[Tjalsma]

Hello everyone,

I haven't owned my 2017 330 for too long so I am not sure if this is normal or what the deal is.

View post on imgur.com

Please check the video of what they look like when working. They are extremely loud and distracting inside the vehicle. Are they set too low on the windshield? I can't lift them up either as the arm hits the hood.

Thank you for any information!

[auburnf30x]

Unfortunately I don't have sound here at work, but visually, it looks like they are clearing the glass properly without streaking or dead spots, so I don't think they need to be adjusted. Actually, wipers aren't really 'adjusted', sometimes the arm gets bent and needs to be bent back, or replaced. But yours look to be working like they should.

If they are noisy, it may just be time to get a new set. Try a different brand if you are having issues with one in particular. Rain-X or Bosch work well for me (German Bosch, not Chinese made).

BTW, my wipers make a very loud rubbing noise the first time they turn on if they haven't been used in a while. After that first wipe they are quiet. Mine are automatic so it usually scares the hell out of me if I'm not expecting it. I'm guessing that's not your issue, though.

[jcortez75]

on your video, If you look at the bottom, it seems you have some sort of brown leaf stuck in the rubber which your wipers are hitting at the bottom. Get rid of the stuck leaf and see if it fixes your problem.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Tjalsma

I can't lift them up either as the arm hits the hood.

Read your manual. It's in there.
If the blades are chattering you probably haven't treated the glass. The best product for that is Aquapel.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It sheds water so well that at highway speeds you seldom need to use the wipers, while its lubricant properties minimize wiper chatter. One application is good for at least six months, depending on climate.

[Tjalsma]

Originally Posted by auburnf30x

Unfortunately I don't have sound here at work, but visually, it looks like they are clearing the glass properly without streaking or dead spots, so I don't think they need to be adjusted. Actually, wipers aren't really 'adjusted', sometimes the arm gets bent and needs to be bent back, or replaced. But yours look to be working like they should.

If they are noisy, it may just be time to get a new set. Try a different brand if you are having issues with one in particular. Rain-X or Bosch work well for me (German Bosch, not Chinese made).

BTW, my wipers make a very loud rubbing noise the first time they turn on if they haven't been used in a while. After that first wipe they are quiet. Mine are automatic so it usually scares the hell out of me if I'm not expecting it. I'm guessing that's not your issue, though.

They definitely clean the windshield well. They are actually new wipers installed about 30 days ago.

It's the "kickback" sound where it almost looks like it's resetting or doubling back that is extremely loud in the car.

It's also strange as in very rare circumstances it does not do this loud doubling action. Sometimes they'll work fine for a few minutes then revert to this.

[deviantspeed]

Shut off car hold ww stalk down. Wws go up into service mode. Common on German cars and covered in the manual. Turn car on and they will go back down, make sure they are in normal position beforehand, also covered in manual.

Most people never clean blades or the windshield. A good bug spray or polish and elbow grease, then a good rinsing helps. My blades are 3 years+ old and work like brand new.

[auburnf30x]

Originally Posted by deviantspeed

Shut off car hold ww stalk down. Wws go up into service mode. Common on German cars and covered in the manual. Turn car on and they will go back down, make sure they are in normal position beforehand, also covered in manual.

Most people never clean blades or the windshield. A good bug spray or polish and elbow grease, then a good rinsing helps. My blades are 3 years+ old and work like brand new.

Interesting. Didn't know this. I managed to change them without doing this, but sure would have made it easier.

Hopefully I'll remember this trick the next time it comes around, but with a memory like a sieve, I'm not hopeful.

[LA1Z24]

All these replies and nobody can see the blades are going all the way to the park position before the next sweep. This is not supposed to happen. I suspect the wiper transmission has failed.

-automotive technician

[psyki]

Are your wipers in 'auto' mode or set to a manual speed? As someone else mentioned it looks like the wipers are "parking" in between sweeps which they shouldn't do if the wipers are set to a manual position. If you are in "auto" mode and it is not raining very hard it could be that they are "parking" and then starting a sweep again when water is detected but I wouldn't expect that to happen consistently.

I've never looked at my wipers in slow motion so the bouncy/floppy behavior may be normal for all I know. Or it could be something mechanical is worn out and they are loose.

[Tjalsma]

Originally Posted by LA1Z24

All these replies and nobody can see the blades are going all the way to the park position before the next sweep. This is not supposed to happen. I suspect the wiper transmission has failed.

-automotive technician

Thank you!

That's what I am confused about. It seems obvious this is not normal? I guess I'll head to the dealership but that is really annoying. My car spent two weeks in there last time for them to find out where my drivers side door was leaking water in from.

