Checking, Adjusting and Replacing the Windshield Wiper Blades

PROCEDURE

1. Road film builds up on the wiper blades over time, reducing their effectiveness. For this reason, wash the blades regularly in a mild cleaning solution. Checking the condition of the wiper blades and the initial position of the wiper arm.

2. Wiper assemblies with blades must be inspected regularly. If the inspection reveals hardening or cracks in the blade rubber, replace the blades. If nothing unusual is found during the inspection, wet the windshield, switch on the wipers, let them run briefly, and then switch them off. An uneven wiper trace on the glass or streaks on clean glass indicate that the blades must be replaced.

3. If the wiper blades do not clean the windshield sufficiently, the possible causes are as follows.

– Wax particles may have got onto the windshield when the vehicle passed through an automatic car wash. These particles can be removed by adding a cleaning agent that dissolves wax to the washer fluid. – Filling the washer fluid reservoir with wax-dissolving fluid can significantly improve wiper performance. Degreasing cleaning agents cannot fully clean the glass. – Damaged blades may also cause poor cleaning; replace the blades. – The installation angle of the wiper arms does not correspond to the required value.

4. During operation of the wiper mechanism, the mounting nuts may loosen. For this reason, check them and tighten them as necessary each time the blades are checked. Check.

5. Switch the wipers on and off. They will return to the initial position.

Windshield:

With the wipers switched off, check the distance between the blade and the lower edge of the windshield. The distance must be a = 15 – 25 mm on the driver side and b = 17 – 27 mm on the front passenger side. The markings –1– are located at these points.

Rear window:

With the wiper switched off, the blade must lie horizontally at the upper edge of the wiper park position plane. Checking the wiper arm angle.

CAUTION

Check the wiper arm angle if the glass cleaning efficiency is poor or if the wiper blades are noisy during operation.

6. Switch the wipers on and off, so that the wiper arms return to the initial position. Remove the wiper blades.

7. Insert wiper arm 1 into tool HAZET 4851–1 or AUDI 3358 and secure it with the bolt.

Checking and Adjusting the Wiper Arm Angle^

1 wrench 2 wiper arm 3 AUDI tool 3358

8. If adjustment is necessary, carefully turn tool AUDI 3358 with wrench 1 until the pointer is set to the required value on the scale ±2°.

Nominal values of the wiper arm angle. Driver side: –9° Front passenger side: –3° Rear wiper: 0 – 2°

9. Remove tool AUDI 3358, then install and secure the wiper blades.

10. Install the wiper blade and check the operation of the wipers.