squeaking windshield wiper - too much arm tension?
 

I have an '04 Accord EX sedan. The driver's side wiper makes an annoying,
loud squeak at each end of its travel, no matter how much or how little
water is hitting the windshield at any given time. The dealer changed the
inserts, but to no avail. Next they tried adjusting the tension. No dice.
(Just what they did, and to what, I do not know.) After that, I checked the
tension myself. Lifting the passenger side wiper, the tension feels
"normal," but the driver's side tension feels enormous. One time I lifted it
it slipped out of my hand. I believe that that pressure of the wiper blade
(insert) upon the windshield is causing the squeak. The service advisor told
me to bring it in again, and we'll first see if other cars have the same
problem....

In advance of that, I'm surveying you who have '03's to '05's to see if the
tension of the driver and passenger wipers is as disparate as mine, and if
you're enduring this same squeaking.

Howard

"TeGGer®" wrote

> The car is under warranty. Go back and *insist* (politely) that they
> replace the wiper arm. If the tension is that strong, something's either
> bent, binding or incorrectly assembled.

This dealership treats me very, very well. I'm sure they'll take care of me
(in a good way!). Since I'm prone to exaggeration, I borrowed a "pull scale"
(I don't know what it's really called) to measure how much force it takes to
lift the arm off the windshield. From my best efforts, it appears the
tension on the driver side arm is 50% greater than the passenger side arm.
(The driver side is the one that squeaks.) Specifically, the scale measured
3 lbs on the driver side; 2 lbs on the passenger side. I hooked the scale to
the exact same relative points on each arm.

Tonight I'll examine the underside of the arm to see if there's anything *I*
can adjust to relieve the tension. For me, Excedrin works wonders.

Howard

I've experienced the same wiper noise with my '04 Accord EX sedan. It does seem
out of place for a new car. I think I'll visit the dealer to have this problem
looked at as well...

Bryan

Howard Lester wrote:

> I have an '04 Accord EX sedan. The driver's side wiper makes an annoying,
> loud squeak at each end of its travel, no matter how much or how little
> water is hitting the windshield at any given time. The dealer changed the
> inserts, but to no avail. Next they tried adjusting the tension. No dice.
> (Just what they did, and to what, I do not know.) After that, I checked the
> tension myself. Lifting the passenger side wiper, the tension feels
> "normal," but the driver's side tension feels enormous. One time I lifted it
> it slipped out of my hand. I believe that that pressure of the wiper blade
> (insert) upon the windshield is causing the squeak. The service advisor told
> me to bring it in again, and we'll first see if other cars have the same
> problem....
>
> In advance of that, I'm surveying you who have '03's to '05's to see if the
> tension of the driver and passenger wipers is as disparate as mine, and if
> you're enduring this same squeaking.
>
> Howard

"TeGGer®" wrote

> > Tonight I'll examine the underside of the arm to see if there's
> > anything *I* can adjust to relieve the tension. For me, Excedrin works
> > wonders.

> You could also use a fish scale. It would have a handy hook on the end of
> it, too.

The fish scale didn't cure the headache, but it allowed me to take
comparative measurements of the wiper arm tension.

Howard Lester wrote:

> Since I'm prone to exaggeration, I borrowed a
> "pull scale" (I don't know what it's really called) to measure how
> much force it takes to lift the arm off the windshield.

In UK, it is called a 'Spring Balance'.

HTH
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"TeGGer®" wrote

> > The fish scale didn't cure the headache,


> Then you're using it wrong! LOL

:) Wanna hear a good fish story? Back in '92 I hooked a 2900 lb. Honda by
its wiper, and.....

Howard Lester > wrote:
> I have an '04 Accord EX sedan. The driver's side wiper makes an annoying,
> loud squeak at each end of its travel, no matter how much or how little
> water is hitting the windshield at any given time. The dealer changed the

Maybe some metal piece is resonating. I doubt if the rubber on glass is
causing the noise. Does it sound the same at high speed and low speed?
That would rule out an actual rubber/glass squeak.

Jam a chunk of paper towel into the spring area on the bottom side of the
arm and see if that dampens a vibrating spring. I recall some car that had
clear plastic tubing on the spring to dampen the vibrations.
If that clears it up, some silicone sealant on the spring might be a
permanent fix.

Are you sure it's the side with the heavy pressure? Maybe it's the side
with the light pressure. Try running the wipers with one of them parked up
away from the glass.

---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

<dold wrote

> > Maybe some metal piece is resonating. I doubt if the rubber on glass is
> > causing the noise. Does it sound the same at high speed and low speed?
> > That would rule out an actual rubber/glass squeak.
>
> I meant wiper speed, not road/wind/rain speed.

Yes, I understood that. :) It does the same thing no matter what wiper
speed. I'm quite sure it's the driver side, as I ran the wipers while
standing outside of the car by the driver side, then walked around to the
passenger side of the windshield. Yes, the car was parked. ;) It does
sound as if it is coming from the far end of the wiper: the end that sweeps
the large arc. I can't be sure about that, but next time it rains I'll
listen more carefully. Can't gather too much data, ya know?

I'll try your suggestions -- thank you!

Howard

Howard Lester > wrote:
> sound as if it is coming from the far end of the wiper: the end that sweeps
> the large arc. I can't be sure about that, but next time it rains I'll
> listen more carefully. Can't gather too much data, ya know?

There's that little barbed clip of flat metal at one end of the refill that
holds the refill in, and some blades have a thin strip of metal down each
side of the refill. I wonder if that needs some repositioning. Touching a
moving wiper blade is harder then you would think, but you might try
pressing on, or touching, the various parts of the blade to see if it's one
spot that's squealing. Maybe with a pencil eraser.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5