Winscreen wipers

[kopper69]

Well it doesnt rain much here in QLD but we have got a bit of a wet patch over the last couple of days so I might as well ask:

1) In my VR, but many other cars that I have been in as well, when the window isnt quite wet enough you get the screeech. Is there any way to fix this. Only one wiper seems to do it. Should I try loosening the one off? Anyone found a fix? Ive heard about puting a bit of dishwashing detergent in your fluid resovouir to reduce this. Old wives tale?

2)Streaks. Why doesnt the wiper blade sit evenly. Seems to leave little streaks. Try bending them to reshape?


3)In my folks VT and my brothers VX and my girlfriends folks ford (2000 model) when you use the windscreen wipers it makes it really blurry. Even with new blades. Whats going on there?

So many questions (hope you guys are up to it). Ofcourse a good downpour and the problems go away.

 

[newo]

Genuine Holden wipers lol. My mate bought some, 16 bucks later I'm thinking mate you got ripped. Whacked em on, they worked gold. No streaks, no squeaks, they're fitted. Best 16 bucks spent! (Well, maybe not THE best). So I bought a pair myself.

 

[hako]

My Commodore is the first car that I haven't had wiper problems! I replace the blades when 3 years old with el-cheapo's from Crazy Clarks ($3 ea complete). The screech may be caused by the wiper dragging across a relatively dry screen with no lubricant (rain). A bit like the sound you can produce running your finger around a wetted crystal glass rim.(only seen that on TV)
I know that if you lift the arm off the glass, you should be able to push your hand against any part of the blade and feel the same even resistance otherwise one of the clamps is too tight or loose. The blade should "flip over" as the direction changes and not stay fixed at the one angle. And for smearing, driving in traffic can result in a coating of unburnt diesel fumes etc on the glass which require a slightly abrasive glass polish like Bon Ami to remove. Its a bit like having to use 'Cut and polish' when the paint looks jaded. If you start bending the arms to increase pressure you can end up forcing the metal part of the arm to rub against the glass which has happened to me.
I also apply RAIN-X to the screen avery 2 months or so as this beads the water off so fast you don't need to use the wipers.

 

[Demons1964]

kopper69, how old are your wiper blades? Also, what detergent mix have you got in your wiper bottle?

With the age of your car I suggest your problem is the wiper heads.Try fitting new wiper heads - the frame distorts over time and the little rivet pins wear with the result of unequal distribution of force as it moves over the windscreen = streaks.

Have a look at the wiper arm as well. While the VN-VS arms were a marked improvement over VB-VL arms, they can still warp over time. Check yours aren't bowed or warped.

Newo, Holden get their wiper gear from Trico. At least they did up until recently when production moved to China. Autobarn sell the Trico stuff cheaper than Holden do. Bought mine last month for $12 for my WHII, and they leave the windscreen streak-free.

Mark.

 

[newo]

Awesome, cheers. Save me four bucks!

 

[kopper69]

Wiper blades are fairly new. Only a few months at most. Whats a set of wiper arms cost?

 

[Demons1964]

New heads are available at Autobarn. It's been a while since I checked but I think they were around $30-$40 each. Watch out for the bling-bling blue heads though!! As for the wiper arm, unscrew it and just run your eye down the length of it, looking for any twisting or bowing. No idea on price but I reckon Holden would charge an arm and a leg for those. I doubt it will be the arm though, it's more likely to be the head.

 

[kopper69]

I got a set of blue wiper blades from supercheap, werent too expensive though. And now red ones cause they didnt have blue last time i needed some. Does anyone have any advise on fuzzy windscreens. Like its as if there is no wiper blade, just a piece of cloth. How can it do this?