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I was ahead of a Mercedes the other day and their wipers were just as crazy as mine, going back and forth from low speed to high speed and back. I'd much rather have a manually adjustable wiper interval than this automated system which doesn't work very well, or better yet, low, high, automatic and manual. Then everyone would be happy.
breser
AutoPilot Nostradamus
When I had my vehicle in earlier this week I complained about the same exact issue. Upstroke is fine, down stroke smears. They said they cleaned the windshield and put a new blade on. But it doesn't seem that much better to me (though it wasn't raining hard enough for the issue to be super noticeable to me). Seems to me like they have some sort of problem with recent vehicles (or maybe recent blades).
TES-E
Member
Mine had this streak on the downswing on day one... 1 month ago today. I haven't done anything about it yet... it doesn't rain much here. :wink:
CHG-ON
Still in love after all these miles
I have mine coated with OptiShield (or whatever it is called) and have no problems. Water repels very well and the wiper seem to work fine: very silent and a good clear wipe. Just got mine a few weeks ago. I had used RainX years ago on another car and it did cause problems.
Re: the auto setting: I haven't much of a chance to use it yet, but when it has worked, it seems to work very well. Consistent in speed and interval. Might just have been the conditions. I think it's kind of neat. and I just leave it on all the time. Doesn't seem to take too much water to activate it, but not too little either. I drive on country mountian roads, so I tend to get junk on the glass by the time I get home. So before I leave in the AM, I mist the screen with cleaner sitting near the car, get in, hit the brake and get one wipe, which clears the muck off. So modern!
I had a Volvo with it and it used to drive me crazy because it was so irregular in it's speed and interval, so I stopped using it. So far, this one seems OK. I do have all the driver assist cameras, etc. I don't know if that might make a difference. Maybe a better sensor.
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gzerninplatz
Member
EVERYONE has this problem (well, maybe not the Tesla home office in sunny California)...they re-tension the arm at the SC, but that seems to be only a temporary fix......they really need to actually fix this issue...there are another 100 posts over on the Tesla corporate forum about this issue....
raincityjerry
Member
I had exactly the same problem; driver side only. Had one year service done 9/30 and thought they changed the blades, but the smear made me think they did not so I bought new blades ($36) at my local parts store and they work fine. Just looked at my service list and they DID change the blades! I'm going to call them today!! %$^#&
breser
AutoPilot Nostradamus
Manual says that "windshield treatments" can cause the wiper blades to "chatter." It's in a warning box under the car care section.
gzerninplatz
Member
New info! Spent a while talking to a guy at the Portland Service Center - he knew all about wipers....
Bottom Line - at least this Service Center is switching to the Bosch 28OE ICON wiper. They did a test, and Bosch passed. They will replace any problem wipers with a Bosch (if they can source enough of them). The passenger side wiper hasn't been a problem, but they will replace with a Bosch 18OE ICON if needed. Amazon says that the replacement is a 19OE ICON, not an 18....I'm getting one delivered tomorrow morning and will find out which is right.
Other note - I'd been cleaning mine with alcohol, getting a lot of black stuff each time - but that is a mistake! The wipers have a graphite coating that is supposed to stay there...don't clean them unless there is a lot of road gunk to get off...and then replace them every 6 months so the new ones have the graphite again (that is from his experience of working at Mercedes).
And more - The "retensioning" that they do actually doesn't change the arm spring...it is bending the arm to change the angle at which the wiper blade hits it on the return stroke.
And - don't use RainX, it makes the windshield more blurry. And - don't use bad washer fluid - that is what makes the wipers chatter.
Bottom Line - at least this Service Center is switching to the Bosch 28OE ICON wiper. They did a test, and Bosch passed. They will replace any problem wipers with a Bosch (if they can source enough of them). The passenger side wiper hasn't been a problem, but they will replace with a Bosch 18OE ICON if needed. Amazon says that the replacement is a 19OE ICON, not an 18....I'm getting one delivered tomorrow morning and will find out which is right.
Other note - I'd been cleaning mine with alcohol, getting a lot of black stuff each time - but that is a mistake! The wipers have a graphite coating that is supposed to stay there...don't clean them unless there is a lot of road gunk to get off...and then replace them every 6 months so the new ones have the graphite again (that is from his experience of working at Mercedes).
And more - The "retensioning" that they do actually doesn't change the arm spring...it is bending the arm to change the angle at which the wiper blade hits it on the return stroke.
And - don't use RainX, it makes the windshield more blurry. And - don't use bad washer fluid - that is what makes the wipers chatter.
I have never used RainX before, and with the ongoing 'severe drought', there isn't much rain here either. But when I learned about RainX, I thought it was an interesting product, and wanted to try it at some point. How about if I use it on the windows and the rear hatch? Any negatives of that?
RainX works well on the windshield...at highway speeds. At speeds below 55 there isn't enough airflow to move the water off the glass quickly and effectively. I have never tried it on side or rear windows.
And I am not convinced that RainX causes a problem with wiper blades.
@gzerninplatz, I look forward to hearing about how well the Bosch ICON blades work on your S. I just installed one on my Roadster based on posts by other Roadster owners saying they worked well.
And I am not convinced that RainX causes a problem with wiper blades.
@gzerninplatz, I look forward to hearing about how well the Bosch ICON blades work on your S. I just installed one on my Roadster based on posts by other Roadster owners saying they worked well.
gzerninplatz
Member
OK...Bosch installed on MS. Easy-peasy, once you figure out to unclip the little plastic covers over the Bosch mounting clip. And be sure to put a towel on the windshield under the wiper so if you let it go by accident after you take the blade off you won't scratch the windshield.
19" is WRONG for the passenger side - it clears the other wiper in the center, but hits the trim on the A-pillar and would beat itself to death on high speed.....go with 18". The OEM wiper actually is about 17 ½, so even 18 should get you a little extra coverage in the middle, where there is a little unwiped triangle on the windshield.
Or just use the OEM wiper on the passenger side it works fine there.
Strangely, the pouring rain stopped just as I got the wiper installed, so any test will have to wait. Most folks report that it works initially, some say it doesn't last, so I believe I'll have to wait a week or so to see the true story...
19" is WRONG for the passenger side - it clears the other wiper in the center, but hits the trim on the A-pillar and would beat itself to death on high speed.....go with 18". The OEM wiper actually is about 17 ½, so even 18 should get you a little extra coverage in the middle, where there is a little unwiped triangle on the windshield.
Or just use the OEM wiper on the passenger side it works fine there.
Strangely, the pouring rain stopped just as I got the wiper installed, so any test will have to wait. Most folks report that it works initially, some say it doesn't last, so I believe I'll have to wait a week or so to see the true story...
Ditto. Rain-X is a disaster on the windshield. OK on side windows but "it works so good" at beading water on the glass that the very thin layer of water left behind a windshield wiper turns into very find beads of water, also known as "fog". If the wipers are allowed to wet the glass the result is an optically good thin layer of water. But when it beads into fog its harder to see out.
Accidentally got a reservoir full of Rain-X brand wiper fluid in my ICE. Its not quite as bad as a direct application but the fog behind the wiper is obvious. It clears before the wiper comes back the other way.
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