Wiper bounce?

[FFHdriver]

Aggravating downstroke bounce on passenger side for me also. Only if it's a heavy rain does it not bounce. Light rain, mist etc... always bounces. Waiting for a sale on a reasonable pair to replace them both. Got it on my list to complain to dealer about because its done it almost since day 1. Nothing they will likely do but at least it's logged.

On a 2010 the wiper bladed are covered by the warranty.

[FtLewis2002]

On a 2010 the wiper bladed are covered by the warranty.

 

They are covered on EVERY new car. The problem is they put the same blade on, and after it sits in the elements for a few days while you're at work, you have the same problem. Buy some expensive ones every 6 months and there isn't a problem. not the best solution, but if it bothers you, it's the way to go. I use Rain-X, and the Rain-X Latitudes. (Fugly blades, but they work)

[goody1926]

They are covered on EVERY new car. The problem is they put the same blade on, and after it sits in the elements for a few days while you're at work, you have the same problem. Buy some expensive ones every 6 months and there isn't a problem. not the best solution, but if it bothers you, it's the way to go. I use Rain-X, and the Rain-X Latitudes. (Fugly blades, but they work)

 

Kinda what I figured also. I also thought deformation might be an issue as the lesser quality rubber(my perception) sits folded over in one direction for days on end until used then back to that same folded over position. Really this has been true for any car I have owned so from experience a set of quality blades consistently solves just about any OEM blade issue.

[FFHdriver]

Kinda what I figured also. I also thought deformation might be an issue as the lesser quality rubber(my perception) sits folded over in one direction for days on end until used then back to that same folded over position. Really this has been true for any car I have owned so from experience a set of quality blades consistently solves just about any OEM blade issue.

My previous car, a VW Eos, moved the wiper blades a small amount each time the engine was turned off. This way the blades didn't stop in the same position all the time. A good idea and the blades after two years had not taken a set in one position.

[Stang8URMPRT]

Did any one notice when the wipers park, the actually come back up about a 1/2 inch, to keep the wipers from "remembering" the normal park position of the blade itself. This helps to prevent wiper bounce on the up stroke.

 

I have Bosch Icons on the FFH, and Bosch Evolutions on my other vehicles. I love their products!

 

I also run Rain-X with great results, and no wiper bounce on any of my vehicles.

 

I tried Aquapel, and it basically sucked. It did nothing.

 

Nick

[Noel]

My factory blade bounces too on the return stroke (sometimes) on the passenger side only. It is also due to not enough water on the windshield. I don't use Rain-X on it because I seem to remember it would leave very small beaded water droplets (almost like a haze) after the wipers stroke. Very difficult to see through at night with on-coming headlights.

 

I use Rain-X on the other windows though.

 

How can you get this stuff off? I have the very same issue with a very small beaded water droplets that looks like fog momentarily until the wind finishing drying the glass between strokes. How can I get rain-x residue off? I think the dealer applied it because I certainly didn't. Maybe the Strongs Invisible Glass or clay? I have some Valeo blades to install but I want to get the glass cleaned it's really nasty at night.

 

Noel

[acdii]

I have the same problem on my Sport. Its the wiper arm, it has a slight twist to it so the blade is pitched more to the upstroke, so the return doesn't allow the blade to flex back and causes it to hop. Rain-x has nothing to do with this. I put a little reverse twist in the arm which seemed to lesson the bounce, but hasnt corrected it. I will probably get a set of the one piece blades and see if that helps. I already replaced the insert.

[Noel]

My factory blade bounces too on the return stroke (sometimes) on the passenger side only. It is also due to not enough water on the windshield. I don't use Rain-X on it because I seem to remember it would leave very small beaded water droplets (almost like a haze) after the wipers stroke. Very difficult to see through at night with on-coming headlights.

 

I use Rain-X on the other windows though.

 

Found the cure for our haze issues--read my other post!

 

Noel

[Carnivore]

Anybody with a FFH (or 2010 Fusion) having issue with the wipers bouncing, and not gliding smoothly in rain? I checked the blades and they seem pliable, although they seem to bend better in one direction than the other. The bounce is much more intense in one direction, and got pretty violent in the last big rain storm.

 

I did put Rain-X on the windows right after I got the car home. I wonder if it is doing something? I have always used Rain-X as it seemed to help things on my old Accord.

 

Only had the car for a few days, but love it so far!

 

 

I have the problem and i do not use Rain - X

[acdii]

I replaced my blades with the one piece curved ones, and while they work great when its wet, now BOTH blades hop on the down stroke when its almost dry. The blade should be parallel to the windshield, and they are not. I need to get a pair of crescents on the arm and try to take out the twist. Getting to be very annoying, I also have an area on the drivers side that doesn't get cleaned with the washers, need to see if I can lower the nozzles a bit. So far this is one gripe I didn't have with the Camry.

[SailCar]

I have the same problem on my Sport. Its the wiper arm, it has a slight twist to it so the blade is pitched more to the upstroke, so the return doesn't allow the blade to flex back and causes it to hop. Rain-x has nothing to do with this. I put a little reverse twist in the arm which seemed to lesson the bounce, but hasnt corrected it. I will probably get a set of the one piece blades and see if that helps. I already replaced the insert.

