jwalke02

Hi all,

Thanks in advance... these forums are GREAT. I have a 2009 RX 350 and noticed the wiper blades were leaving streaks. I tried a few different wiper fluids, rain-x and not, which did not seem to make a difference. I had Lexus change the blades for me (which i think they did, but can't exactly confirm) and at times continue to have streaks. I have cleaned the blades with windex and rubbing alcohol and they continue to feel soft to the touch and flexible...not hard or cracked.

1. Am i missing something? I read posts where people say the OEM blades are fantastic. Perhaps mine were not replaced and are a few years old and should be replaced? But again, they have been cleaned and continue to feel soft and healthy. confused by this.

2. if i wanted to try replacement blades could you recommend brands we know and trust that also fit correct? I read Bosch Icon and Trico Neoform are two great options.

3. Anyone experience smudges and residue build up on the inside of the windshield? this blows my mind.. almost the equivalent of finger prints across the whole thing... and windex does NOT clean it efficiently but rather leaves worse streaks. Would love ideas and help with this too!

Thanks very much in advance,
Joe

RX330inFL

There are a number of existing threads here in the 2nd Generation RX forum on the topic. Go ahead and search to find them. Many are fairly recent. One product that gets a lot of noise is the Bosch Icon.

Just save the wiper parts you take off your RX in case you decide to switch back to OEM later.

If you are looking to try to fix what you have, you might try the following.

Lift the wiper arm off the windshield. Then, pull down on the blade from the center in a manner which tries to get the blade to flex properly from both ends to form a bow. Do both ends remain in the tracks and do both ends slide smoothly along the path? Adjust as needed.

For cleaning the inside of the windshield I place a large towel over the dash and spray the windshield with Invisible Glass. I like to use the can for this, however, the spray bottle is OK I guess. I also have one of these silly things:

http://www.invisibleglass.com/ReachClean.htm

jfelbab

Sometimes stubborn oily road grime or a polymer can leave behind a stubborn film on the glass that shows streaking when the wipers push water off. If you had the wipers replaced the source of the problem is likely on the glass and may require a more aggressive cleaning. Try using a Scotchbrite pad and talcum powder. Wet the glass and sprinkle the talc on it and scrub it.

I would gently wipe down the blades with Stoner's IG and use the IG as a final glass cleaning. I'd skip the RainX as that has often been a source for wiper chatter for me. Using alcohol on the rubber will eventually dry the rubber out and shorten their life.

IMO, Windex is not a great glass cleaner. I'd stick with Stoners IG for both inside and out. Use with a couple new, short nap, microfibers and it should remove all the oils causing the smudges. Wash the new microfibers first by themselves to get rid of any lint.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

you might need to claybar your winshield....

neilaz

I 2nd the claybar. Works great to remove water spots also.

tfischer

Windex is terrible for auto glass - it leaves behind some film that shows streaks and all kinds of light flare.
To get wipers to work correctly, you need two things: a fairly clean windshield and decent wipers.
To clean the windshield, use something abrasive once a year or so, like Zaino glass polish. (Also: use this on the inside of the windshield, even if you don't smoke in the car (!) - car plastic gives off vapors which gather on the inside of the windshield, and this causes that strange film to accumulate. You need to remove this at least once a year.) For regular cleaning, use a glass cleaner formulated for autos; Sprayway is also highly recommended and is now carried at my local Sam's club in packs of 4 at a very good price. I used to buy a case (12) on line every few years. My cleaning lady uses it all around the house, also. We all hate windex.
As for the wipers, spend on some good ones. I have had Bosch Icons on both my cars for the last few years and think they are the best ever. They also last much longer than previous wipers I have used. (I have not used the Neoform, but hear they are good, which would be a first for a Trico wiper.)
To treat and clean the wipers every six months or so, 303 makes a nice little product in foil packets much like a wet-nap that cleans the crud off the wiper and treats the rubber. (Order some 303 Aerospace Protectant for your dash, tires and interior non-leather surfaces while you are at it. The wiper treatment may be nothing more than 303 on a wet-nap, as it's the best thing you can put on any rubber part of your car; use it on all the door gaskets to keep them from drying out over time; I use it all the time on the gaskets that seal the pieces of my retractable hard top on the SC, and those gaskets all look and feel like new after 10 years. Read about it on their web page; highly recommended as the single best car care product you should have, after microfiber towels.)
Try to get this done before it starts snowing; then do the upkeep in the spring before your vacation road trips.
Merry Christmas and Happy Motoring.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

+1 for Invisible Glass....works for me!

arnieosp

iTrader: (1)

If you never replaced the windshield wipers - replace them. 2+ years for the wipers is way too old, the rubber hardens and doesn't clean the glass anymore. The best thing IMO is to buy rubber inserts at the dealership for about $25/set and replace just them. I have yet to find windshield wipers that are as good as the OEM.

tfischer

Arnie says: "I have yet to find windshield wipers that are as good as the OEM."
This is surely true, but does not mean that better wipers are not out there. the OEM wipers are not bad, of course, but many of us have found better wipers, as noted above (at a higher cost). In my experience, as noted above, wiper efficiency requires not only a good set of wipers to start with, but they need to be treated and cleaned from time to time, and the windshield needs to be kept clean with a glass cleaner that does not leave a film behind (Windex).

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

Another +1 for the Invisible Glass. Spray or foam they both work great.

I didn't know about the claybar and just watched a few clips on Youtube about it. I'm definitely going to give it a try.
Thanks guys.

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

Kickin8 and Neilaz thanks for the tip about the ClayBar.

I've purchase one from Autozone and used it to get some little nicks and scratches out my ride that I couldn't get out from elbow grease and soap alone. I haven't tried the claybar on the window yet, even though I'm so tempted to.

For the rear, would using the claybar damage the tint or the heating lines to defrost the window?

tfischer

A claybar will not get rid of nicks and scratches. It picks up and pulls from the paint embedded surface contaminants. It has no abrasive qualities, and in fact should be used with lots of soap as a lubricant. The result of using a claybar is that the surface of the paint is smooth as glass.
Contaminants usually don'e embed themselves into glass the way they do with paint, but you might have little pieces of crud or even a film (from polltion) that the clay might lift off, so it should not hurt the glass.
The clay can be a little rough, and the defrost wires are (usually) on the surface of the glass, so I would not use it on a window with surface mounted defrost wires, and have not seen anyone suggest that it is safe to do so. Clay should not damage a factory tint on a window, but aftermarket tints might be a different story. I would try on a little corner of the window first and see what happens.
If the Cool Fella has a claybar that removes scratches, he should post the brand name as that would be a great product. If it actually removes "little nicks" also, that makes it even better. Such a claybar!