Windshield Wiper Not Touching Glass [Solved]

Your windshield wiper has one job and one job alone: to wipe your windshield. And if your windshield wiper not touching glass, we have an annoying problem on our hands! It can also prove to be rather dangerous, especially if you’re caught in torrential rain.

If your windshield wiper is not touching the glass properly, your wiper might be slightly loose and needs to be removed and screwed back on correctly onto the spindle. If you recently got your wipers replaced, you might have gotten the wrong wiper for your car. 

If you’re facing other issues, like a loose rear view mirror, you might want to take a look at our article here. 

Top 4 Reasons Why Your Windshield Wiper Is Not Touching Glass

Here are a few reasons why you might be facing the problem of your windshield wiper not touching the glass of your windshield. 

Reason 1: You Have the Wrong Wipers

If you recently got the windshield wipers replaced, you might not have the right wipers installed. There are a lot of reasons why windshield wipers need to be replaced — they’re usually covered by insurance if you get into any sort of accident. Since they are bound to get damaged in any minor accident, people often have to replace their windshield wipers. 

However, it’s almost too common that the insurance repair replaces the windshield wipers with the wrong kind! It is difficult to source the same wipers as your car manufacturers, and even if they do: they tend to be more expensive. Repair mechanics might use a local brand alternative. 

Having wipers that are too large will only clean the borders of your windshield, without so much so as touching the middle portion. On the other hand, a wiper that is too small will have the opposite effect and won’t cover the entire surface area. 

However, even if the wipers look identical to the original ones, they can be minutely different. Windshields tend to differ greatly in the degree of curvature, and if the slope of the wiper is even slightly too flat or curved for the windshield, it will leave some part of the glass untouched. 

Here’s an example of someone who has clearly gotten the wrong wiper fixed to their car. 

Solution: We listed this reason first because it is the most common one, as people tend to face this problem after getting their windshield wipers replaced most of the time. However, if you haven’t gotten your windshield replaced recently, you’ll have to rule this one out. 

The easiest solution to having the wrong Windshield Wiper is to check the size and brand. Try to source the Wiper online from your car manufacturer.

Reason 2: Wipers in Cold Weather

Of course, it’s important that your wipers are the exact size for your car — but sometimes this isn’t enough. If you live in extremely cold weather, where your windshield wipers routinely have to endure snow and ice: you might witness some wear and tear due to the severe temperature change. 

Standard blade wipers can’t withstand the heavy buildup of ice and snow on your car: and the weight can actually bend and warp their shape over time. The constant thawing and freezing of your wipers will also have an adverse effect on their curvature. This finally results in having wipers that bend abruptly and don’t make contact with the glass of your windshield. 

Solution: You’ll keep facing this problem until you change your wipers! You’ll have to source special ice and snow beam windshield wipers that have been designed to withstand the cold temperature and are much more sturdy. Of course, take care that you take the right size according to your car model. If possible, always opt for ones made by your car manufacturers. 

It’s important to note that these specialized snow wipers are much pricier than the standard wipers available. While it may seem like a big cost up-front, it’s a necessary investment in your safety as well as protecting your car from cold temperatures. You can always choose to switch back to the standard wipers during the summer if you’d like to make your expensive wipers last longer. 

Reason 3: You Have a Bent Wiper Arm

Whether it’s due to impact or wear and tear: it’s very common that your wiper arm gets bent. When it isn’t at the right angle, it won’t be making contact with every part of the windshield that it is supposed to.

In this case, the logical course of action is to bend the arm back. However, you also run the risk of causing more damage to the wiper. Please do not grab the arm with your hands and try to twist it with brute force. Not only is this inefficient, but it also will not concentrate the force on the point which needs to be turned. 

Solution: Here’s how you can bend your windshield’s wiper arm with minimal damage to the wiper itself!

If your wiper is still not making contact, there might be an issue with the connector. 

Reason 4: You Have a Loose Wiper Arm

Apart from simply getting damaged and bent, one of the other common problems that can happen with your wiper arm is that it gets loose from the spring itself. The spring is found at the pivot of the wiper, and this could be loose as well. 

Solution: If your wiper arm is loose, here’s how to fix it!

• Lift your wiper arm up and remove the small cap found at the base. 
• You will now see the nuts and screws that hold the wiper in place. Carefully remove these as well. 
• Now you can remove the wiper arm. You’ll notice that the mounting hole is already on the loose side. It might need a little coaxing to remove. 
• Reposition the wiper arm so it leans farther towards the passenger seat. It should be perpendicular to the spindle. 
• Screw the wiper back on and check if the angle is correct. 

Most of the time, these steps should help you get your wiper arm in working condition. In this case, it is an adjustment issue and not something that is wrong with the wiper arm itself. Take special care while dismantling your wiper arm so as not to damage it. 

If you are still facing issues after trying out all four reasons: you might need to consult a mechanic. 

Conclusion

These are the top four reasons why your windshield wiper could be avoiding contact with the windshield glass. The most common ones after replacement of the wipers are that they are the wrong size, or have been screwed on at the wrong angle. If you did not get a replacement done, it is likely that they are either bent or have taken a toll in cold weather. 

With any of the troubleshooting we mentioned, make sure to take extra care when trying to fix the windshield wipers yourself! Good luck!