Wiper Blade Woes :(

[Nibroc99]

Hey guys, got a question.
I had Bosch Envision blades on my 2013 explorer for 5 years. Kept them clean and they never streaked, weren't even close to needing to replace them. I rarely used them with windshield wash, only doing so if salt got on the windshield or something, instead opting to wash the windshield with a microfiber. Used RainX brand de-icer and bug remover wiper fluid seasonally. I reapply RainX on its own (from the yellow bottle) every 4 months or so (I know, overkill, but it works GREAT lol). I'm doing the same thing on my new Bronco Wildtrak, with Bosch Envision 17OE blades, same blades at a different size for the bronco obviously, just like my last vehicle.

The issue is, immediately out of the box, these wipers skip across the windshield. I returned them both and replaced them with new ones again, and the same issue is happening. They wipe fine on the "up" stroke, leaving no water behind, and they skip and jutter back down the windshield to the rest position. They never skip on the way up, always on the way back down. Is there something I should be doing differently or something? Do you think it's a tension issue where the wiper arm is pressing too hard/not hard enough? I'm so confused as to why this is happening, never seen it on any vehicles with the Envision blades - they're the top of the line and I really like the blades' longevity and want to make them work. Curious if this is a common problem.

Thanks in advance everyone!

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[Brian_B]

I have heard if they skip, they are twisted and can’t flip over. There are other posts here with the same issue and someone posted they could just kinda twist the blade back and get them to work fine.

I am probably explaining it poorly since I’ve never done it - hopefully you can find that post around here

 

[Beach_Bum]

I have heard if they skip, they are twisted and can’t flip over. There are other posts here with the same issue and someone posted they could just kinda twist the blade back and get them to work fine.

I am probably explaining it poorly since I’ve never done it - hopefully you can find that post around here

@Taltyman shared his solution.

 

[Nibroc99]

This worked for me. Raise your wiper blade and lower it back to the windshield. It should be vertical. If it points up then likely will skip on the up stroke. If it points down then it may skip on the down stroke. Think of it like a broom that you sweep with and the angle you hold the broom at. On the upstroke it should point down and then flip up on the down stroke. If not it won't matter what brand you put on. Use vise grips and/or crescent wrenches and something like a microfiber towel (to prevent scratching) and raise the wiper up off the windshield and bend the wiper arm to correct the angle. Lower it back and check. Continue tweaking until it is right. Do not drop your tools on the windshield either. There are videos on you tube if needed.

I'll be darned, the wiper arm doesn't seem plum/square to the windshield. I just tried twisting it with some vice grips and a microfiber so as not to scratch them, and that freaking worked!! Thanks so much for sharing that post; that one didn't appear in my searches. Same wiper blades I've been seeing skip appear to be fine now, at least with my girlfriend holding a hose and spraying at the windshield to simulate rain. It skipped when using the hose to test before bending, and didn't skip and dance after bending!

I'll add another reply if it doesn't work in the real rain - if it does work, you won't see another response from me.

 

[timhood]

...that one didn't appear in my searches.

Don't knock yourself about that, the search engine here is terrible.

I'm a fan of the Rain-X Latitude blades. Since you are using Rain-X washer fluid and applying Rain-X periodically, you should check into these wiper blades. In the least, they should save you the periodic Rain-X application (and the money) since the blades have Rain-X built-in. Bonus: they install much easier than other brands I've worked with. I don't have these on my Bronco (still on OEM blades), but on another vehicle.

 

[Nibroc99]

Don't knock yourself about that, the search engine here is terrible.

I'm a fan of the Rain-X Latitude blades. Since you are using Rain-X washer fluid and applying Rain-X periodically, you should check into these wiper blades. In the least, they should save you the periodic Rain-X application (and the money) since the blades have Rain-X built-in. Bonus: they install much easier than other brands I've worked with. I don't have these on my Bronco (still on OEM blades), but on another vehicle.

