wiper blade cleaning not even..any suggestions.

[jlalill]

first off..i've tried a few varieties of wiper blades and all , to some degree, leave a streak just above where the wiper arm is attached to the wiper blade...end result at eye level i have a streak..frustrating to say the least

my assumption is that the wiper arm is putting so much pressure in the centre part of the wiper blade that above the wiper arm...the wiper blade does not have solid contact and therefore makes a streak...

any suggestions? would bending the arm alleviate this? i'm hesitant to try this..as it is spring loaded...

thanx

[Ritz]

If multiple blades do this, it's much more likely that you've got either a stubborn piece of debris (tree sap?) somewhere along the arc of the streak or a rock chip that isn't obvious to the casual observer. Both can cause this kind of streaking.

When I get mystery streaks on my windshield, I claybar the glass. That takes all of 5 minutes and has always solved the problem for me.

Cheers,

[1saxman]

There's a very remote possibility that you have a defective windshield with a dip in it, but this would be very evident by the distortion it would cause in your field of vision. Assuming such is not the case and you have some foreign matter on the glass:
Take a razor blade-type scraper and gently scrape the entire windshield - keep the glass wet and/or soapy for lubrication and so you can see where you've been.
Clean/polish the windshield with 'Cerama-Bryte' glass-ceramic cooktop cleaner available at home centers, etc. (use no power tool - by hand only).
Wash the windshield area and wipers with a light solution of dish detergent and rinse thoroughly.
Clean the wiper rubber insert with regular glass cleaner (not the Cerama-Bryte) or replace the insert or blade.

You should do every six months or at wiper insert/blade change.

My favorite blades right now are the Michelin 'Extra Life' found at Wal Mart. The inserts on these have more of a gray appearance than black. They seem to last and perform well. When using the wipers a lot in wet weather, like a long trip in the rain, road oil will be deposited on the windshield which eventually makes the wipers start to squeek and chatter. Carry with you a small bottle of dish detergent and a small sponge wrapped in a nylon net, or a facial 'pouf' (compressed nylon netting). When you stop for gas, scrub the hell out of the windshield and use the squeegee there to wipe off the soap (or carry your own). Use more soap on the pouf to clean the rubber blade inserts.

[VTchemist]

Another suggestion for your windshield - after you've really cleaned it well, apply RainX. I've found it really helps the wipers clear the windshield.

My whole family loves the product on all of our cars.

[WarnsVue06]

Another improvement for our family's cars besides also using Rain-X was change the wipers over to Bosch Icon Wipes. They are silicon based and the force of the wiper is applied evenly along the entire blade.

http://www.boschautoparts.com/Products/WiperBlades/Icon

They are a little bit expensive but well worth it. You can find them at your local big box auto parts stores. But I recommend that you get the correct parts numbers for the ones you need from the site above. When I went looking for mine their was no cross reference chart in the store, and the blade for each side of the car has a different number.

[txaginid]

Another good blade to use is Rain-X Latitudes. I put these on 13 months ago and they still work fine. I have never had a set of blades last this long.