 

asdii nailed it folks. The problem is most certainly THE WIPER ARM. The arm holds the blades at an incorrect angle. Look closely at your passenger arm at rest and you can see how it leans. This causes the inserts develop a "set" and eventually fails to "flip" on the downward stroke, thus the chatter. Rain-X can exacerbate the issue be reducing the friction between the inserts and the glass, but as properly-aligned arms will prove, even glass treated with Rain-X will allow an insert to flip properly. (I personally don't use Rain-X on the windshield because as it wears off, there's a period when I think it reduces visibility)

 

A different blade design may lesson the issue, but that's really addressing the symptom. I hope Ford implements what I assume would be a simple fix for this soon.

[Ranger_Rick]

The OEM blade chattered from day one. I have gotten so sick of this passenger blade that I installed a Bosch ($21) this morning. I did not get a chance to fully exercise the wipers, but it was finally quiet when I did a squirt. So an OEM Ford on driver's side and Bosch on passenger's; at least both are black in color.

[xmech2k]

Well, to battle the pax side wiper jitters, I got a set of those Rain-ex Latitudes (?) to give them a try.Just using the windshield cleaner, I had a dead spot on the down stroke of the drivers side blade. I gave the blade a little encouragement in the right direction and I think it's better. Anyways, Got to try it in the rain this morning on the way to work and they were great. No chatter even in very low precip conditions, which is when I was experiencing the chatter, and worked great in very heavy rain too. I guess the windshield was wet enough to be a pain to see through but not enough for that wiper blade, as I never got the chatter in heavy rain, just during very light rain. So besides the looks (Blech!) I give my thumb up for the performance of the latitude so far.

[TX 2010 Ford Fusion Sport]

I bought my 2010 Ford Fusion Sport at the end of 2009. The passenger wipe blade has always chattered on the downstroke. It's quite annoying! I don't use Rain-X, so that is not the cause in my case. I'm not happy to see that other Fusion owners are having this same problem. Seems like a poor design with several owners reporting this problem. For my situation, acdii's explanation is one that I need to confirm on my vehicle.

Edited April 19, 2010 by TX 2010 Ford Fusion Sport

[tonifan]

Driving each day, rain or shine, from San Francisco to my job in San Carlos, California, Highway 101 can be quite a challenge. One of the challenges is that, when it rains, all kinds of oil and guck can come to the surface of the roadway. This gets splashed and sprayed onto the windshield, and then onto the wiper blades. At first, I thought that by rigorously cleaning my windshield, I'd be able to keep the wipers from skipping across the glass. Didn't seem to work, so, I actually almost gave up. Then, I tried cleaning the wiper BLADES with a tar and road film cleaner instead of just cleaning the windshield with it. That did the trick. For the last two rainstorms, no skipping AT ALL at any wiper speed, either in slow drizzle rain conditions or a blinding rainstorm (with hail, actually). Also, there seems to be no damage to the wiper blades at all. Hope this works for you as well as it did for me.

[xmech2k]

Well, we've had more than the usual rain here in San Diego lately, and it's been really spotty but strong showers coming and going, so I'm getting everything from mist lifted off the road to all out cats and dogs gushers, and the Rainx Latitudes have performed well through all of it without a hint of skipping. I didn't try twisting the arms or any special cleaning other than wiping them with a paper towel wetted with glass cleaner while cleaning my windows. Just wish they weren't so fugly...

[TX 2010 Ford Fusion Sport]

Ford replaced both wiper blades on my first scheduled service visit earlier this week (7,000 miles). No rain since, but I hope the wiper blade chatter is gone.

[2010 Sport Blue SEL]

No matter what I did, clean the blade or bend the arm slightly, I couldn't get the driver's side to stop chattering. It would work fine in a heavy rain but anything less and especially a sprinkle it would chatter every time on the down stroke. Solution, changed them out for a set of Bosch Hydro Edge and no problems since.

Correction: Micro Edge

Edited June 6, 2010 by 2010 Sport Blue SEL

[FFHdriver]

No matter what I did, clean the blade or bend the arm slightly, I couldn't get the driver's side to stop chattering. It would work fine in a heavy rain but anything less and especially a sprinkle it would chatter every time on the down stroke. Solution, changed them out for a set of Bosch Hydro Edge and no problems since.

Correction: Micro Edge

On the day I bought the car I changed to Trico beam wipers and have had no problems at all. Mine don't chatter or skip. Had beam OEM wiper on anotherr car and loved the performance. I notice that Ford now has beam wipers available for the Fusion.

[mgbabe]

The dealer replaced my 1 year old wipers for free when I took it in for service a couple of weeks ago. The wiper bounce no longer happens. (so far)

[xmech2k]

Ah, thx for digging this one up. I wanted to add that the Rainx Lattitudes, ummm, sucked... Got O'Rielly no-name blades and they worked great. Only now, months later, are they giving out and starting to streak, which reminds me, I have to go out and wipe them off to see if it helps.