Best wipers / wiper blades for Interstate?

[InterBlog]

According to my searches, there is no existing Air Forums thread for this topic, nor have I found recent compelling entries on Sprinter Forum (their content is dating back 4-plus years).

What wipers do you find work best for your Interstate?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from the T1N crowd. We are on our third set and are still having problems with what someone on Sprinter Forum called "chatter". That means the blade partially skips across the windshield rather than wiping smoothly. Unfortunately ours skips right at the driver's eye level, which is an annoyance.

We purchased Bosch most recently, figuring that would solve the issue. It did not.

My husband did some initial research, and concluded that the best workaround might be a windshield coating rather than a specific brand of wiper. I was hesitant to try that because I've had bad historical experiences with products such as Rain-X. They tend to work very well in the beginning, but then they degrade to produce a milky film that actually impedes rather than improves rainy day visibility.

Husband wants us to try Rejex on the windshield. This is the polymer (wax) product that Airstream specifically recommends for the vehicle body. We bought that last year and I liked it so much that I now use it on my daily driver as well as the Interstate. But will it work on the windshield? For the sake of the data point, I agreed to apply it, but it's going to be one roaring pain in the tuchus if it doesn't perform well and I have to get it back off again (it has not rained during a trip yet, so I cannot evaluate).

Muchas gracias.

[Lily&Me]

I went into AutoZone with it, told them I wanted very good quality wipers, then bought what they recommended.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

We purchased Bosch most recently, figuring that would solve the issue. It did not.

That comes as a real surprise to me. I've had nothing but good experiences with Bosch wiper blades, on all of my vehicles.

I replace them every two years, and keep the best old set as emergency spares. Conventional wisdom says replace them every year or even every 6 months, but mine don't degrade that fast.

Mainly because, when I'm not driving, I cover the wiper blades with some small-diameter split foam pipe insulation from Home Depot. Slides right on, slides right off, protects the rubber from UV exposure. Especially useful when I use my fabric exterior windshield cover, because it keeps the wiper blades from making contact with the fabric.

[LyleRussell]

I have had good luck with Rainex.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

That comes as a real surprise to me. I've had nothing but good experiences with Bosch wiper blades, on all of my vehicles.
....

There are anecdotal suggestions that this could be a T1N issue more so than a blade issue. It's possible that some T1Ns had blade arms installed that were not correct, hence the "twist your arm" advice on a few threads. I'm not totally convinced of that however because chatter is also referenced on BenzWorld. So it could have something to do with MB's design but whether or not that's because of the T1N arm itself... hard to say.

One thing is for sure - I will investigate all options before trying to bend or twist that arm. A lot could go wrong with any such attempt.

[Moflash]

Bosch is the best on the market


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[paiceman]

Don't have an Interstate, but, I only use Bosh and only used them when I had my sales team and service team on the road, lots of vehicles. My truck is outside 24/7 and I replace them once a year. Never an issue. I'd suggest running it by a Mercedes dealer or AS dealer just to make sure something is not bent.

[Gsmblue]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

We purchased Bosch most recently, figuring that would solve the issue. It did not.

Which ones? Bosch have a lot of different styles.

[Gsmblue]

Not all wipers are created equal, different compounds of rubber for example:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/bes...-for-your-car/


Also, does your windshield need a good clean? There are some really interesting things you can do.. I had to tear through some serious film on my LR3 when i bought it used,
-0000 steel wool (this practice has fallen out of favor...)
-wash with suddy water
-wash with vinegar solution and let dry
-use a clay bar
-Polish with Meguiar's M105 polishing compound (or similar, I like this stuff as you can do it by hand)
-protect - rainx/aquapel or your choice, I have not used rejex



The wiper arms can be a real issue
- they can be bent/twisted causing pressure points = chatter and missed parts of the window
- springs in the arms can wear out - uneven contact, particularly in the middle third of the sweep

It is worth considering replacing the arms not the blade, this is what got my LR3 wiping properly

Use a high quality screen wash too. I like the rainx stuff, so I use that, but I know it is not good for all people..

Hope this helps...

[73shark]

Sounds like the wiper arm spring tension is inadequate due to old age or wasn't enuf to begin with.

Used RainX for years and never had it turn milky. I wonder if there might be some kind of film on your windshield.

[Isuzusweet]

I use the RainX windshield sprayer fluid with great success. If I detect that it lost its effectiveness a spray just as the rain is coming down adds a layer to the windshield to aid driving visibility.

Yes, RainX coating can go milky if too much is applied to the windshield and not buffed out properly, that why I found the RainX sprayer fluid to be more convinient.

Try a wiper arm tension aid like a spring or the air deflector type which attaches onto the wiper arm.

Cheers
Tony

[Jbray333]

I have had success cleaning my windows with glass stove top cleaner. Cleans it so perfectly and easily, followed by a light application of Rain-X. Follow directions on both for best results.

[Moflash]

Originally Posted by Gsmblue

Which ones? Bosch have a lot of different styles.

Bosch Icon's


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[guskmg]

My wife swears by Rain-x or WD-40 on the shower door, but it does not have windshield wipers.
guskmg

[r carl]

The problem is most likely the angle that the blade is contacting the windshield. The wiper blade should contact the windshield at a 90 degree angle. If the windshield wiper arm has twisted slightly over time the windshield wipers will chatter. A little work adjusting the wiper arm should help. In the past I have used an adjustable wrench on the flat part of the wiper arm and twisted the arm slightly to get the wiper to contact the windshield correctly.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by r carl

The problem is most likely the angle that the blade is contacting the windshield. The wiper blade should contact the windshield at a 90 degree angle. If the windshield wiper arm has twisted slightly over time the windshield wipers will chatter. A little work adjusting the wiper arm should help. In the past I have used an adjustable wrench on the flat part of the wiper arm and twisted the arm slightly to get the wiper to contact the windshield correctly.

I suspect you are correct. Applying the Rejex to our windshield seems to have made the problem worse instead of better, which I never thought possible. Having exhausted the potential of both surface applications and blade brands, we now have to turn to twisting. Fortunately there are pointers for that on Sprinter Forum.