Wiper issue

[4Run14]

'14 T4R SR5 prm

Cold WI winter. Ah joy. The right wiper will not wipe anything. Left side is fine. Both worked perfectly when it was warmer and rain. I checked and there is nothing between the right wiper and the windshield. Help! I'm glad its not in the drivers side, but nonetheless I Ned to fund out if it's a bent wiper, etc. It operates, but doesn't clean the glass period.

 

[philsey]

Not clear. Does it not operate, or it operates and does not clean the glass?

 

[4Run14]

Not clear. Does it not operate, or it operates and does not clean the glass?

Operates but doesn't clean.

 

[Jayhawk5G]

'14 T4R SR5 prm

Cold WI winter. Ah joy. The right wiper will not wipe anything. Left side is fine. Both worked perfectly when it was warmer and rain. I checked and there is nothing between the right wiper and the windshield. Help! I'm glad its not in the drivers side, but nonetheless I Ned to fund out if it's a bent wiper, etc. It operates, but doesn't clean the glass period.

I have this same problem.

Noticed it yesterday after work, as it had snowed a bit during the day. The driver side wiper works fine, the passenger side leaves a large spot where it doesn't clean. Works fine when it's warm, and the problem is limited to the passenger side.

 

[3wbdriver]

Sounds like the spring at the base that pushes it into the glass may be frozen. Maybe try a blow dryer on the arm where the springs are? There could even just be some crud build up in there that isn't helping matters. I've had this happen in the past and not necessarily due to cold. In my case a good blast with a water hose and some spray lube helped. But I don't know if I'd recommend a water blast while it is very cold.
[MENTION=85704]Jayhawk5G[/MENTION], yours sounds like it is coming off the window where it curves away from the blade. Same deal. The springs out on the arm that press on the blade are probably gummed up or frozen. Mine did this 2 weeks after I bought it and we got the equivalent to a blizzard in south Texas. I stopped in a parking lot and just "worked" the springs to loosen them up. It was fine for the rest of that trip.

 

[4Run14]

I have this same problem.

Noticed it yesterday after work, as it had snowed a bit during the day. The driver side wiper works fine, the passenger side leaves a large spot where it doesn't clean. Works fine when it's warm, and the problem is limited to the passenger side.

That's the same thing that I have.

 

[4Run14]

Sounds like the spring at the base that pushes it into the glass may be frozen. Maybe try a blow dryer on the arm where the springs are? There could even just be some crud build up in there that isn't helping matters. I've had this happen in the past and not necessarily due to cold. In my case a good blast with a water hose and some spray lube helped. But I don't know if I'd recommend a water blast while it is very cold.
[MENTION=85704]Jayhawk5G[/MENTION], yours sounds like it is coming off the window where it curves away from the blade. Same deal. The springs out on the arm that press on the blade are probably gummed up or frozen. Mine did this 2 weeks after I bought it and we got the equivalent to a blizzard in south Texas. I stopped in a parking lot and just "worked" the springs to loosen them up. It was fine for the rest of that trip.

If that's the case what would someone do if this happened on the drivers side? Big safety concern there.

 

[3wbdriver]

If that's the case what would someone do if this happened on the drivers side? Big safety concern there.

Just stop and manually work the wiper arm around the blade to loosen it up. It should fix it well enough to get you home where you can put a little lube on the joints.

 

[4Run14]

Just stop and manually work the wiper arm around the blade to loosen it up. It should fix it well enough to get you home where you can put a little lube on the joints.

Understood, but this is a brand new vehicle. Yikes.

 

[4Run14]

Just stop and manually work the wiper arm around the blade to loosen it up. It should fix it well enough to get you home where you can put a little lube on the joints.

I had an older Highlander and the wipers did the same thing. I switched to Bosch Icon beam blades and it never happened again. I plan on trying that as well. Toyota doesn't make the best blades.

 

[4Run14]

Sounds like the spring at the base that pushes it into the glass may be frozen. Maybe try a blow dryer on the arm where the springs are? There could even just be some crud build up in there that isn't helping matters. I've had this happen in the past and not necessarily due to cold. In my case a good blast with a water hose and some spray lube helped. But I don't know if I'd recommend a water blast while it is very cold.
[MENTION=85704]Jayhawk5G[/MENTION], yours sounds like it is coming off the window where it curves away from the blade. Same deal. The springs out on the arm that press on the blade are probably gummed up or frozen. Mine did this 2 weeks after I bought it and we got the equivalent to a blizzard in south Texas. I stopped in a parking lot and just "worked" the springs to loosen them up. It was fine for the rest of that trip.

