Love the MINI in the snow (especially with Dunlop WinSports), but the wipers just plain SUCK! In fact, after a harrowing drive into work this morning I noticed that the last 5 inches near the tip of the driver's side wiper don't even touch the #&*@*% windshield!!! :eek:
Does anyone out there know how to adjust the blades? You'll make my ride home
A LOT safer if you can help me out.

Anybody?

>>Anybody?

Hmmm, that doesn't sound quite right LJ.

I've not found a way to adjust them so I'd make a call to the dealer.

My blade issues seem to be the same as everyone else.

1) That little schmutz that exists between the wipers near the top of the windshield. If the driver side wiper went about another inch it would get it.

2) Driver side, bottom NEVER cleans properly in salty conditions.

-Jim

Thanks, JY! At the very least, I appreciate the response. But if anybody out there has ANY idea how to correct this, please PM me if ya have time.
Muchas gracias!

When I used to live in Snow Country .... there were aftermarket blades that were covered with a flexible rubber boot so that snow and ice wouldn't get to all the little pivots ... you may have to look for 'em but they actually worked!

maybe start here ...
http://www.tricoproducts.com/brochur...location_id=65

Thanks, 8Ball. I'm definitely ordering a set of those wipers. They look nice and beefy. My immediate problem, though, is the darn wiper isn't even hitting the windshield. Anyone know of a remedy for that?
I called the dealer and waited on hold for 40 min---NO HELP THERE!

Yeah, mine stink. It's warmed up, so I gotta put Rain-X on. That would alleviate 1,000,000 % of our problem.

My question remains (from this thread):

Does anyone know what size wipers fit on the MINI? :???:

The bigger (higher) the wiper, the more air will push if off the windshield. Get one of those fins that clip to the wiper to push it down. Kinda like a spoiler for the wiper. Or, buy lower profile wiper assemblies.

Or, RAIN-X. a Wonderful product!

Are the blades still clogged with snow and ice? you have to flex the joints by hand and get all the schmutz out from around the flexi-pivots .... I recall seeing 'windshield de-icer' on the auto store shelves also ... spray cans of stuff (like carb-cleaner) that would thaw and displace the ice and also maybe lube the arms too ...

I'm having lunch with the local MINI service advisor and would happy to ask her about this. I don't foresee any way to adjust the wipers. Sounds like you have bad wiper blade is all. They are covered by warranty and can be quickly replaced on a visit to your dealer. But let me know, I'd still be happy to ask.

R

>>Yeah, mine stink. It's warmed up, so I gotta put Rain-X on. That would alleviate 1,000,000 % of our problem.

How warm does it have to be to use Rain-X?

"I'll take windshield maintenance for $50, Alex"

Since Rain-X was mentioned, I have a question about it.

Does anyone else experience what I call the "haze" effect when the wipers are on after applying Rain-X?

I quit using Rain-X because i couldn't stand how the window would always have a slight haze as the wipers pass over it. During a rainy night, the haze makes all the headlight glare worse than normal.

I actually quit using it a few cars ago and haven't put it on any of my recent automobiles, but I had used in on various vehicles prior to that all with a similar effect. Anyone else?

.... rain-x has it's place ... but does need constant re-buffing - which is tough when it's raining! It also holds road grit and grime so needs to be re-applied just to buff out the dirt! but in the worst seasons, it can be a life saver ... the haze is less of a problem to look through than sheets of cascading water ...

BTW ... just let me say one more thing about the shape of the windscreen: that 'upright' design that is so good at catching stones is also great at catching the wind - even without rain-x type products, many of you have seen that at highway speeds, the wind blasts much of the water away even without the wipers.
Using less rain-x than you may be used to using on other cars still goes a long way (with less haze ....)

I used Rain-X on my previous car, and you are right about the hazing with wipers. However, I found that with Rain-X, I didn't *need* to use my wipers. I had better visibility with Rain-X and NO wipers at all, than if I was using wipers without Rain-X.

Once I finally trained myself to NOT turn on the wipers whenever it started to rain, I was very happy with Rain-X. I know it sounds odd, but that was my experience. I'm looking forward to trying in on the MINI.

Thanks for you thoughts on the Rain-X guys. Actually, both sets of comments combined make a pretty solid statement. I might just try it again, for the first time - as they say! :cool:

Dave-
This may be too late to catch before lunch with your dealer, but if you have or can get any info about wiper blade adjustment I'd love to know. Maybe it's not possible, but any fix before my ride home would be great.
Thanks!!!!!!!!!

>>Are the blades still clogged with snow and ice? you have to flex the joints by hand and get all the schmutz out from around the flexi-pivots .... I recall seeing 'windshield de-icer' on the auto store shelves also ... spray cans of stuff (like carb-cleaner) that would thaw and displace the ice and also maybe lube the arms too ...
>>

I just want to tag onto this post... I had the same trouble with my wipers, not wiping everything like they should. So I took it into my father's heated garage, and found out what happened. The wipers have little brakets on the arms. When they are warm, they flex very easily. Sometimes they get frozen, and you need to flex them by hand so they can bend with the contour of the windshield. If you have these troubles, try that fix, and it should work well. I also just found out that the cold weather package, actually heats the washer fluid as it comes out onto the windshield. I didn't realize that, I thought it just heated the jets so they aren't clogged. :eek:

Haven't had to use mine yet. Ron. San Diego. :lol: :lol: :lol:

That's interesting. I wouldn't expect it to warm the fluid much though. I could easily be wrong, but I suspect the main purpose is still to keep the nozzles from clogging - and it is just a small amount of that heat that gets transferred to the fluid.

I'm no engineer, but I would suspect that the nozzles would have to be darn warm to make a substantial difference on cold fluid as it passes through the nozzles at that quick rate.

Interesting to think about anyhow. :grin:

Is it possible that its simply engine heat that his warming the fluid?

No, the canister for the windshield washer fluid is located in the 1/4 panel between the front wheel wells and the doors. One side for the windshield, the other for the rear hatch window.
The purpose for the winter package is to heat the jets not the fluid, and therefore the fluid is at best the same temperature once it hits the windshield.
Rain-X is great if you constantly buff and reapply regularly. If you do this just as much as you wash the car, then you should have no problem. The "hazing" effect is caused from the residue left on the windshield. This has to be buffed out. Remember, for Rain-X to work the product has to be on the windshield, and I believe it is some kind of sylicone/alcohol mix? There is no way to totally get rid of the haze unless you want to wax the windshield with the same wax you use on your car. I've tried this, and this works also, believe it or not. :wink:

Thanks for the help, folks. Thanks Meenee! Sounds like you had the exact same issue (must be a Michigan thang). The only thing I need now are directions to your Dad's heated garage.:grin:

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2003 Cooper/IndiBlue/AllPackages/Sunroof