Deadly windscreen wipers... Skoda. Simply Stupid.

[ausspace87]

I understand it's mostly my fault bloggers, settle down!!! Don't forget that I too own (TWO, yes 2) of your precious Skodas! It's just something that in my opinion could operate a little more intuitively. Like maybe a warning: "Wipers in service mode. Press wiper stalk." (And now come all the VW loyalists defending their brand like an angry Hippo defending her calf and calling me an idiot for suggesting something so absurd)

I also read the owners manual, where it says "wipers may cause damage to paint" not "wipers will smash your windscreen."

Trivett are installing a new windscreen today (same day service, very impressed). $390 for the glass + install

It's all in good fun people!

[brad]

Skoda probably doesn't assume you'll try & drive your car with the wiper blades removed & the arms extended out from the bodywork, hence they don't warn about it. If they gave a warning note about every possible eventuality then the manual would be like a Sydney phone book & nobody would ever read it.

The manner of operation - is anybody aware of another marque where you have to operate a switch to make the arms return to their normal position?

[woofy]

I understand it's mostly my fault bloggers, settle down!!! Don't forget that I too own (TWO, yes 2) of your precious Skodas! It's just something that in my opinion could operate a little more intuitively. Like maybe a warning: "Wipers in service mode. Press wiper stalk." (And now come all the VW loyalists defending their brand like an angry Hippo defending her calf and calling me an idiot for suggesting something so absurd)

I also read the owners manual, where it says "wipers may cause damage to paint" not "wipers will smash your windscreen."

Trivett are installing a new windscreen today (same day service, very impressed). $390 for the glass + install

It's all in good fun people!

That's pretty good pricing for it. I would have thought what you suggest might be an option, but I suspect they have taken the stupidity factor onboard and figured some damaged paint overweighs someone driving down a motorway with the wipers still in service position. I can almost guarantee there is some safety thing about it.

[zei20t]

The manner of operation - is anybody aware of another marque where you have to operate a switch to make the arms return to their normal position?

mines an MY12 RS, i THINK i need to put the wipers back into AUTO or push the momentary switch again to make them go back down after turning on the ignition

[brad]

mines an MY12 RS, i THINK i need to put the wipers back into AUTO or push the momentary switch again to make them go back down after turning on the ignition

That may be an alternative method but believe me, if they are in the service position with the wiper switch "off" they will return to park position when you start driving forward.

[BottomScratcher]

If they gave a warning note about every possible eventuality then the manual would be like a Sydney phone book & nobody would ever read it.

There's a fair amount of evidence on this forum to suggest that not too many read it now.

Fair dinkum, don't we get enough of our cars treating us like imbeciles as it is? Every time I get out it insults what little intelligence I've got by telling me to look at the owners manual to see how to lock it up. We shouldn't need to be told that the car shouldn't be driven with the wipers in service mode, and the blades removed, anymore than I need a little tag on an electric toaster cord saying, "Do not use in water".

My point is that it wouldn't matter if there was another message or another switch. There is no such thing as "Idiot Proof" engineering. A good idiot will outsmart a good engineer every time. No offense to the OP.

[brad]

And then I think of all those that aren't aware of service mode & try & change their wiper blades with the wipers in the park position.....

[bobski]

Sorry to hear Ausspace. This is something that could catch a lot of people out if they didn't read the manual "replacing wipers" part of the manual, so thanks for the warning (I know it could well have been me). I'd be annoyed too given the amount of damage it has done. We have a saying in the IT industry (RTFM - Read The F...... Manual), however we also know that people rarely do - its just a way to cover our arses!

[Diesel_vert]

And then I think of all those that aren't aware of service mode & try & change their wiper blades with the wipers in the park position.....

Meh, better than ending up with a cracked windscreen just because the car tries to be "clever".

[Transporter]

Oh, no, no, the car doesn't try to be clever, it is clever, some can even park themselve better than some drivers can.
But, I feel with the OP, anyone can forgot, even if you read about it in the manual, all it takes just a moment of distruction and before you realize the damage is done.
Though, I wouldn't blame the car.

[brad]

Meh, better than ending up with a cracked windscreen just because the car tries to be "clever".

Yes, I'm sure scraping all the paint from the edge of the bonnet is much preferable. The rust 5 years down the track would be thrilling as well.

[Diesel_vert]

Oh, no, no, the car doesn't try to be clever, it is clever, some can even park themselves better than some drivers can.

On your command, yes.

It shouldn't, and doesn't, decide autonomously that it'll park itself (well, maybe in the future!).

Same philosophy with the wipers. Did the programmer really think we'd be daft enough to drive off with the wipers in the service position?

But, I feel with the OP, anyone can forgot, even if you read about it in the manual, all it takes just a moment of destruction and before you realize the damage is done.
Though, I wouldn't blame the car.

Yep. Skoda have covered their bases, so no room for complaints. But you can always rant to get it off your chest.

Yes, I'm sure scraping all the paint from the edge of the bonnet is much preferable. The rust 5 years down the track would be thrilling as well.

Hmm... not being the owner of an Octavia, I take it the wipers are of the "hidden" variety and sit well below the windscreen or something.

[brad]

Hmm... not being the owner of an Octavia, I take it the wipers are of the "hidden" variety and sit well below the windscreen or something.

yep. That's why you need the service position. It would be near impossible to change wiper blades without making them vertical first.


I'll stress again. I feel sorry for the OP & have full empathy for him. He had a brain fart. I have at least one of these a week. Oddly, the world doesn't stop turning & life goes on.

[gldgti]

Does this only happen with auto wipers then?

My ambiente Octavia doesnt have auto wipers. I use the service position all the time (when washing the car) and here was I thinking "Gosh, how clever is this car - when the wipers are in the service position, I can get in it, start it and move the car and THEY DONT MOVE!"

When I am ready for them to move from the service position, I simply touch the stalk down (single wipe function) to return them home. (This is what the manual tells me to do - BTW - I read the manual about the wipers just because one day I came to change the blades and gathered it was impossible with them stowed - hence looking in the manual....

I havnet tried to drive at speed with them in the service position.... only driveway/carport speeds, so to speak... but I gathered from the OP post that this probably happened with ignition on rather than actually driving?

Anyway, sorry to hear about peoples bad experiences... I have only had good ones with my octavia so far

[brad]

He was moving the car.

Here's a thought - maybe the rain sensor came into play as well?