[Zell]

I don't get it. These wipers are essentially new. They're the OEM BMW bracketless wipers, I've had them for about 3-4 months now. The driver's side is skipping like crazy and the passenger's side isn't really smooth either.

It only does it on the up swipe, the down swipe is just fine. These were like $60 wiper blades from the dealer and they are now performing like $5 wiper blades from eBay. They started out perfectly, too!

What can I do? I've cleaned them with isopropyl alcohol, I've cleaned the windshield, the wiper arms aren't bent either. I'm at a loss. What can I do? I'm not spending another $50 on stupid wiper blades.

 

[Jrob1]

I tried the alcohol wipe before and it made it worse. I use Bosch Icons now though and never have issues. Using a claybar on the windshield could help. Or wax or Rain-X or something. Your windshield might have a lot of tiny pits in it that are causing them to chatter.

 

[Zell]

Brand-new windshield I had RainX on it before, and I switched from Icons because they were performing very terribly (specifically, the driver's side). Maybe my driver's side arm needs to be replaced, or the tension adjusted? I may take it over to a dealer or mechanic to have a look.

 

[Antoniooo]

i had this issue on the passenger side .. i thought i needed a new wiper blade .. so i got a new one and still experienced it.. i think mine was only on the up-swipe, couldve been both though, ( havent used them in a while lol) .. anyway i just grabbed the wiper arm around the middle and bent the end down a little, toward the windshield and it stopped.. fixed it for a few months but last time i used wipers it was doing it again... so probably gonna have to do it again soon lol

 

[jdstrickland]

When this happed to me almost one thousand years ago, I got out a Crecent Wrench and put a SLIGHT twist on the wiper arm in favor of the direction that the blades skipped. I was able to adjust the angle of the blade so that it did not bounce anymore.

Yes, I'm an Old Guy and I have to make my own parts from scratch once in a while.

 

[dmax]

You still have the wind deflector, on the bottom edge of the driver's blade, right?

Wiggle from the base and see that they're firm, if not, a slight wiggling, and tightening might be in order. Had the arms been removed before, do you know?

I've also lost just tiny edges of rubber out the the clips, but it sounds like that couldn't be an issue with these magic oe arms.

I think the deflector is on the top and that blade is reversed.

If they both do it, I'd say you need to clean your windshield better, especially if it's new. Really clean. I used to use all that stuff. Now just invisible glass and microfiber. I have used polishes before, but think, in the end, even after invisible glass, nothing like plain water and microfiber.

I think you have a dirty windshield is all and it's hanging up...or deflector reversed.

Do I win a prize or something if I guess correctly?

Oh, also, OE old style wiper inserts ftw!

 

[mhs328Ci]

In all my experiences, Rain-x makes the wipers chatter. The surface friction is changed due to the layer of the wax and that effects the performance of the wipers.

I use Rain-x and rarely need the wipers.

 

[GoingNuts]

Clean using WD40. Also ensure orientation of the rubber, and it's holding blade are corrected oriented. Both can be re-oriented by 180 degrees. Wiper blades are essentially lifetime parts if you keep them clean using WD40.

 

[Zell]

Okay, I tried tightening the bolt down just to make sure that the windshield dude didn't mess it up. Didn't do anything.

I swapped blades, the driver's side one still chattered on the passenger's side, while the passenger's side one chattered on the driver's side, but just a little bit. Not a whole lot.

Bad wiper arm and blade??

 

[dmax]

Okay, I tried tightening the bolt down just to make sure that the windshield dude didn't mess it up. Didn't do anything.

I swapped blades, the driver's side one still chattered on the passenger's side, while the passenger's side one chattered on the driver's side, but just a little bit. Not a whole lot.

Bad wiper arm and blade??

Did you try JD's old school bending them to fit method? Be careful. Read all the tips and work up. Did you try my cleaning them really well idea yet?

 

[Zell]

Did you try JD's old school bending them to fit method? Be careful. Read all the tips and work up. Did you try my cleaning them really well idea yet?

I'll def. try those tomorrow. I'm sketched about bending the arm cause the wiper arm is pretty beefy compared to most cars. I'll clean the windshield and such really well once all the hurricane weather is gone

 

[jdstrickland]

You want to twist the arm a degree or two. That should do the trick.