I mean, the blades are totally fine now, and I've had the same bottle of rainX application spray since like 2018, so I think I'm set for life as I'm only about halfway through the bottle lol! But thanks for the recs!!

 

[Bugkillah]

The wiper blade skipping is related to the first couple of years where the wiper motors were detecting friction and assuming no or less rain and slowing down to a slower/less often intermittent wiper setting, sometimes even turning off. A big update to the wiper control was put out that fixed the amp pull thresholds for the motor, but the root cause was still there, the wiper blades are pressing too hard on the glass. I left my blades in the fully up position for a whole day in the sun to stretch the springs, and that fixed it, now it doesn’t press hard against the glass and wipes back and forth switching sides like it’s supposed to, and the rain detection/current pull on the motor was fixed too, before ford’s fix.

 

[Nibroc99]

The wiper blade skipping is related to the first couple of years where the wiper motors were detecting friction and assuming no or less rain and slowing down to a slower/less often intermittent wiper setting, sometimes even turning off. A big update to the wiper control was put out that fixed the amp pull thresholds for the motor, but the root cause was still there, the wiper blades are pressing too hard on the glass. I left my blades in the fully up position for a whole day in the sun to stretch the springs, and that fixed it, now it doesn’t press hard against the glass and wipes back and forth switching sides like it’s supposed to, and the rain detection/current pull on the motor was fixed too, before ford’s fix.

That's some great info as well, thank you for the input!! Maybe I'll give that a try too just for the help of it lol.

 

[Area51BS]

Treat your glass with Griots 3in1 ceramic spray wax.

 

[Nibroc99]

Treat your glass with Griots 3in1 ceramic spray wax.

Do you prefer that over RainX? I've been using RainX since around 2018 and have loved it ever since, so I'm pretty dead set on that. Idk if you saw above but my problem was that the wiper arm wasn't square against the windshield btw.

 

[Area51BS]

I have not used the rain X. I use the Griots on all of our vehicles and wipers work very smoothly. Just a tip. Not sure about the wiper position you are experiencing.

 

[Boostedblues]

I've had the same issue. I've had the same problem and have went though about 5 sets or wiper blades. they start off good then start skipping. its so annoying.

 

[Nibroc99]

I've had the same issue. I've had the same problem and have went though about 5 sets or wiper blades. they start off good then start skipping. its so annoying.

Did you check yet to see if your wiper arm is square to the windshield? Someone also mentioned leaving the wipers lifted up to stretch the springs out a tad, could also help..

In terms of the skipping on yours, is it skipping in both directions or just one? If just one, then it seems that the likely culprit is the wiper arm not being square.

 

[Boostedblues]

Did you check yet to see if your wiper arm is square to the windshield? Someone also mentioned leaving the wipers lifted up to stretch the springs out a tad, could also help..

In terms of the skipping on yours, is it skipping in both directions or just one? If just one, then it seems that the likely culprit is the wiper arm not being square.

i have not. i just learned about it on this thread! I'm going to try it though. it only skips on the driver side on the down stroke. I've had everything from OEM to Bosch icons and now scrublades which do ok. most of them didn't perform well and were very loud and annoying. I bought 12 sets of Rain X latitude at a local Advance auto that was relocating. i only spent like 50 bucks on all of them! my old ford ranger can use them as well luckily.

 

[Nibroc99]

i have not. i just learned about it on this thread! I'm going to try it though. it only skips on the driver side on the down stroke. I've had everything from OEM to Bosch icons and now scrublades which do ok. most of them didn't perform well and were very loud and annoying. I bought 12 sets of Rain X latitude at a local Advance auto that was relocating. i only spent like 50 bucks on all of them! my old ford ranger can use them as well luckily.

Oddly enough, mine was also skipping on the downstroke on the driver side. Twisting it upward - that is, if you're looking at the tip of the wiper, rotating it counter-clockwise, so the blade is angled a bit more towards the upward stroke - did the trick for me. And it didn't take too much rotation, just a smidge!

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