On my 2003 Limited, the front wiper on the passenger side make a chattering noise on most upstrokes. If there's enough rain, it wipes smoothly.

I'm thinking the first thing I should do is replace the blades because maybe they're old & hard.

Any other ideas?

Is it best to replace the arms and the blades together?

Thanks....

new blades and a clean windshield , also add some rain x or another brand of water repellent.

use a crescent wrench, and twist the arm slightly. new blades may work for a while, or maybe not at all. twisting the arm should help with the blades you have. assuming they are in fact still in good shape, and wipe cleanly. if not, change them AND twist the arm.

Yeah, sometimes I get that too… pretty annoying.

It’s a consumable, they are not really meant to least. I usually just throw a new set of blades on it. I usually change them in the beginning of every rainy season at a minimum. Most I’ve tried don’t last, they tend to get beat up during the summer months.

Only word of advice is don’t shop at the bottom of the barrel for blades, I usually buy mid-tier stuff from Rock Auto and avoid top of the line stuff because I didn’t see the value. I find its better to change it more often anyways… as often as twice a year if I feel the need, or before a long road trip or something.

I usually apply RainX but find that it wears off too quick. Think I'll switch to Aquapel next season--more expensive, but people have said it lasts much longer and the wiper blades barely wear down.

Dealt with this for years. Tried everything. EVERYTHING.

Went with PIAA silicon wipers. $25 each on amazon. Expensive. Worth EVERY penny.

I've had them on for a few years now. Chatter is gone. It occasionally skips (visually), but no noise!! I'm very happy with them.

Get them.
Do it.
Thank me later.
Peace.

I’ve never tried any windshield treatments or coatings… does it make a very noticeable difference?

rain-X makes a big difference. its almost like a lubricant.

Buy these and never look back. They work better and they last much longer than regular rubber blades.

Over time, nearly every vehicle I've ever had will bend the wiper arms in one direction or another and cause chattering. Some will do it on the Park cycle, others do it on the upstroke from debris or snow/ice for us in those regions. The wiper blades are intended to wipe with the arm at a 90* angle to the glass - if they are not 90* they will chatter eventually, regardless of coatings or blade choice. Yes, premium beam type blades made of modern materials will operate smoother, but eventually will wear out faster if those arms aren't square to the glass. If you want them to last, carefully adjust the arms so they sit 90* to the glass and use at least a decent quality blade.

I've had the best track record with the Bosch Icon beam type and they seem to last far longer despite the nasty places I work. Rain-X or other coatings do make a big difference in clarity as well.

Sarge

time to replace the blades .

short term fix spray silicone on a cloth and then wipe down the blade rubber .. that will fit it short term .. if so then get some new blades.

I keep a set of blades in my vehicle reason is I had a blade rubber break off .. not good when the windshield gets scratched .. happens when icy weather hits..

This 🔼

YouTube

I recommend using 2 wrenches and counterholding with the one closer to the pivot point

An excellent point and sorry I forgot to mention to use 2 tools to hold onto the arm - otherwise you can pretty easily break off the cowl shaft or at least bend it and render the whole thing junk. It is really common to see bent arms these days - they are not made of heavy enough material for the size of the much larger wipers and windshields on today's vehicles. My Dodge pickup runs 22" blades and I've had to tweak both arms on it already - at only 50K on the clock.

Sarge

Clean the windshield the best you can and then put a coat of car wax on it. I use MEGUIARS GOLD CLASS on mine. You can't even hear the wipers,they wipe the water off better and the windshield is the clearest it has ever been.