everyone; handy seeing the branding on the wipers, certainly nothing on mine so perhaps they’re not true Aerotwin? New ones arriving tomorrow, let’s see what they look like 

[BTandSid]

New blades fitted, not a sound, barely knew they were even switched on. Decent investment at only £19.99 👍

They’re branded Bosch at the end as in @xmans post, the ones they’ve replaced weren’t so possibly those weren’t pukka ones.