Squeaky Windshield Wipers Can Be Silenced

Contents

Parts of the Windshield Wiper System

There aren’t too many parts involved in windshield wipers. The wiper arm is a long metal piece that rotates from the car’s cowl. Attached to the wiper arm is a metal wiper blade. Along the length of the wiper blade is the black rubber wiper insert.

Locate the Squeak

First, determine where that squeaking is coming from. If it originates when the windshield wipers come on, there are two likely causes of the infuriating noise: the motor or the wipers.

Listen for the squeak when there’s water or washer fluid on your parked car’s windshield. If you hear a chattering sound, watch the movement of the wiper blades. You might see the blade suddenly stop and go across the windshield rather than gliding smoothly. Chattering is an issue with the wiper insert or blade and won’t be due to the wiper motor.

Squeaky Windshield Wiper Motor

Windshield wipers rely on a motor and a worm gear to repeatedly activate a complex set of linkages (or cables) that move the wiper arm. Any of these points could create the squeak.

Try applying white grease or another lubricant at any suspect pivot point to see if that eliminates the noise. Usually, the wiper motors and worm gear are weather-sealed. If you are sure the noise is coming from either of these parts, you must replace the part to eliminate the noise.

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Squeaky Windshield Wipers

A squeaky or chattering noise is most likely coming from the windshield wipers. That means there are many possible causes and solutions.

Carefully inspect the wiper insert, which is the black rubber blade. If it is old, it might be stiff, brittle, and perhaps even missing rubber sections. As it sweeps across the windshield, the edge of the insert should not be perpendicular to the glass but at an angle. Try cleaning the insert with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) on a rag or paper towel. If they are beyond repair, replace the wiper inserts.
If the squeak only exists when using windshield washer fluid, check that the spray reaches across the windshield as far as the wiper arms go. If not, part of the wiper insert will have trouble traveling over a dry glass patch and squeak.
If you only use water as a windshield wiper washer fluid, change to a fluid specifically designed for wipers. These fluids typically have additives that provide a little slippage as the wiper glides across the glass, especially when the glass is dirty.
Many cars use wiper blades with different lengths. If you don’t have the correct wiper blade length on the wiper arm, it may not work correctly and create a squeak.
If you have applied a water or rain-repellant coating on the windshield, that sometimes could be the culprit. A thick layer of some compounds can cause the wiper blade to catch and squeak as it moves across the glass. Remove the repellant from the glass and see if the squeak has disappeared. If your driving conditions call for water repellent, try using a thinner layer and see if the squeak returns.
The wiper blade generally will have several metal pivot points that the wiper insert travels through. Make sure each of these can pivot freely. If not, it is time to replace the wiper blade.
The wiper insert attaches to the wiper blade at several points. Verify that the insert is firmly attached at all these points. If not correctly connected, the insert might be too flexible and cause windshield wiper squeak.