Is there a permanent fix?

 

[adam2562]

mine does the same thing.. if i recall correctly i just bent my pass side wiper arm in towards the window a little bit.. but i'll follow up once we get our first good snow

 

[TBrock]

Well if you dont have a carport, garage, overhang, or anything that protects your vehicle from the elements. Then you could always look into these options ...

Option 1: Front Windshield Snow Cover

Option 2: Move To Florida

Option 3:

 

[3wbdriver]

Is there a permanent fix?

Just keep them clean, and put a drop of lube on the joints every now and then. There is the remote chance one of the springs is broken. In that case you may need to replace the arm.

 

[1engineer]

Understood, but this is a brand new vehicle. Yikes.

I had an older Highlander and the wipers did the same thing. I switched to Bosch Icon beam blades and it never happened again. I plan on trying that as well. Toyota doesn't make the best blades.

Is there a permanent fix?

Dude. I have a '15 4Runner and it did the same thing last week. Solution? Haul your ass out of the cab and:

A. Lift the wiper off the glass.
B. With your left hand located at the top of the wiper blade and your right hand gripping the lower part of the blade you
C. Twist your wrists. This will result in the flexing of the wiper and dislodge any ice accumulation and free up any "stiction" within the joints of the wiper arm itself. Cold weather, snow and ice are common culprits.

The curvature of the windshield has a lot to do with how well wipers operate. My wife's new Honda does it sometimes. My son's Subaru does it on the back wiper. My 1976 Chevrolet did it back in '79.

 

[3wbdriver]

Understood, but this is a brand new vehicle. Yikes.

As I said earlier it happened to mine during a freak ice storm 2 weeks after I bought it. Fiddling with it in the parking lot freed mine up and it hasn't happened again. Granted I don't live up north, but sometimes you have to do extra things to keep the vehicles working up there.

 

[Jayhawk5G]

Dude. I have a '15 4Runner and it did the same thing last week. Solution? Haul your ass out of the cab and:

A. Lift the wiper off the glass.
B. With your left hand located at the top of the wiper blade and your right hand gripping the lower part of the blade you
C. Twist your wrists. This will result in the flexing of the wiper and dislodge any ice accumulation and free up any "stiction" within the joints of the wiper arm itself. Cold weather, snow and ice are common culprits.

The curvature of the windshield has a lot to do with how well wipers operate. My wife's new Honda does it sometimes. My son's Subaru does it on the back wiper. My 1976 Chevrolet did it back in '79.

I was tempted to throw out a [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] to have you explain the curvature of the blade/windshield lol

I assumed it was something like this, I just haven't played with the blade. Worst case scenario was purchasing new wiper blades.

 

[3wbdriver]

Dude. I have a '15 4Runner and it did the same thing last week. Solution? Haul your ass out of the cab and:

A. Lift the wiper off the glass.
B. With your left hand located at the top of the wiper blade and your right hand gripping the lower part of the blade you
C. Twist your wrists. This will result in the flexing of the wiper and dislodge any ice accumulation and free up any "stiction" within the joints of the wiper arm itself. Cold weather, snow and ice are common culprits.

The curvature of the windshield has a lot to do with how well wipers operate. My wife's new Honda does it sometimes. My son's Subaru does it on the back wiper. My 1976 Chevrolet did it back in '79.

Fine. Now I have a new technical term to add to my vocabulary. Stiction...... :hail:

 

[4Run14]

Well if you dont have a carport, garage, overhang, or anything that protects your vehicle from the elements. Then you could always look into these options ...

Option 1: Front Windshield Snow Cover

Option 2: Move To Florida

FL in August when its 120 degrees no thanks.

 

[1engineer]

Fine. Now I have a new technical term to add to my vocabulary. Stiction...... :hail:

Very important in the world of engineering:

Stiction is the static friction that needs to be overcome to enable relative motion of stationary objects in contact.[1] The term is a portmanteau of the term "static friction",[2] perhaps also influenced by the verb "stick".

Any solid objects pressing against each other (but not sliding) will require some threshold of force parallel to the surface of contact in order to overcome static cohesion. Stiction is a threshold, not a continuous force.

In situations where two surfaces with areas below the micrometer range come into close proximity (as in an accelerometer), they may adhere together. At this scale, electrostatic and/or Van der Waals and hydrogen bonding forces become significant. The phenomenon of two such surfaces being adhered together in this manner is also called stiction. Stiction may be related to hydrogen bonding or residual contamination.