My Windscreen Wipers Are Not Connected To Anything

[Johan007]

Ok bizzar question but my windscreen wiper (rubber bit and holder) are not connected in anyway to the wiper arm... they are just hooked together with no pin. I presume this is not normal because some one could easily steel them. How on earth can I fix it or should I just leave it because the wipers work fine?

[Sico2]

you should have a plastic connector that holds your wiper to the arm. You should get spare or new ones, every time you buy new ones.

And I wouldn't worry so much about the theft, well maybe if you live of some strange part of UK where people steal Wiper Blades :)

[alfiejts]

There's a good picture here:

http://www.wjjeeps.com/wipers/wiper_wj_07f.jpg

The blades gave a metal pin through (shown as a circle on the side of the blade) and there's a plastic fitting that clips to and swivels on the pin.

The plastic fitting is then just a good push fit (usually a "snap fit") onto the u-shaped wiper arm.

Theer's nothing to stop theft.....

As long as you have the plastic swivel clip and its a snap fit into the U of the wiper arm, then all is OK.

[Johan007]

As long as you have the plastic swivel clip and its a snap fit into the U of the wiper arm, then all is OK.

Yeah I just don't have the pins

[alfiejts]

Sorry - I'm being thick - but I don't understand what pins you don't have.

The plastic swivel clips to the wiper arm and that's it. As long as the plastic swivel clip is clipped to the wiper arm, then you must have a "pin" because that's what the plastic swivel clips to. Its not a sparate piece of metal - its just an integral part of the wiper arm.

Happy to help, but I don't understand what bit is missing. If the wipers work OK in the rain, then the chances are that they are all OK.

If any part of the mount was missing or broken, the wipers would be very loose and would flop wildly from side to side as they moved across the screen and simply wouldn't work properly.

If they seem to work normally, like any other car, in the rain, then they'll be fine.....

[Chris81]

Is it April 1st today??

[Raeman]

I have the lay flat blades on mine an they just clip in the U shaped arm. No metal pins needed to hold them, same on my other car aswell.

[Johan007]

I have the lay flat blades on mine an they just clip in the U shaped arm. No metal pins needed to hold them, same on my other car aswell.

Maybe I have yours but mine does not clip they just hook on. For example if I lift one wiper to scrape ice under it the head just falls off the arm. I have never seen this before. But granted they do work fine.

[Raeman]

If they just fall off when you lift the wipers, then they are not fitted properly. Just think, at high m/way speeds they could fly off! :o

On your wiper blade you should have a plastic U shaped bit in the middle...This sits tightly and clips into the hook on the wiper arm.

To release it, you have to pinch it a bit and then the wiper blade can come off.

Why don't you post a pic so we can see? ;)

[alfiejts]

I have a thought - very rare at my age - but maybe, just maybe...

There are a variety of plastic clip sizes.

If you buy "aftermarket" replacement blades, you usually get three or four different ones to choose from.

If you use the right one, then the plastic clip will "snap" into the U-shaped arm, holding the blades in place, but if you use the wrong plastic clip, it doesn't snap into the U shaped arm properly.

Some of the clips are the same width, just different lengths so they will still push into the arm but the "snap" fitting is in the wrong place and they don't click in to secure them properly.

I only realised the other month, after reading the instructions again on my latest Wiper Blades, that I had selected a clip I thought was OK, but it wasn't the one they said to use for Toyota cars.... I thought the blades were secure, but using the "toyota" fitting clip, there was much more of a definate click into place.

If the wrong sized plastic clip was fitted, its possible that it could work as you describe - the blade could push into the U-shaped wiper arm but wouldn't snap into place, so could easily come out when you lift the wiper arm.

I suggest that for the sake of a tenner, you go out and buy a pair of replacement Wiper Blades. That way, you can be sure you've got the right plastic fitting and its snapped securely into the wiper arm....

Its not worth the risk of them coming off in the rain on the motorway and the metal wiper arms digging grooves into the glass....

[alfiejts]

Here's a piccie of the various clips that came with my blades, the instructions and also a "real" genuine Toyota blade off our new Yaris.

It illustrates the different widths & lengths of different fittings for different cars and also shows the "click pin" on the Totoya blade that correctly clicks into the U-shaped arm.

It sounds like one of two things - either the clip is the wrong fitting for a Toyota car (because someone's used the wrong clip when they fitten them) or maybe - they are simply on "upside down". The little "button" shown is only on one side of the clip and should be facing towards the windsgreen. If they've been pushed onto the arms with the little "button" shape facing away from the windscreen, they will be the wrong way around to click into their fixing holes....

Bear in mind that I had to twist my plastic clip around to face the wrong way to take this photo to show the little "button" on the wiper blade. The little button should be pointing the other way - downwards towards the rubber blade and the side of the plastic clip you see from the top should be flat....

[Johan007]

Thanks for all your help chaps. I dont have a photo cos my wife drives the car and I am away from home when i work. will buy a new wiper cos the car is due for an MOT.

[Bill auckland]

Eyup all

Am I - or my wiper arms - abnormal?

Whatever replacement Wiper Blades I buy for my '96 Carina, the u-shaped plastic clip refuses to go into the arm and usually breaks if forced.

When I took it for an MoT, the mechanic said it needed a new wiper blade. He fitted one, and returned it to me with the new plastic clip broken, as usual. In 30-odd years of fitting Wiper Blades to dozens of cars, I've never seen owt like it.

Cheers

bill

[gar]

The clip answer IS correct but you MAY just find the arms are in need of replacement, too!

They do wear out and produce less spring tension on the glass so try a few auto car parts for peplacement arms. The new blades clips should then just go. It MAY be worth trying to get the guy in the shop to show you they fit as then, if they are no better, don't waste your money but I wager they will work.

[sedj]

Fitting the last blade i got for the Yaris was a bit of hassle using the supplied plastic attachment as in post #11, it was for a Yaris but would not fit the wiper arm due to the internal dimensions of the socket being too small, i had to resort to using the old plastic adapter which went on easily.

If in doubt about fitting wipers get the guy at Halfords or wherever to fit them for you, Halfords will charge a couple of quid but most others will do it for free if you bat your eyelids :D