Wipers slightly stuck up - Mk5 GTI

[jessv3]

If the owners can't be bothered to RTFM it's their own fault and more cars are coming out with semi concealed wipers for the reasons that benough pointed out. As for the homeless bums who touch the car, if they damage the bonnet or the wipers it's criminal damage.

There is no setting and the motor can't be calibrated, to adjust the wipers you have to undo the arm and adjust it on the spline. There is always some play in the wipers when parked which is due to it's special parking feature (which you can read about in the manual).

Thanks Maverick I can always rely on a positive comment from you As per my earlier post I was well aware of the wiper service feature, my gripe is that apart from vw dealers who else knows about this feature? I would say very few non vw mechanics would know about it, resulting in a lot of unnecessary damage thus my reason for calling it a design floor. Perhaps rather than a design floor I should have said it’s a design feature which has been poorly executed, as the general public including some owners on here didn’t even know about. It would be unreasonable for any persons touching your vehicle to know about this feature so good luck proving criminal charges in court.

[Maverick]

Thanks Maverick I can always rely on a positive comment from you As per my earlier post I was well aware of the wiper service feature, my gripe is that apart from vw dealers who else knows about this feature? I would say very few non vw mechanics would know about it, resulting in a lot of unnecessary damage thus my reason for calling it a design floor. Perhaps rather than a design floor I should have said it’s a design feature which has been poorly executed, as the general public including some owners on here didn’t even know about.

Anyone who reads the manual is aware of the feature or who listens to the dealer at handover. Maybe the wipers need to totally concealed, I don't know but from looking at them it's clear they don't come all the way up. Perhaps when you park they should tuck in even further.

It would be unreasonable for any persons touching your vehicle to know about this feature so good luck proving criminal charges in court.

It's not unreasonable at all, some cars have concealed door handles, some cars have hidden bonnet or boot release buttons, some have areas you can't sit or step on and so on. If someone damages your car whilst breaking the law it's going to be very easy to prove criminal damage. As for the guy cleaning the car, the onus is on the owner to let him know of anything like parking the wipers. If washing the car wasn't part of the service he was doing he would be responsible for the damage. As the cleaner figured out the wipers had to be pulled up to get them to open without touching the bonnet he should be (at least partially) responsible for the damage as he should have checked the operation of them with the owner.

[Corey_R]

As per my earlier post I was well aware of the wiper service feature, my gripe is that apart from vw dealers who else knows about this feature?

I remember a thread like this elsewhere several months ago. I work at a company with a few thousand cars parked outside, so I took notice of how many cars these days come with concealed windscreen wipers. I was surprised by how many now have it... whether European, Japanese, Asian or American/Australian.

I guess it's something where if you haven't had it before, you don't really pay any attention. The first time I noticed it was on BMW 1 series. I feel sorry for those owners though, because BMW haven't designed it anywhere near as successfully as VW have on the Golf. BMW 1 series owners can actually shatter and/or pierce the windscreen if they go on to open their bonnet whilst the wipers are in the "service" and "up" positions!

Almost all BMW and Audi cars have concealed wipers. So I asked a A4 and X5 owner how they get their wipers into service positions. *blank stares*. How do you wash under the wipers? "With difficulty" was the response from one and "I just lift it a little and jam the sponge under" was the response from the other. I replied with "so neither of you have read your owners manuals hey". *glares*


Anyway... I don't know WHO invented the concealed wipers, but I was surprised to find even some American cars in 1970 had them...

So considering we're talking about a feature that has been on cars for at least the last 40 years, I think it's quite reasonable to think that someone who works on cars for a living, even if it's just washing them, should know of this feature! Though I can accept that it's not reasonable for them to know off the top of their heads how to engage the "service position" on each make of car... but that's where the owners manual comes in ain't it

[jessv3]

the onus is on the owner to let him know of anything like parking the wipers.

I agree, and im sure most judges would as well. It doesn't change the fact that VW owners out there are left with damaged wipers, who are left with a sour taste in their mouth's even though have they themselves to blame.

Just out of curiosity, if my car was still under warranty would VW be covering the repair?

[Maverick]

Just out of curiosity, if my car was still under warranty would VW be covering the repair?

If you didn't elaborate on what occurred I'm sure it would be covered (unless the arms were obviously bent) as an act of goodwill if nothing else. I'd be checking the splines to see if they are damaged, I may have posted an alignment guide on my website but if not when the wipers are parked the drivers side one should be a fingerwidth off the a pillar trim.

[Von Richthofen]

One other wiper feature which I can't recall seeing in the owner's manual is, if the bonnet is up (even slightly i.e. not latched) you can't return the wipers from the service position.

A nice little feature to stop the wipers from damaging your bonnet when it is up.

BTW is it "floored" or "flawed"?

[Maverick]

One other wiper feature which I can't recall seeing in the owner's manual is, if the bonnet is up (even slightly i.e. not latched) you can't return the wipers from the service position.

A nice little feature to stop the wipers from damaging your bonnet when it is up.

However you can return the wipers from the service position when the blades are upright (pulled away from the windscreen) which damages the front of the bonnet but short of having sensors in the wiper arms there isn't much you can do about this.

[jessv3]

BTW is it "floored" or "flawed"?

whoops

[jettapilot]

It's 'flawed'

I have to read the manual every time I wash the car. It's so simple but I can't remember it.

Maybe should wash car more often!

[CSR]

Um...Oops.

I've been washing my car without ever having done this wiper thing - I just lifted the wipers very slightly and then rotated them upwards, I never noticed any kind of hesitation or "lock" o.O. I did stumble upon this thread though because i've got the same thing as OP - the wiper is very slightly noticeable when I turn on the ignition and if I move the wiper arm it goes back to flush position but every time I turn off the car it comes back up a little bit and I have to re-use the wiper to make it go flush.

[jessv3]

Um...Oops.

I've been washing my car without ever having done this wiper thing - I just lifted the wipers very slightly and then rotated them upwards, I never noticed any kind of hesitation or "lock" o.O. I did stumble upon this thread though because i've got the same thing as OP - the wiper is very slightly noticeable when I turn on the ignition and if I move the wiper arm it goes back to flush position but every time I turn off the car it comes back up a little bit and I have to re-use the wiper to make it go flush.

I think we may have put our wipers out a cog... Its depressing because im reminded every time I get in the car and see the wiper slightly raised.

[Maverick]

Um...Oops.

I've been washing my car without ever having done this wiper thing - I just lifted the wipers very slightly and then rotated them upwards, I never noticed any kind of hesitation or "lock" o.O. I did stumble upon this thread though because i've got the same thing as OP - the wiper is very slightly noticeable when I turn on the ignition and if I move the wiper arm it goes back to flush position but every time I turn off the car it comes back up a little bit and I have to re-use the wiper to make it go flush.

Are you sure you're not confusing the variable park position system with damage to the wipers?

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