2002 Nissan Maxima w/ 134,000 mi. Driver side wiper blade squeaks mercilessly when windshield wet. I’ve: changed blades twice; cleaned blades & windshield thoroughly with alcohol; w/ ammonia; with vinegar, for each using paper towels and also tried with newspaper; cleaned windshield dry with baking soda. Baking soda seemed to help at first but soon returned to previous squeakiness. It’s driving me nuts and the wet weather is around the corner! Suggestions (besides bringing in the local shaman)?
Cleaning will not help–it probably is why the squeak is there in the first place.
Use a sprayable wax like Turtle Wax Ice available at Wal-Mart. It is usable on all parts of the car (paint, glass, plastic, etc.). Use it on the rubber blade too. You will never hear a squeak again, and the water will bead up and fly up the windshield–rarely will you even need to use the wipers! Great product–you can wax the entire car in about 15 minutes. And no, I do not work for Turtle Wax or Wal-Mart.
You can thank me later.
On that note–the michelin wiper blades at Wal-Mart are great for the money.
You could try Rain-X (which will behave like the wax that mleich described, except that it’s specifically designed for use on windows). Not everyone likes the effect, though.
If it squeeks in one direction but not the other, the wiper arm may be holding the blake at the wrong angle. With two pliers you could try to slightly bend the arm in the direction needed to make the wiper blade-windshield contact angle slightly less in the direction of squeeking.
If possible, try flipping the wiper over and reinstalling. I had new wipers that squeaked and groaned until they were flipped around. For some reason, the wipers were quiet afterwards.
Ed B
I’ve had this problem with a couple of different vehicles. If replacing the wiper blades does not work then it’s time for new wiper arms. It worked both times for me.
Recently I tried Aquapel - didn’t work. It squeaks in both directions. It only squeaks on driver’s side, whose blade is about 4 inches longer than passenger side. I think I’m left with trying: a shorter blade; bending the arm to change the angle it hits windshield; replacing the arm; or, replacing the windshield.