Driver's Side Windscreen Wiper Smear

[Bagwafu]

Must admit when I got my replacement, initially it was OK but 3 days later the smear has returned, although it is not as bad as before

Does anyone have what looks like a film of oil on their windcreen after the wipers have swept past ?? - a colleague noticed it on Friday at work - Maybe something to do with it?

[sir_rocco]

Must admit when I got my replacement, initially it was OK but 3 days later the smear has returned, although it is not as bad as before

Does anyone have what looks like a film of oil on their windcreen after the wipers have swept past ?? - a colleague noticed it on Friday at work - Maybe something to do with it?

Mine was slightly smeary again today with an outside air temp of plus 1 degree. Planning to wash to the car tomorrow so will machine polish the screen if I get the time to see if that helps. A mild cutting pad with AG glass cleaner will remove any chemical film that may be the cause. Will report back.

[paulmaddocks]

Hi all,

I think i have managed to track down and resolve the smear on my window. Basically went out to clean it off yesterday with some paper towel and windowlene (never actually used the windowlean though!) paper towel took it completely off the screen so was quite pleased. Jumped in hit the wipers and straight away got a faint smear back again.

The prompted my to look at the wiper blades, ran my paper towel along those and it came back all greasy!!! Looked under where the wiper blade sits and there was a line of grease like liquid, more hard work with paper towel on the screen / wiper blade and managed to clear the worst of it off. The grease was noticably more on the passenger side than on the drivers side! Anyway, more cleaning later and although I can't have got the whole lot off I only get a very faint smear that disappears straight away.

Those who had the blades changed, check for a greasy / oilly residue where the wipers live.

Will keep you posted how I get on over the next few days...

[risingblue1]

I emailed my dealer to explain the problem and request a replacement wiper. After a week I sent another email to chase them up at which point I was told they needed to assess the problem. So I take it in today and after half hour of 'testing' I am told they think the glass has wax on it and they will need to order in some glass cleaner. I explained about the other members on this forum experiencing a similar problem and also that I have cleaned the glass many times with Autoglym glass cleaner and tried rainX but they weren't having any of it. I am booked in Monday so they can clean my windscreen.

They also said that VW will not pay for a replacement wiper.

danbailey77, iambu and risingblue1 - do you have the windscreen smear? I think we need to apply some pressure on Wayside!

Sorry mate missed the post. I have had bad rattles from the wiper but it seems to have almost righted itself I am giving it another 2 weeks as I don't have time to take it in before Christmas. I have put Rain X on the glass and cleaned it throughly has made it better. Strangely the rattle doesn't happen all the time. Don't start me with Wayside my car has been in 4 times and whilst the Senior Mechanic is very good I have had two heated debates with them... I find you have to asked to speak to the mechanic otherwise they don't take you that seriously.

[adamj]

Had my drivers side wiper replaced today and its a 90improvement over the last one!

Lets hope it stays that way!

[greeper]

I have a 48 hour test drive and needed to use the wipers quite a bit today and had the annoying smear right in my view

[wullie636]

Just back from my dealer where they changed my wipers with ones from an unregistered one as they didn't have any in stock on the way back it seemed ok but I will wait a few days to see if the problem is solved what pissed me off is I noticed that my fuel filler flap on my salsa red is a different shade from the rest of the car
the dealer is ordering a new one which will have to be painted before its put on. Is there no quality control at the factory or is vw getting as complacent like every other manufacture

[squareeyes]

After a couple of weeks driving around in what seems to be never ending rain my annoying smear appears to have gone!
Has this happened to anyone else?

[Roc'n'roll]

After a couple of weeks driving around in what seems to be never ending rain my annoying smear appears to have gone!
Has this happened to anyone else?

Yep. Mine ran smeary until I went out in the peeing rain, now they're fine.

[NickO]

Went to the dealer's last week re: the annoying rattle (details on the "rattle" post.) and smear on the driver's side wiper. They replaced the wiper no problem at, and does seem to be a lot better since.

[rehmondo]

Mine got replaced last night, and so far its been smear free, lets hope it stays that way. They couldn't replicate the rattle, but I wasn't that bothered with it anyways as I hardly hear it, only when the temp is really low.

