From day 1, my wipers haven't been great. On the passenger side, there are streaks, lines of water after the swipe. I replaced the wipers thinkin bad wipers....New Bosch Microedge wipers.....NO DIFFERENCE :mad:

I'm seeing the same thing now on the drivers side, not as bad, I can still see but it's not a clean wipe. My parents Legacy....no problem, clean wipe.

I mean c'mon, I lose like .64 hp :lol:

I've used Rain-X recently but the problem has been since I've had the car.

I know...whoop-d-doo :p ......but it's the little things that annoy ya :furious:

Any thoughts?????????

what does the glass look like?

i mean is it very very clean?

road grime...
even the kind you cant really see...
can cause streaking....

what do you wash the windows with...?
Jamie

The car is washed regularly.

Normally with the car wash stuff but I also clean it w/auto glass cleaner.
Even after the car is washed it's the same :mad:
I guess I'm annoyed is that the Legacy doesn't have the problem and it's on the road every day :confused:

Do you think it's the car wash detergent.....

I use to have the same problem. Then I started using Stoner glass cleaner with newspaper instead of paper towels and everythings fine. Also Bosch wipers suck.

Get some #0000 Steel wool and clean your windshield with that and your favorite window cleaner, followed with a regular cleaning wiht a cloth.

Then see if it does it.

Bryan

I use to have the same problem. Then I started using Stoner glass cleaner with newspaper instead of paper towels and everythings fine. Also Bosch wipers suck.

Get some #0000 Steel wool and clean your windshield with that and your favorite window cleaner, followed with a regular cleaning wiht a cloth.

Thanks all......I'll give both a try :banana:

And Bosch suck huh....guess I'm gonna have to find another :cool:

Uh, in my experience Bosch Micro Edge XLs seem to be about the best wipers... They're possibly not the best bang for the buck, since they're kind of expensive, but they work very well. What wipers do you recommend, nate49509?

As an alternative to the steel wool, you might try getting some detailing putty (a "claybar") and cleaning your windshield with it. That should pick off any of the thin layers that make your wipers skip.

You might also want to try that Castrol AccuVision spray stuff. It's easier to put on than Rain-X and wears off much more evenly. Great stuff in my opinion.

And MyRuRex, if you can't seem to get them to perform any better, you might actually have a defective spring in the wiper arm that is keeping the wiper blade from maintaining proper contact with the windshield. I don't know how you'd check that, aside from comparing by feel to other similar cars.

I have piaa silicone wipers they are by far the best wipers i have ever used. no streakin no noise keep ths window nice and clean when raining well worth the money.

I hate Bosch wipers. They are by far the worst wires I have ever tried. $4 Anco wipers from Wal-Mart are much better!

Trico wipers are excellent but I sometimes have trouble latching them securely. OEM wipers are excellent. I also like NTK wipers. The ones I have tried were made in Korea.

I have the PIAA's also and they are the best wipers I've used. After install you're supposed to let the wipers run for five minutes leaving silicone on the windshield. This acts a lot like a rain x coating.

I have PIAA wipers as well, the silicone lays down a layer that will make your windshield act as if rain-x is on it but without the mess. I love them, and can't see myself skimping on wiper blades ever again.

Remember that there is a wing on the driver's side wiper arm, so if you are at speed, the driver's side will wipe cleaner than the passenger side... you can buy another one of those wing things at car parts stores.

My experience has been that the OEM wipers are superior to most other aftermarket wipers. I have never tried the $30 PIAAA and other such expensive wipers however.

Has anyone used the PIAAs for a while? How long do they last? I am thinking about getting a set.

I've had my piaas since the fall, and even after going through the harsh winter, they're holding up nicely.

My stock wipers chattered like crazy ever since I got the car. After going through many sets of wipers, I finally got the piaas, and the chatter has been GONE ever since. Do yourself a favor and order a set, they're awesome!

I've had piaa's on for nearly a year and they still work great. The only thing to be careful of is in the winter with snow/ice. The wiper frames are a little weak and will bend if too much snow/ice weight is on them. Don't let that discourage though, the are the BEST!

Gez, every so often someone will recommend steel wool on the windshield. Heck no!! That's just NOT a good idea!

Generally, washing and auto glass cleaner should do the job. Try replacing the wipers if you get streaks. If you still get streaks with new wipers, then it's time to test if your windshield is too pitted by road debris for the wipers to work effectively.

After cleaning your window thoroughly, get out a clean sandwich bag and put it over your hand. Then rub your fingers through the sandwich bag across the surface of the windshield. If the bag catches onto the glass easily, you've got a pretty rough windshield surface. The bag allows you to feel the rough spots that you wouldn't normally feel with bare fingers.

Next, get a glass polish. Zaino (http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-12&Category_Code=Zaino) makes a great one, and I've used it with much success. I've heard Diamondite (http://www.properautocare.com/diglclpr.html) is excellent as well.

The glass polish will safely smooth out the windshield glass, as well as remove hard water spots, etc. After I glass polished my windshield, the wipers run more quietly too.

Give it a try and let us know if you solve the problem. :D

Originally posted by ha-evolution
My experience has been that the OEM wipers are superior to most other aftermarket wipers. I have never tried the $30 PIAAA and other such expensive wipers however.
That's my experience too. The Subaru OEM units are priced at or below Pep Boys' Bosch prices. See if your Subaru dealer has a coupon available online for 15% or so off service and/or parts too.

I used the Trico ones from Costco and the smaller ones for summer from Pep boys and they were ok initially, but they never lasted as long as the OEM blades did. I will probably just buy the OEMs from now on.

Originally posted by We're Here

That's my experience too. The Subaru OEM units are priced at or below Pep Boys' Bosch prices. See if your Subaru dealer has a coupon available online for 15% or so off service and/or parts too.

Even cheaper, NAPA has exact replacement refills for factory blades.