Has anyone had any problem with their wipers missing spots? It is almost like the wiper is not touching the windshield exactly right? Just curious if anyone else has had this problem. thanks.

I was having a problem with my wiper blades on my Freestar van last week. The back wiper got off track and wouldn't work at all. I took it to the dealer. They fixed it completely.

We had this problem but not on Honda vehicle, it was a sports car Neon which used to clear the windshield on the navigators side very well and not the drivers side. We had to replace them completely.

I have that problem every few years when my wipers wear out, so I replace them and the new ones work great.

Have you ever tried the heavy duty wipers? I think they may be called winter wipers, and I've also seen a kind that have flaps that supposedly make the wipers press harder to the windshield from the wind pressure.

That sounds like a great idea. I have never heard of it before. Do trucks and heavy vehicles have these as standard equipment? Because the wipers are distracting if they are missing on the windshield.

I'm not sure which vehicles would have them as standard equipment, but living in an area that gets snow and freezing rain, I have to replace the wipers more often.

I can extend their life a bit by being careful not to try to run them before I've cleaned the ice off of them.

Do you folks drive in the snow where you are? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/57.gif)

Do you oil any of your windscreen wipers after a long day of rain or frost?

Wipers can miss spots for four reasons that I know of:
1. Cold temperature causes the rubber to conform to the profile of the windshield in its resting location which differs from other portions of the windshield. - Solution: Wait for the windshield defroster to warm the glass or switch to blades better suited for the cold.
2. Age causes the rubber to lose its flexibility and not conform to the swept surface of the glass. - Solution: Buy new blades.
3. A small amount of dirt, ice, or snow sticks to the blade and keeps all or part of the blade from contacting the glass. - Solution: Clean the blades.
4. The structural portion of the wiper is bent or broken, therefore failing to apply sufficient pressure all along the blade. - Solution: Replace the bent or broken part.

I think you said the four important factors concerning wiper blades. Temperature is key because of cold temperatures can have huge effect on the wipers. Allowing them to warm up is necessary before you start using them. Age is also a factor with wipers. An old wiper blade gets hard and inflexible. The new wiper blade flexes easily along the windshield. That's what you want.

Make sure the metal tips that hold the blade in place are not too close to the ends. This will cause the blade to bow instead of follow the contour of the glass. Also, pull the arms away from the glass, and bend the wiper end of the arm closer to the windshield. This will increase the pressure of the blade. Do both these things, and your wipers will not miss a single spot. Hope this helped you and good luck!

I'm going to do those steps on my 2004 Ford Freestar van blades. I have two on the front, and on on the rear window. First, check and make sure the metal part isn't close to the end of the wiper. Then last, bend the wiper towards the window. Truthfully, I want to keep these in good shape for as long as possible.