2ocnorb

I have an annoying issue with my windshield and/or wipers, that I need help on! I have an '04 Tacoma that I've owned since '06. I absolutely LOVE the truck, but for one thing... the wipers severely skip, squeak and vibrate on the windshield. It's happened since I bought the vehicle. Even after I've replaced the windshield (broken from a rock), and after trying several different brands of wipers (cheap to very expensive). It happens whether I'm stopped or driving on the highway, and doesn't matter whether it's misting or in a heavy downpour. I just recently replaced wipers (about a month ago) with Toyota OEM wipers, due to the previous ones (Bosch) skipping and vibrating to the point I couldn't stand it anymore. I th ought this would solve the issue. All was good for about a week, then these replacements started skipping severely as well... The only temporary relief is when I squirt Rain-X wiper fluid on the windshield (even when it's raining!). The skipping goes away for about (10) wipes, then start right back! I've recently noticed all the replacement blades are rather loose in the wiper arms, and can wobble in all directions. Could defective wiper arms be the cause of the skipping? Does anyone have a "cure-all" to this issue. Please help!

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waskillywabbit

Garage kept?

2ocnorb

No, the truck sit's outside all year.

waskillywabbit

Perhaps non OEM parts on the wiper assembly allowing poor pressure for equal contact.
I got 25 year old Toyotas that have OEM blade replacements and work flawlessly.
Or you are OCDing

2ocnorb

Well.... I've been known to be a tad OCD(ask my wife!), but this has been on-going for years. The only thing that's not OEM now is the windshield, but this was happening with the OEM windshield, before I replaced it. The only thing I haven't replaced is the wiper arms. Do the wipers arms (springs, etc.) ever wear out and need replacsment?

toyotaPmanager

go to the car wash lift your wipers up and pour coke on the windshield. let it sit for thirty seconds then wash it off and try your wipers!

highonpottery

i would guess it has more to do with the pressure of the arm and how it pushes the blade up against your windshield. i would suggest you inspect the springs and make sure all is good then go from there. it could be something as simple something being stuck in there and it keeps the wipers from putting full pressure; or maybe even just a dry, oxidized hinge on the arm that limits pressure. i'd also clean the windshield very thoroughly - there could be something on it, like tree sap, that makes them skip. i would use a razor blade and/or some mild solvent, trying not to disturb the rubber gasket.

if you're up for another pair of wiper blades, try the Goodyear or Rain X wiper blades. they don't have the open-frame "leaf-spring-style" superstructure backing the rubber element. instead, they have a solid-design superstructure made of plastic or rigid rubber which keeps even pressure all the way across the rubber element against the glass. it is by far a superior design and may or may not help with your wiper issues.

another thing you can try is restore the rubber on the wiper blades if they're not fresh. technically wipers only last one season, so most of us would need this done to freshen them up. take a rag soaked with vinegar and clean off the rubber elements very well, wipe again with water, then dry them. take a small amount of vaseline/petroleum jelly and rub it into the rubber, allowing it to soak up. then wipe them clean after a few minutes and you should be good. try not to get vaseline on the glass.

RainX works very well and definitely helps keep wiper-use to a minimum IMO - you may have to just resort to that if you can't get the wipers fixed.. You just gotta put it on a few times per season. I notice it lasts about a week depending on how much wiper use.

Lastly, order new or go pick up some used wiper arms for your truck from salvage yard. They are not hard to remove/install and could possibly be the cheapest solution with least headache depending on where you get them. Good luck, this would drive me nuts if it were my truck.

wyoming9

I have a bunch of Toyota vehicles and never had this problem then again I am to poor to own anything that new .

Have the wiper arms been changed in design in the newer trucks once the wiper is locked onto the wiper arm it should have very little movement .

tj884Rdlx

if your blades are stuttering up or down the windshield in only one direction, most likely the blade is not perpendicular to the glass. twist the wiper arm to correct this.

2ocnorb

Thanks for the feedback. The wipers only skip when wiping "up" the windshield, not down. I'll take a look at the wiper arms and the blades. Is there an easy way to check this perpendicularity?

tj884Rdlx

well, you could put a long straight edge against the flat side of the arm, and see how far off it is from parallel to the windshield.

but that's kinda overkill. use a pair of vicegrips, clamped on a rag to prevent the teeth cutting into the arm, and just bend the arm. (the illustration below suggests using a second pair to isolate the bending to the hook-end of the arm.)

if it's chattering on the way up, you'd want to twist it toward the roof, not toward the hood. make sense?

if you're careful, you can use the body of the wiper itself to do the bending. often, the wiper gets snagged on something like a drive through car wash, and that's what bends it out of whack to begin with.

the idea is that the wiper should be as close to perpendicular to the glass as possible, so it's able to flip back an' forth as it wipes, and make a smooth sweep.

i remember this being a maintenance step when i worked at VW a loooong time ago. there was a special little round tool with a notch in it, that you used to twist the wiper arm. i havent' been able to find a picture.

aha! this is the best thing i could find to describe what i'm talking about. read this BMW service bulletin:
http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/02/38/26

notice here they're using two tools, one to twist and one to hold back so the twisting doesn't affect the hinge point.

2ocnorb

Thanks again! I'll be checking this out before it rains again. I'll let you know if it works.