I took my first highway trip in the rain last night, and visibility was unacceptably poor. I'm referring to the lackluster performance of the wiper blades and windscreen. The rain was hard but not monsoon. The oncoming headlights blinded me b/c the wipers leave a constant film of water on the screen? Then when I went to clean the windscreen this morning (using the washers in the car), you can see how little force the wipers have against the screen as they glide over and smear the dirt without wiping it away.

My car is an 09'. 3 months old with 1k mi.

I'm convinced things will improve. Perhaps there is some cosmolene, or other coating on the screen? I'm going to use griots glass polish and put on a set of the new style blades that are flexible.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I have 20/20 vision, I would have pulled over if I didn't. I was driving using the emergency lane margin as guidance. It was not cool. The car felt great otherwise.

Has anyone switched to a better blade?

Thanks
DRP

 

I use OEM blades, it sounds like your blades are toast. I would complain to the dealer and see if they can give you a new set, if not they aren't that expensive.

 

I had been using the OEM blades without issue.
However, last weekend, I replaced them with the Bosch Icon blades, which are bracketless. Here is a pic:


They work very well, although the far side of the passenger blade doesn't sit perfectly flush when in the down (off) position- no chattering though so really not a problem.

Once word of advice: put a towel down against the windshield when you lift the spring arm to change the blades. I failed to do so, and the spring arm (without the blade yet attached) sprung back into position, and broke my windshield. For whatever reason, Geico doesn't have specific glass coverage, so it goes against my $500 comprehensive deductible- ouch! Replacement at the dealer is around $900 installed. Learn from my mistake.

Also, you may need to clean the glass thoroughly. You can use 0000 steel wool, but be careful not to touch it against the paint or seals. You can also use vinegar for a thorough scub.

For regular cleaning, I recommend Stoner's Invisible Glass (get the pump spray, not the aerosol), and use a microfibre towel.

Also, you an apply some 303 wiper blade treatment to your blades every few months which will help keep them from getting brittle.

And finally, use rain-X washer fluid, it's better than the standard blue stuff, and doesn't add the rain-X haze, yet does have some repellant properties.
CATTMAN

 

Hey Cattman, just ran across this post because I've been thinking about getting the Icon blades too! Glad to know they work with our car, since there is no specific application for them

Thanks for the good information about replacement caution and rain-x fluid!

Ohan

 

Ouch!!! sorry to hear about the windsheild Cattman.
I would definitely check with the dealer since your car is so new. Failing that I would check into the PIAA replacement blades as well http://piaa.com/WiperBlades/WiperBlades.html . I've use them on my daily driver for years. They're great, I've never had any issues with them and I get a lot of rain where I live. I've heard good things about Bosch as well, but I went with PIAA and stayed with them. I haven't changed my 997's because it rarely sees rain. Hope this helps!

 

I've used Bosch Microedge for many years on my 06S, just switched to Icons on my Lexus and love them.
My blades are still new on the 09 S, so I will wait and see.

 

I'm close to needing them. Suncoast sells OEM which include the brackets (not just refills) for like $30. At that price, why go other than OEM?

 

It appears that your car has 1 million miles...

 

http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...milies/eek.gif

 

I have blades branded by NAPA (sold there too!) which are similar to the ICON (not available when I bought). They are two years old (45k miles) and have seen lots of rain, salt, dirt and grit. One has a slight tear which results in a streak - but not so bad that I'll replace it before Spring. Any blade that lasts over 6 months in this climate/road conditions is a winner by me. So I'll go with either NAPA or ICON in Spring when I replace these.

 

I've had no issues with the factory blades going into my 2nd winter in the Seattle area.

That said, is this your first 911 style car? The angle of the windscreen may well produce different water flow than other vehicles, if its just behaving differently than you are used to on other cars.

The blades cannot clear more water than the speed at which they sweep, so if its raining hard enough, they will not be able to keep up. If the blades press down very hard, they would increase the chance of causing abrasive damage to the glass with the dirt they wipe on the outside.. and at higher speeds I'd expect they apply more downforce than at slower speeds (but I'm NOT advocating driving faster to improve your visibility!). Just some thoughts.

Could also be there's just crappy blades on your car or some coating.

No, not cosmolene.... these are not assault rifles being pulled out of factory storage.

 

Have the Bosch solid rubber blade on my Subaru. Works well but looks funky. I am not sure that it will function properly at high speed what with airflow issues. The factory blade is excellent. I vote for clean it (lo-tech news paper and vinegar really works well, or you can pay Griott) and replace the blades. LOL. Just glanced up at the ad above my typed post (now below). It reads "Replace your wiper blades". What a great board Minok, you know they cosmolene the engines before shipping. Thats the lovely smell and drip that comes w a new motor.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Once again its a privilege to have an excellent resource in this board.

I used Griots glass polish on the window. It couldn't have hurt. Then I cleaned the wipers with rubbing alcohol. I had to use two rags b/c the wipers turned the rags pitch black for about 5 passes each before the dirt marks lightened up. I'll wait to see if there is any improvement next time it rains, and if not, I'll get new OEM wipers from Suncoast. My car was outside on the dealer's lot for a period of time before I bought it, so maybe a lot of dirt collected on the blades even though the car is new?

Thanks again all.

DRP

 

Rubbing alcohol will dry out and degrade the rubber, so it's not a great choice.

Next time, give one of my suggestions a try and let me know how it pans out.
CATTMAN