One of the first problems I had with my 987 was chattering wipers. they would start to skip/hop on the windscreen after just a few wiper swipes after applying the washing fluid and once the soap washed off, it started to chatter again. No amount of washing or glass cleaner/rain x treatment could solve it.
Step 1:
Upon consulting a local shop who I used for my previous ride, he actually cleaned the windscreen with Tuff Stuff.
This all purpose cleaner was applied to the windscreen and hand washed off. This had an immediate effect of reducing the judder/chatter by about 80%.
Step 2:
Next was to apply a commercially available hydrophobic windscreen coating (done at a local detailer) to help keep the windscreen beading water.
Modern coatings are much better than rain x and similar to factory applied coating on the door windows. I don't understand why they don't do this for all glass surfaces on the car from the factory.
Step 3:
third step is optional - I came across when sourcing for wiper replacements - the stock rubber hardens a little after 18 months in my tropical heat.
I choose to use PIAA silicone wiper refill on the stock wiper arms. The shape of the rubber is a little different and the wiper blade clips needs to be adjusted with a plier to hold the new shape. the challenge is getting it tight enough without pinching the rubber. They are cheaper than replacing the entire wiper blade and PIAA compound is really good in hot weather. Disadvantage is that the blade cannot reach the furthest corner of the passenger side.
I don't recommend any coatings. They are great after freshly applied, but they eventually become cloudy and your wipers will smear. At that point, you start wishing you never applied anything and the fading coating is hard impossible to remove...you have to re-apply the coating to fix the problem.
To get clear glass and the quiet wipers, what i'd recommend is
1) Wash
2) Use bug and tar remover
3) Claybar
If your wipers are still making weird noises after that, its time to replace them. They should be replaced every 2 years or every year if you live in extreme cold to hot fluctuating climates. Most people never replace them and this is the cause of the problem. You also might need to adjust the wipers so they don't swing too high or low...if your windshield was replaced, they usually do a bad job on installing them back in to correct position.
I don't find any real problems with RainX, although you do have buff it off fairly rigorously. A clean windshield and smooth wipe are essential for me, and I never understand how some people drive forever with old blades.
One tip that can work if the chattering persists is to slightly bend the wiper arm to change the swipe angle from 90 degrees perpendicular to the glass.
coatings and even wiper blade compounds have come a long way since the 80's and 90's.
minthral, which products are you referring to? even low cost consumer ones are pretty decent these days. Just watch out for imitation products.
I am using a professionally applied product called Hyperview from Japan....about 8 months in use so far. On my previous ride, Rain X was adequate.
Agree with the wiper adjustment.
That was quite the rain event you were driving through. Normal for your area I guess.
Oh, one other wiper tip - not that I am the wiper guru - is to periodically wipe the blades with an alcohol based wipe like a Wet Wipe towelette. I think it serves to remove ant built up containment on the rubber, thereby helping with a cleaner and quieter swipe.
grc0456, yes it was considered quite light - compared to 5 mins before the clip was taken!
yes, clean wipers will make a difference, usually wash them when washing the car with the same soap. not sure if alcohol based might be harsh on the rubber....
Here is something I found on the world wide interweb. An unimpeachable source of knowledge [emoji6]
Expert Reviewed
How to Stop Windshield Wiper Blades from Squeaking
Squeaking windshield wipers are very annoying and can distract the driver or make passengers go nuts! There is no right way to fix this problem, but here are some methods that work.
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Steps
1
Make sure the windshield wipers can move properly. If you want your wipers to not chatter or squeak as they move across the glass, the first thing you want to do before you try any of these other suggestions is simply to make sure that the wiper can flop over in both directions. The wiper blade should never appear to "dig" into the windshield or remain vertical as it wipes across the windshield. It should always trail or sweep the windshield. To remedy, twist arm in the necessary direction until the wiper blade is able to flop equally in both directions. Then you will have silent wipers.
Image titled Stop Windshield Wiper Blades from Squeaking Step 1
2
Clean the windshield glass thoroughly. Try one of these products (but not all at once):
Windex
Vinegar
Baking soda (sprinkled on a damp paper towel).
Image titled Stop Windshield Wiper Blades from Squeaking Step 2
3
Replace your wiper blade refills regularly. Blade refills are not terribly expensive, so you may prefer to get good ones. Replace them at least once per year, before the rainy season.
Image titled Stop Windshield Wiper Blades from Squeaking Step 3
4
Refill your windshield wiper fluid. Lots of wipers skip when the windshield isn't quite wet enough, so check your fluid level and top off if necessary.
Image titled Stop Windshield Wiper Blades from Squeaking Step 4
5
Make your windshield wipers softer. Try one of the following ways:
Use WD-40: Put a little WD40 on a paper towel and wipe the squeaking wiper blade with it. Be careful though; petroleum based products such as WD-40 can start to eat away at rubber, leaving it dry and brittle. Eventually, the rubber will crumble if you over-apply such products.
Use rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol will not rot or ruin the wiper blades. Dampen a paper towel section with rubbing alcohol. Wipe the windshield wiper blade. This will clean off dirt and oil. Repeat until you remove all dirt and grit.the blades are about a year old or more, don't bother trying to clean, just replace.