Noisy Model S wipers since new?

[meloccom]

To stop wipers squeaking it's important to remove any wax or contamination from the windscreen and the wiper blades.
Cars are shipped with a wax protectant that sometimes does not get completely removed in the presale detail.
I cleaned my windscreen thoroughly with Windex, then put the wipers in the service position and cleaned the area where they park as well. I've had to use cream cleanser with plenty of water on older cars with serious build up on the windscreen but this is unlikely on a near new Model S. Rinse thoroughly!
"WARNING Model S and X wipers can not be lifted off the glass very far before you damage the wiper arm, always put them in the service position before lifting the wipers at all."
Spray some Windex on a cloth and clean the wiper blades themselves being very careful to not lift them too far about 50mm 2 inches is all you can raise the arms and only whist in the service position.
Now hose the screen and test them again and watch to see that the blades flip at each end of travel, if they don't you may need new blades anyway.

 

[joninmelbourne]

Thanks for the replies. I have tried a mixture of the advice with a little bit of success. I bought the Auto Glym glass cleaner and put the wipers in service mode (be sure to have the switch off on the stalk too otherwise the button is greyed out). I cleaned so the surface was immaculate. That helped a bit, but still too noisy. So I have now cleaned again and treated the windscreen with RainX and that seems to have helped as the blades move over the screen much smoother. BUT, it is only a temporary fix as you have to commit to retreating with RainX month or so. I hired a Toyota Camry last week on holiday, and even though it was inferior in every way to the Tesla, the wipers were blissfully silent. On a rainy day I could not hear them at all. It seems the wiper motor is a better one in Toyota too; its not just the blade noise.

 

[garyjac]

Might be an idea to ask Tesla directly for a new set of blades. The service guy up here in Bris told me that they have a new blade "made by Bosch" specifically for the Model S. Well, I can confirm that it is branded as Bosch and it is quiet, fwiw. (AutoGlym Glass Polish)

 

[MMinehan]

Careful with the RainX......Some of the US guys say it causes more problems than it is worth. Search the 'Interior/Exterior' subforum for wiper blade issues. Quite a few threads with most reaching the conclusion that the new Bosch ICON blades solve the problem.

See here: Windshield Wiper Noise and Shudder

 

[Mark E]

Might be an idea to ask Tesla directly for a new set of blades. The service guy up here in Bris told me that they have a new blade "made by Bosch" specifically for the Model S. Well, I can confirm that it is branded as Bosch and it is quiet, fwiw. (AutoGlym Glass Polish)

I'd agree - chat to Tesla about it as it's most likely the blades. About a week or so ago mine became noisy but after a quick clean are back to being normal again. Make sure to clean the whole blade itself as it only takes a relatively small amount of gunk and they can get noisy. I suspect that mine got noisy because of a large bug (physical kind) that got splattered on them driving back from Canberra.

 

[joninmelbourne]

Tesla changed them for free when I went in about the 12V battery failure. They seem better but it hasn't rained yet. The new wipers where free. Good service from Tesla.