passenger wiper sux, it's brand new...

0die

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Location
corpus christi, tx
TDI
1996 Passat wagon B4V
The pax side wiper has always sucked...doesn't make full contact across the glass, in the middle/main area I mean, not the edges...

Replaced wipers with those new fancy beam blade types...you know, those expensive high tech looking ones that all the new cars are using...supposedly better, more uniform contact...

well they sux just as back on the pax side...only the pax side...driver side is fine with old style or new style blades...

what gives...I have a theory that the spring/tension of the pax wiper arm is weak and not pressing the blade enough to make full contact...

Or is the pax blade supposed to be a different size? thus the curve is incorrect for the sweep area?
 

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
Depends on what brand and model of wiper you use.

Bosch Icon blades are the only blades I know of where there is an A or B version. The B wiper blades have a tighter curvature so they're supposed to be for positions where the glass falls away, like the passenger (pax?) side of the windshield.

Oddly enough though, Bosch does not tell you to use the B version on the B3 or B4 Passat although sitting in the driver seat I can clearly see that the passenger blade is not contacting glass in the rest position.

The only other thing that comes to mind is that at one time there was a complaint about the wiper arm itself not allowing blade contact with the glass, or at least full contact. IIRC there's something in the arm that prevents it from moving closer to the glass, a factory stop or something. At any rate the person removed it with a file or grinder of some sort.

Since your blade is losing contact in the center I would first look to see if it's actually making decent contact.

And finally, not all the new blade wipers are actually better. Some are just old style wipers dressed up with blade like covers to make them look cool and new. I've had those, they're ok, but really no improvement over the older type.

Good luck

Steve
 

0die

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Location
corpus christi, tx
TDI
1996 Passat wagon B4V
it's not making good contact in the center right area...as though it's not being pressed towards the glass with the proper force...

perhaps the arms is bent outward somehow? But I would think the spring would apply the correct pressure and the arm would have enough pivot range to not matter.
 

ToddA1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Location
NJ 08002
TDI
'96 B4V, '97 B4 (sold), '97 Jetta (scrapped)
I thought slightly bending the wiper arm was the fix. Personally, I never needed to do it.

-Todd
 

ketchupshirt88

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Location
waupaca, WI
TDI
2005 Passat daily, a bunch of others in the graveyard out back...
I would also work the arm back and forth, as in away from the glass and back toward it.

On one of mine, the hinge there had corroded enough that the arm wasn’t going all the way back toward the glass as it should. A little lube and motion and it was fine until I had to change blades again.
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
Mine have this problem and the only remedy I've found is a new wiper arm. The springs get weak over time. I haven't found new springs, the arm is NLA, and you can't change the length to add more tension to the springs. Don't bother trying different blades, I've tried most and nothing helps.
 

Giberish33

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2017
Location
Montreal, Qc
TDI
1997 Jetta TDi 1z
There seems to be mixed reviews and I haven't personnaly tested it yet but at least here in Canada there is a company making an additional wiper arm spring that attches to the outside of the wiper arm to apply additional pressure. The idea is there but again I can't give any feed back as to how well it works. If nothing else maybe you can somehow diy the design for yourself if you can't find it in stores where you live. The product is called "sure wipe" you can find their website, it's sold at Canadiantire in canada you might be able to buy it or something similar online.
 

Stromaluski

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Location
Greenville, SC
TDI
'67 Deluxe Bus, '80 Rabbit Truck, '92 Corrado, '10 Cup Edition
Maybe arms off of a different VW would work? I know on Corrados, people will use arms off of an Audi TT. Factory Corrado wipers are abysmal. I'm shocked that VW allowed them to be produced.
 

0die

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Location
corpus christi, tx
TDI
1996 Passat wagon B4V
Maybe arms off of a different VW would work? I know on Corrados, people will use arms off of an Audi TT. Factory Corrado wipers are abysmal. I'm shocked that VW allowed them to be produced.
well an Audi arm is a VW arm...basically the same company...like Ford & Mercury...
 

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
My arms are off an Audi, but it's been so long I don't remember the model. The drivers has an attached air foil (which doesn't help for crap, but it looks nice).
I've had those wiper arms before, the ones with the foil attached, but I never used the wiper arm on my car because it wasn't the correct length. I have however cut the foil loose and attached it to my VW wiper arm with some two-sided adhesive tape.

I always thought the foil managed to help a little with keeping the wiper arm against the glass.

Steve
 

tdidieselbobny

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 4, 2005
Location
Stafford,NY (WNY)
TDI
'03 Galactic Blue Jetta TDI, '15 Silk Blue Golf Sportwagen TDI
Try a wiper blade an inch or two shorter than what it calls for-I can't remember offhand what the oem length is...
 

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
Try a wiper blade an inch or two shorter than what it calls for-I can't remember offhand what the oem length is...
Passat uses 21" blades on both, I think Mk3 Jetta uses 21 on driver and maybe 19 on passenger but don't quote me on that, could be opposite really.

Steve
 
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