Rear wiper fix?

WOW, I can't believe that you guys are having all of these problems with your rear wipers!

I have had my X for 2 and a half years, and I have never had ANY problems with the rear wiper, except for a bad motor a month into ownership, which was replaced under warranty.

It wiped clean and true the very first day, and still does today, still with the original blade! You guys are making me nervous as to what may one day come.

i bent mine like anchored said above. worked for me for about a year and now its just barely not touching everything again. i haven't ever change the blades..hmm.. i only use it like 3 times a year though.

I am going to try montanagt's WD-40 trick on mine. The wiper now gets about 80% of the glass.

I have already fixed my E-brake warning light switch, dome light switch, etc, with WD-40.

Ford should include a can of WD-40 as standard equipment with these vehicles.

I had the same problem, wiper only hit bottom 1/2 of the rear window. Replaced the blade, which was a aftermarket one, with a Ford oem replacement and it's worked fine since.

I am convinced that what causes this problem is simply someone (in a shopping center, or your driveway or the mall) walks by and gets "snagged" ever so slightly on the wiper. It bends it in such a way that the blade does not touch the entire window.

I have had the problem and I took the last 6 inches or so of the entire wiper blade and bent it towards the rear windshield. The problem was solved.

Just recently my gfriend snagged the wiper and the problem is back. It simply needs bending.

Take a real close look at yours. Visualize in your mind what part needs to touch. Then bend it.
Be Careful!
Haste makes waste. be gentle and good luck!

The new Explorers it seems doesnt have this problem because the wiper is redesigned and is out of the way of passerbys.

I gave the WD40 :"fix" a try today and it did NOT help at all in my case.

Originally posted by Runnin'OnEmpty
I am going to try montanagt's WD-40 trick on mine. The wiper now gets about 80% of the glass.

I have already fixed my E-brake warning light switch, dome light switch, etc, with WD-40.

Ford should include a can of WD-40 as standard equipment with these vehicles.

Click to expand...

Where is the dome light switch? (I assume you mean the front doors?) And where did you spray the WD-40 in it?

i did this WD-40 fix a while ago and it worked, but a few weeks ago it didnt go all the way in the holder and i accidently closed the back window on it. now its really messed up. i think im just going to get the whole thing replaced....does anyone know how much that will cost?

Originally posted by xcspeed01
I am convinced that what causes this problem is simply someone (in a shopping center, or your driveway or the mall) walks by and gets "snagged" ever so slightly on the wiper. It bends it in such a way that the blade does not touch the entire window.

Click to expand...

nah.. mine did that from day 1. i never use it so i didn't really care. been used like 6 times since i've had the truck.

Winter blades are worse than the one in the summer. If it is cold out, use the rear defroster.

Another thing to try is this: External Wiper Spring

It's ugly, but it works with the winter blades well. I'm sure it works for the summer also.

I am not impressed with the current Explorers' flat rear windows and the smallish wiper without the washer built-in the arm.

The '98-'01 looks great, but it sticks out a bit too far for automatic car washes to mess it up.

Shane

My rear blade always starts out fine, then misses the entire middle of the window, then comes back in contact on the drivers side for a couple inches before it stops and does the same thing the other way. Personally I have blamed it not on the blade (since I have bent it so many different ways with no effect) but I think the problem is with the window; the rear glass dips in that area. Maybe I'm wrong, since people who work for Ford ^^^ have been saying it is the wiper arm, but no one at my dealership knows what to do

Found this on another recent thread.... TSB for the rear wiper!

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSB 15406 BACK GLASS WIPER SKIPS GLASS
APR 17, 2002

SOME 1998-2002 EXPLORER SPORT AND 1998-2001 EXPlORER/MOUNTAINEERS MAY EXHIBIT A REAR WIPER THAT DOES NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAN THE BACK GLASS. TO SERVICE, FIRST INSPECT FOR THE LETTERS 'AB' STAMPED ON THE WIPER ARM JUST BELOW THE WIPER BLADE PIVOT PIN. IF THE LETTERS ARE NOT STAMPED ON THE ARM, INSTALL NEW SERVICE ARM PART # XL2Z-17526-AA. NOTE: ENSURE THAT THE NEW SERVICE ARM ASSEMBLY HAS THE LETTERS -AB' STAMPED ON ORIGINAL WIPERS WITH 'AB' STAMPED NEAR THE PIVOT PIN WERE REVISED TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE BACK GLASS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What size blades does everyone here uses, 12" or 13"??
I think the real problem is the way the motor is mounted in the car, Its not mounted firm enough.
When the arm pushes against the glass the motor mount flexes therefore enough pressure cant be applied.

I think that with as many problems as we have with wipers, Ford whould have done a TSB or silent recall. The rear wiper on all 3 of my explorers NEVER got the entire glass. Never. I had a 95 LTD, 99 XLT 4dr and just got a 98 with 20K miles on it. I just cant believe that this is such a common problem. Thats why I drive a F150 and leave the explorer with the other half.

I'm having the same problem, I bent it and then it got stuck under the window and now it touches like one inch of my window. About the TSB thing, what's the difference between a TSB and a recall?

Thanx

TSB is just an informational bulletin sent to the Service Depts. informing them of problems and solutions. If you have the problem, they'll fix it, but you still pay $$$. .

Recall is usually a free mandatory replacement program

speaking of TSBs... do other manufacturers have as many TSBs as Ford, or at least the X? Seems like there are a ton of them for the X.

why do you think they call explorers exploders? not the newer models, but the older ones experienced way to many problems. Also there were a lot of explorers sold therefore there were a lot in the shops being repaired + off road junkies like us break stuff all the time and are in need of constant mechanical assistance

My personal opinion of the Ford TSB is that they acknowledge that there are problems and have developed a way to effectivly repair them. Yes, there are many TSB's on the Explorers, but at least Ford acknowledged this. Unlike the giant GM corp, who will mass produce milliones of vehicles with chronic problems that occur year after model year.

2dr Grand Am, window regulator problems for almost 10 years

4.3l v6, bad valve guides causing a 10K motor to smoke when started

Famous 700r-4 trans with steel plunger riding on alum casing, causing failure, several years of this problem

Sunbird series, having the dash pull apart aboce the radio, every early 90's car I have seen has done this

The new GM/CK half ton truck, more than half of them have a burned out DTRL

My 2001 Olds, the fog lights would stay on, had to take the bulbs out, the radio would quit when I turned on the rear defrost, dealer had NO TSB for this

Every GM made truck that I even owned had a problem with the tailgate not latching or holding. If you took off to fast and your load hit the tailgate, it would open. Mine did that several times, even with light loads (5 gal gas can)

I am not slamming GM. I support ANY american company that employes Americans. But, they have had several chronic items that I have never heard of TSB's for. I dont know about DCX, I have only owned 2 of them.

I am just saying that Ford knows of their problems and has agreed to issue TSB's to help fix them. Thats all.

My wiper is now working 100% found new blade.