Well that was entertaining

[Portent 0]

My Corrado has turned into my temporary daily driver after a major issue with my Golf recently. While on a trip with my kids to Norfolk today the heavens opened and the rain came down. I turned my wipers on and after a few minutes the drivers side wiper arm sheered off and flew away.

 

I was travelling at 60mph on a busy single carriageway with oncoming traffic at the time. I managed to pull over to a safe place. But for a few seconds I had almost zero visibility. On looking at what was left of the wiper arm it had literally snapped off as though someone had hacksawed through it. I can only assume metal fatigue after 24 years of use. It looks like I will be doing that Lupo conversion earlier than I had expected.

 

I've swapped over the passenger arm to the drivers side to get me home tomorrow. But that was a close shave.

[tonedef 8]

Close shave! Get some rain-x on the screen, that way at 60 you’d not need the wipers!

[Portent 0]

Good tip. Thanks.

[Dox 22]

Rainex is great for making rain bead off the screen at speed, however it leaves little water on the screen to lubricate the wipers and judder is the name of the game for 12 months after application.

[a_riot 0]

Rainex is great for making rain bead off the screen at speed, however it leaves little water on the screen to lubricate the wipers and judder is the name of the game for 12 months after application.

 

I agree, I hate the stuff. Another case of "if it sounds too good to be true"... The PO of my first Corrado put it or similar silicone product on the windscreen, and after a while not only did it stop working, but created a weird film that I could not get off for the life of me, and it had a blurring effect, so oncoming lights at night caused a light storm for the driver. Once it started to wear off, the wipers started to make a lot of noise and judder, but the product had stopped working so you had to have the wipers on anyway. I eventually had the windshield replaced when thankfully a rock hit the screen resulting in an insurance repair and now can see clearly and never applied anything to it. My wipers work just fine even in the rainy pacific northwest of the USA.

 

Rain-X got sued a while ago for their washer fluid that apparently wrecked washer fluid sensors, so I doubt they do any long term testing of the product, since they would have noticed that.

[tonedef 8]

I agree, I hate the stuff. Another case of "if it sounds too good to be true"... The PO of my first Corrado put it or similar silicone product on the windscreen, and after a while not only did it stop working, but created a weird film that I could not get off for the life of me, and it had a blurring effect, so oncoming lights at night caused a light storm for the driver. Once it started to wear off, the wipers started to make a lot of noise and judder, but the product had stopped working so you had to have the wipers on anyway. I eventually had the windshield replaced when thankfully a rock hit the screen resulting in an insurance repair and now can see clearly and never applied anything to it. My wipers work just fine even in the rainy pacific northwest of the USA.

 

Rain-X got sued a while ago for their washer fluid that apparently wrecked washer fluid sensors, so I doubt they do any long term testing of the product, since they would have noticed that.

I've always got on with it well, although hear what you say about making the wipers judder when you need them at low speed. Try using a clay bar to clean it off the screen, that's always worked for me.

[robrado974 1]

I don’t like it either. As said the juddering of the blades is a pain.

[a_riot 0]

I've always got on with it well, although hear what you say about making the wipers judder when you need them at low speed. Try using a clay bar to clean it off the screen, that's always worked for me.

 

I never tried a clay bar on it, but I can't really see it doing anything, given the things I did try were much more abrasive but didn't work. You're trying to overcome a covalent bond between the silicone and the glass, so its not trivial to completely remove some of these coatings. I think Rain-X changed the formula many times as well so its difficult to compare even when two people are using the same product. In my case, I don't know what the PO used, so it may have been a different product, but after that experience I'll stick with wipers.

[fla 9]

Agreed about the dazzle due to other lights - both street lights and oncoming vehicles. I do find it useful on the side windows and mirrors though.

[fendervg 30]

Sounds scary - a previous owner might have taken a dremel to the wiper arms to get them to sit better against the glass and gone a bit too far. Never heard of a whole arm just breaking and coming off unless it wasn't bolted on properly.

[swiftkid 1]

That is scary! Might be that the arm had been bent a bit to overcome the naff spring and caused the fatigue but shouldn't really happen full stop. Definitely time to upgrade to lupo/TT arms though, a million times better than the crappy standard ones.

[Gti_Jamo 10]

I got towed in the rain once for 25 miles in a car with a flat battery, no wipers, lights or horn and no way of communicating my predicament to the the tow vehicle. It was a stressful 30 minutes I tell thee as it was on a rope.

[1200 bandit 10]

Found my o/ s wipre arm worn on arm where it's bolts on (last owner).Uesd some wiper arms from a polo ,had to mod the arms (heat and bend ,drill tap)work well better than the Corrado ones