I've owned the car for a couple of months and I've been without it for nearly a month so far due to various issues.

[Schizm123]

BMW Series F30 F32 are very loud cars, made of sheet metal and plastic, there is no soundproofing in them, unfortunately the windshield wipers are also very loud, I stopped worrying about it, if I want a small and quiet car, I will be Lexus.

[Desertnate]

Originally Posted by LA1Z24

All these replies and nobody can see the blades are going all the way to the park position before the next sweep. This is not supposed to happen. I suspect the wiper transmission has failed.

-automotive technician

I noticed it right away in slow motion and had to watch a couple times to pick up on what is happening.

My do not do that in their manual settings or in the rain sensing mode. I just finished a road trip this weekend where I drove in rain both directions; nearly 12 hours total, so I became VERY familiar with my wipers...

OP: Are you running them in rain sensing "auto" mode or manual? If in the automatic mode, what sensitivity level are they set for? Maybe auto mode at max sensitivity will try to park the wipers between swipes in very light rain. I've never run mine above the bottom two settings in auto mode.

[LA1Z24]

Originally Posted by Schizm123

BMW Series F30 F32 are very loud cars, made of sheet metal and plastic, there is no soundproofing in them, unfortunately the windshield wipers are also very loud, I stopped worrying about it, if I want a small and quiet car, I will be Lexus.

I'm going to say this is false. I drive many many different cars for my job, the F32 is one of the best insulated vehicles I've ever been inside.

[Billfitz]

I don't know about the F32 but my F34 is as quiet as any car I've ever owned, quieter than most. The sound proofing is the heaviest I've ever seen. I can barely hear my wipers. As for being made of sheet metal and plastic, that applies to most cars, including Lexus.

[auburnf30x]

Same with the F30, it's very quiet to my ears. I wouldn't say it is the quietest ride ever, but I mostly blame what road noise I do get on the run flats. With good traditional tires, I imagine things would be serenely quiet. I don't hear my wipers either except that for that first wipe.

[Desertnate]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I don't know about the F32 but my F34 is as quiet as any car I've ever owned, quieter than most. The sound proofing is the heaviest I've ever seen. I can barely hear my wipers. As for being made of sheet metal and plastic, that applies to most cars, including Lexus.

I've noticed my F32 transmits tire/road noise no better/worse than other vehicles, sometimes worse, but wind and engine noise is almost non-existant. Pavement type/texture makes a big difference. I wouldn't call it a quiet car, but it isn't horribly loud. I've owned louder cars, but I've owned quieter.

As for the wipers, I do notice I hear them more than than I have in other vehicles. It isn't the blades on the glass, but more the motor/mechanical noise actuating the wipers. It gets bothersome after 4~5 hours.

[SquareWheels]

My convertible is very loud, especially with the top down.

[Wires]

In a "past life" I Rain-X'd my dad's windshield. He isn't a car buff kind of guy and went through the automatic carwash which applied the "wax job". The wipers chattered brutally until the cash wash wax (or Rain-X) wore off.

[paul e]

Okay…back to the actual subject of the wipers.

Mine do not do this. There must be an issue in the wiper “drivetrain”, an error issue or a sensor issue.

[Tjalsma]

Originally Posted by Desertnate

I noticed it right away in slow motion and had to watch a couple times to pick up on what is happening.

My do not do that in their manual settings or in the rain sensing mode. I just finished a road trip this weekend where I drove in rain both directions; nearly 12 hours total, so I became VERY familiar with my wipers...

OP: Are you running them in rain sensing "auto" mode or manual? If in the automatic mode, what sensitivity level are they set for? Maybe auto mode at max sensitivity will try to park the wipers between swipes in very light rain. I've never run mine above the bottom two settings in auto mode.

I always keep mine on auto at the lowest setting. However, I also changed modes and it did it for all. Every time it reaches the end of each wipe, the arms reset fully (and loudly) before starting again.

Others have mentioned that their vehicles are loud. My vehicle is by far the quietest vehicle I've ever had and when the wipers are functioning properly I really can't hear them at all. But when it does this loud reset issue it's unbearable. My wife, who can ignore any vehicle issue at all, said "what is the deal with your wipers?!"

I drove my car yesterday and tested it a few times just using windshield washer fluid and it did not do it. It seems like they have a mind of their own but they do this reset issue like 90% of the time. I didn't allot and ceramic or wax or rain x or anything like that to the windshield.

[paul e]

FYI…There is no “product” of any type on my glass. It’s been raining here for days, I have tried everything mentioned, my wipers simply do not do this.

Dealer time, get it checked.

[chowser51]

did you end up bending the arms when changing the wipers if you didn't put the arms into service mode?