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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / November 2005Wiper arm needs adjustment?
On my 2003 Highlander, the driver-side wiper blade drags on the upstroke, smearing the windshield and making a squealing/chattering/crunching noise. Very annoying. On the downstroke, it's perfect. I've changed the blade a couple times (using Toyota blades), hasn't solved the problem. It's still under warranty, but it's a hassle getting to the dealer, so I'd rather fix it myself if there's some sorta easy adjustment I could make. Any ideas? Thanks! ===================== Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions. ...G.K. Chesterton I'll tell you how I do it. I grasp the whole wiper blade in both hands and then twist the blade opposite of the chatter direction - the idea is to SLIGHTLY bend the wiper arm where it attaches to the blade - its minute adjustment, might take a couple of tries. Properly adjusted blade has same amount of pivot in both directions. Now, if I could get the damned rear blade on my 02 Highlander (the plastic arm model) to work I'd also be happy Ron >I'll tell you how I do it. I grasp the whole wiper blade in both >hands and then twist the blade opposite of the chatter direction - the >idea is to SLIGHTLY bend the wiper arm where it attaches to the >blade - its minute adjustment, might take a couple of tries. >Properly adjusted blade has same amount of pivot in both directions. hmmm, not sure I understand this... ================= When you are arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing. >>I'll tell you how I do it. I grasp the whole wiper blade in both >>hands and then twist the blade opposite of the chatter direction - the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > hmmm, not sure I understand this... Do-it-yourself wiper blade tweaks rarely work. Before you start bending the blade, try this. Soak a paper towel with rubbing alcohol or brake cleaner and wipe the outside of the windshield. Over time, road grime deposits an oily film on the glass. You can also use very fine steel wool (size 00) with just finger pressure on the glass after you wet it with rubbing alcohol or steel wool to get the road grime off. There are 3 parts to the wiper: arm, refill (rubber part) and blade. The blade has prongs that distribute tension evenly along the rubber. If you replace the blade and clean the glass, the chatter should stop.  SignatureRay O correct the return address punctuation to reply If Rays way works so much the better - my way works but much easier to show than to describe. I know that nothing works on the Highlander read that I've done, new refill. super cleaning glass with rain-x cleaner etc.. I haven't given up on it yet, but might need a new (metal) arm to keep adjusted - this plastic one just seems "set" and won't let the blade pivot enough to wipe. Ron >If Rays way works so much the better - my way works but much easier to >show than to describe. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Ron That's the secret right there...wipe...that's what the blade must do, not 'push' as it travels...that's what makes it 'chatter'. Ray's right that it hardly ever works, you've gotta get the angle of the dangle just right, it has to 'wipe' in both directions...if it 'wipes' too much in one direction then it'll 'push' in the other and you're skrude... :) Signature-Gord. (use gordon in email) > If Rays way works so much the better - my way works but much easier to > show than to describe. I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm cheap so I always try tweaking the blade before changing it. I've been working on cars for close to 40 years, worked for an auto manufacturer for almost 15 years. Of the many blades I've tried to tweak over that time, I've gotten it perfect exactly zero times. It's kind of like catching a fly with chopsticks - a quest that attemped often enough, may result in success. > I know that nothing works on the Highlander read that I've done, new > refill. super cleaning glass with rain-x cleaner etc.. I haven't given > up on it yet, but might need a new (metal) arm to keep adjusted - this > plastic one just seems "set" and won't let the blade pivot enough to wipe. > > Ron I've had poor success with plastic blades. The exposure to sun and cold seems to take the springiness out of them. The rubber refills have a life of about 6 months although people use them for a lot longer. SignatureRay O correct the return address punctuation to reply I should have, and didn't say its the damned rear wiper ARM on the Highlander that is the problem. It seems to actually be getting worse in the angle department. I use the silicon rubber blades in front and other that every year or so when the car wash kinds of jimmy's the bend a speck, they are fine. The Highlander has (supposedly) a plastic rear wiper arm and a metal one.. What I have done with my wiper arm adjustment technique if hand method doesn't work is to use two small (6") crescent wrenches down near the blade end and make a tiny angle adjustment by twisting the arm a skosh. I'd guess over the years I've probably done it to more cars than I want