[Bagwafu]

My car went in on Monday to have the smear looked at properly. I was away on business till today so I gave them free reign to investigate as much as possible. On the inside of the screen I left a thick black (soluble) ink shading of the smear so they knew where to look.

Got a call Tuesday - yep, accepted it was a snag and they had thoroughly cleaned the glass (with some strong chemicals no doubt) and replaced the wiper arms and the wiper blades for new. All under warranty so no charge.

Got back today, picked the car up and frankly it seems like a different windscreen - totally clear - so maybe the problem is the wiper arms on the initial batch

Anyway I'm chuffed to bits as this was the only annoying thing on the car -oh - apart from the DRLs which were really annoying as well - but they kindly turned them off (after a bit of a debate between me and the service manager) - so overall and yet again well done Helston VW

[wigit]

i've not had the dreaded smear other than through everyday traffic film etc, did wipe the blades with white spirit yesterday and seemed to remove a hell of a lot of rubbish off them

[rehmondo]

Thought I'd update this with some findings, I recently got the wipers replaced under warranty on my car, much better than before I must admit but on the odd occasion it does smear which really annoys me.

However I was washing my car on Saturday and after drying it, I was applying some shine on the bonnet which the dealer uses in the showroom, I noticed I had a few drops of water still left on the windscreen, so I picked up a clean micro briber cloth and wiped if off, in doing so I went past the bit that smears usually and guess what it left a line!

It was almost like when you use a pencil to trace out what was last written on a notepad, the more I wiped the screen the more I could see these wet lines appearing, could there be a defect in the windscreens? or a problem in assembly that’s damaging them?

Have a try it will be interesting to see if anyone can explain this bizarre behaviour.

[gossa]

I went to Loders in Dorchester yesterday, a family run VW dealership and asked them to look at my wiper smear. The guys cleaned the windscreen with washer concentrate and when that didn't fix it he said he would order a new blade under warranty. I had never been there before and didn't buy the car there. The guy also gave me nearly a full bottle of washer fluid free of charge.

In comparison, on saturday I went to my local dealer (Breeze in Poole), a VW backed dealership to by some washer fluid at 4.45, the four salesmen all stood around chatting with thier arms folded, told me that the parts department closes at 4.30 on a saturday and I couldn't buy the washer fluid clearly on display, they kindly directed me to the local Halfords!!!!

So impressed with Loders that I ordered the cruise control retro kit but they called me today and told me it wasn't currently available. Very impressed with Loders, will be taking the car there for all my servicing. Won't be going back to Breeze.....

[iAmbu]

Good to hear that gossa, hopefully I will be ordering a 'roc sometime next year and when I do it will be from Loders Dorchester (it's my local dealer, as I'm from Weymouth - currently living in Herts temporarily for University and work).

[gossa]

They seemed very attentive and keen, shouldn't all car dealers be at the moment!!!

They were really nice guys, I live in Poole, one of the guys drives from Christchurch to Dorch everyday and even offered to pick up and drop off my car on the way through.

[rehmondo]

a VW backed dealership to by some washer fluid at 4.45, the four salesmen all stood around chatting with thier arms folded, told me that the parts department closes at 4.30 on a saturday and I couldn't buy the washer fluid clearly on display, they kindly directed me to the local Halfords!!!!

I had a similar experience over a year ago when I wanted to buy mats for my Golf, its fucking ridiculous that it’s beneath a salesman to sell something that’s lying on a shelf.

I was so pissed off since I raced there after work, so the next day I paid over the phone and asked to collect it, I asked if the salesman could handle the responsibility of handing me the mats when I got there at 17:45 - they failed to understand my sarcasm.

[gossa]

I really feel for hard working people being made redundent in the current economic climate but some of the people I have met in the car industry in the last month don't deserve to be working. Lazy, rude, complacent, couldn't give a toss sums up a lot of them.

The hardest part is getting you through the door, if they fu*k it up after that point they do not deserve a sale.

[iAmbu]

one of the guys drives from Christchurch to Dorch everyday

Was this Jamie? If so, that's the chap who allowed me to have a test drive for a whole morning, despite me being honest and saying I wouldn't be ordering until well in to 2009! No pressure from him after the drive either, very friendly.