No matter what you may have read from participants here, wiper blades are not lifetime parts. Not even close. They do not make enough ArmorAll or WD40 in the universe to make a wiper blade last the life of the car.

 

[fotsir]

bracketless? if that means what I think (flexible arched without the metal fingers) then those are junk in my experience.

the problem I had was the alignment support on the wiper arm would not hold the blade.

 

[chet31]

Trying claying your windshield.

 

[GoingNuts]

You want to twist the arm a degree or two. That should do the trick.

No matter what you may have read from participants here, wiper blades are not lifetime parts. Not even close. They do not make enough ArmorAll or WD40 in the universe to make a wiper blade last the life of the car.

No, don't twist the arm. Use WD40. It's guaranteed to work.

 

[ixtoxi]

when this happed to me almost one thousand years ago, i got out a crecent wrench and put a slight twist on the wiper arm in favor of the direction that the blades skipped. I was able to adjust the angle of the blade so that it did not bounce anymore.

Yes, i'm an old guy and i have to make my own parts from scratch once in a while.

+1

 

[Zell]

I cleaned the windshield really well with glass cleaner, and the wipers work even better now. The driver's, though, squeaks, but it doesn't chatter nearly much. It's like there is too much friction or something. I'll try the bending idea tomorrow, and maybe get some silicone spray. I've heard that works very well too.

 

[dmax]

I cleaned the windshield really well with glass cleaner, and the wipers work even better now. The driver's, though, squeaks, but it doesn't chatter nearly much. It's like there is too much friction or something. I'll try the bending idea tomorrow, and maybe get some silicone spray. I've heard that works very well too.

Try just cleaning the wipers with alcohol, not silicone.

Silicone or wd40 would eliminate the chatter probably (I'm reluctant to trust GN because we never can be sure if he's just trolling or not), but it would also smear wd40 on your windshield. If you can fix the issue without 'additives' you're better off. Just get it really clean. Use more than one cleaning product, maybe a fine polish made for windshields.

If you use silicone spray, you'll be in effect, using a RainX type product, which I have to say I've given up on...it always leaves a shimmer that annoys me. Looks great, and does work great on long trips, but otherwise not so much.

 

[OrientBlau]

My PAX side began doing this and its hella annoying.

Since my wipers have only been replaced with the rubber inserts from dealer, I figured maybe the detachable blade arm (not the arm connect by a bolt) was getting worn and loose and ordered a new set. From what Im reading, maybe it wont solve the problem. If not, Im gonna try and clay the windshield to see if that helps.

 

[Zell]

In some serious desperation, I went to the dealer to get BMW wiper fluid concentrate. It's like $3.50, and is good for about 4 refills. All you need to do is just pour in 4 ounces (half a cup), which works great for the summer until winter when you probably should do 8 ounces, and fill up with one jug of 85-cent distilled water.

Result after spraying a few times: it...fixed it? :hmm: And my wipers work better? As in, significantly better?!? :eeps:

I don't know if it's coincidence or not. I noticed my wipers chattered big time after I went to the generic blue Peake stuff, so I figured maybe that was it.

I don't know what the actual fix was. Switching from RainX wiper fluid? Cleaning the windshield a few times? Going to BMW's wiper fluid concentrate? It could be BMW products working in harmony with each other (BMW wiper fluid + BMW wiper blades + BMW windshield). I really have no clue.

The wiper fluid concentrate works actually insanely well, and it smells really good, too. It's a little sudsy and totally safe for your paint (not that other fluid isn't). Plus, you get a some bang for your buck (surprising cause it's a BMW product, right?). 16.9oz, 4 refills, 85-cents per refill.

$3.50 + (.85 * 4) = $6.9.

Normal wiper fluid is about $2-3 or so, right? So you save a little money by buying the concentrate.

If you live in a cold area, this concentrate will be a waste. The bottle says it doesn't work below 3 degrees F at its highest concentration mix, which is the entire freaking bottle. I've heard people say it works below that at normal concentration levels, but I've never tested it myself.