to think about - had a license for nearly 53 years (got it at 14!). Ron >There are 3 parts to the wiper: arm, refill (rubber part) and blade. The >blade has prongs that distribute tension evenly along the rubber. If you >replace the blade and clean the glass, the chatter should stop. I've replaced the blade twice and cleaned the glass, still chattering - only on the driver's side, and only on the upstroke. Looks like I'm off to the repair shop. Sigh. ================= When you are arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing. >>There are 3 parts to the wiper: arm, refill (rubber part) and blade. The >>blade has prongs that distribute tension evenly along the rubber. If you [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > - only on the driver's side, and only on the upstroke. Looks like I'm > off to the repair shop. Sigh. If you "tweaked" the arm then it may need replacement if you cannot get it bent back properly. SignatureRay O correct the return address punctuation to reply >>>There are 3 parts to the wiper: arm, refill (rubber part) and blade. The >>>blade has prongs that distribute tension evenly along the rubber. If you [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > If you "tweaked" the arm then it may need replacement if you cannot get it > bent back properly. I don't mind 'tweaking' things on the Celica or the Terc Wagon I had last year, but I sure as hell ain't gonna be tweaking nothing on the Supra or the Corolla GTS! Too damn hard to locate some parts for! If something needs fixing, I try to do it right on those cars! You can fix this with new blades. There is no adjustment to the arm ... > On my 2003 Highlander, the driver-side wiper blade drags on the > upstroke, smearing the windshield and making a [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > ...G.K. Chesterton PS I said there was no adjustment, but it is possible to twist the arm a bit to change the angle of contact of the blade ... > On my 2003 Highlander, the driver-side wiper blade drags on the > upstroke, smearing the windshield and making a [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > ...G.K. Chesterton > PS > I said there was no adjustment, but it is possible to twist the arm a [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> >> ...G.K. Chesterton You know, I've been buying cars for about 35 years now, and up till now, have never gone back to the dealership to buy replacement wiper blades. When I bought my 02 Avalon, the wipers were VERY quiet. No slapping, no temptation to sing along with Janice Joplin. So, being the kind of guy who doesn't change the way I work unless there's a good reason, I motored down to AutoZone when the time came and bought some (ARCCO ?) replacement blades. Well, the next time it rained, I was singing about Bobby McGee(uh). By that time, I had actually thrown away the original Wiper assemblies, so I couldn't just go to Toyota and buy the rubber refills. To get my quiet wipers back, I went to Toyota and bought the whole wipers, and that did it. It seems that the tolerances in the Toyota parts are much closer than aftermarket blades - so from now on I'll just get the rubber refills from Toyota and be happy. Sometimes, skimping and saving $10 is just not worth it. "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose Nothing ain't worth nothing but its free" --Steve >> PS >> I said there was no adjustment, but it is possible to twist the arm a [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] >I'll just get the rubber refills from Toyota and be happy. Sometimes, >skimping and saving $10 is just not worth it. From what the local Toyota dealer tells me.. Toyota is going to stop stocking the wiper inserts! Now you get the whole assembly for something like ten bucks. I FINALLY learned how to do the 'wiper blade dance' on two different Toys and now they made it much easier.... >"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose >Nothing ain't worth nothing but its free" > >--Steve SignatureScott in Florida > On my 2003 Highlander, the driver-side wiper blade drags on the > upstroke, smearing the windshield and making a [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > ...G.K. Chesterton That was happening on the wipers on my 02 Sienna too, I tried refills from Toyota and also refills from Can. Tire and both had that squeak when going up but nothing when going down. I went to a local auto parts store and the guy at the counter recommended Bosch refills, iinstalled them and no more noise. If you can find a store that sells Bosch wipers/ refills try em out. >> On my 2003 Highlander, the driver-side wiper blade drags on the >> upstroke, smearing the windshield and making a [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > more noise. If you can find a store that sells Bosch wipers/ refills try > em out. I put Bosch blades on my BMW, and one of them skipped like crazy. I took the rubber out and end-for-ended it, and the skipping stopped. Wipers work by wiping a rubber blade over the glass. If the blade is an at angle to the glass that causes it to be pushed, then it will skip in that direction. |
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