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Driver side windshield wiper arm taps A pillar

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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 06:28 AM
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Default Driver side windshield wiper arm taps A pillar

Hi Everyone,

New here and recently purchased a used 2020 rx350 from a Lexus dealer and noticed that the driverside wiper arm taps the A pillar. It's very slight, but enough to make a noise so i'm wondering if this is normal. There are no marks on the A pillar trim piece and the wiper arm looks to be in the normal location at rest. Can anyone tell me roughly how close their driverside wiper arm comes to the A pillar?

Thanks in advance!
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 07:04 AM
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Originally Posted by a4Andre
Hi Everyone,

New here and recently purchased a used 2020 rx350 from a Lexus dealer and noticed that the driverside wiper arm taps the A pillar. It's very slight, but enough to make a noise so i'm wondering if this is normal. There are no marks on the A pillar trim piece and the wiper arm looks to be in the normal location at rest. Can anyone tell me roughly how close their driverside wiper arm comes to the A pillar?
I just checked my 2020 and the driver wiper gets close to the A-pillar, but does not touch it. From inside the vehicle it looks like it gets very close. From outside, though, it appears there is a 1/4", or a little less, distance between the tip of wiper and the A-pillar at the stop point.

That said, my driver-side wiper has a tendency to "thunk" during operation. It was the first thing I noticed when driving the 150 miles home from the dealer in the rain after I bought it in April. At first I thought it was a mechanical problem. Thoroughly cleaning the windshield and the blade, though, usually makes the sound disappear, so it seems related to the wiper blade itself. Cleaning must be very thorough, and I use a ceramic spray on the windshield. Even then, winter driving conditions mean the windshield is usually dirty, and the blade makes the noise. One of these days I might swap in a good Bosch blade and see if it makes a difference.

Last edited by bamalam; Feb 16, 2021 at 07:08 AM.
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 07:14 AM
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Originally Posted by bamalam
I just checked my 2020 and the driver wiper gets close to the A-pillar, but does not touch it. From inside the vehicle it looks like it gets very close. From outside, though, it appears there is a 1/4", or a little less, distance between the tip of wiper and the A-pillar at the stop point.

That said, my driver-side wiper has a tendency to "thunk" during operation. It was the first thing I noticed when driving the 150 miles home from the dealer in the rain after I bought it in April. At first I thought it was a mechanical problem. Thoroughly cleaning the windshield and the blade, though, usually makes the sound disappear, so it seems related to the wiper blade itself. Cleaning must be very thorough, and I use a ceramic spray on the windshield. Even then, winter driving conditions mean the windshield is usually dirty, and the blade makes the noise. One of these days I might swap in a good Bosch blade and see if it makes a difference.
Thank you so much for checking!!! That thunk is so annoying and i'll check again if it actually touches, but might not since i see no marks. Really appreciate your help!
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 08:09 AM
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What I have been doing for years is first clean the windshield good, then wipe the blades with a paper towel wet with glass cleaner, then after the blades are dry, get some silicone spray and spray some on the towel, then wipe the blade several times. This will make your rubber blades last much longer.
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 08:38 AM
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Was going to clean the blades, but double checked and the driverside blade taps the A pillar trim... guess i will have to bring this up to the dealership.

Last edited by a4Andre; Feb 16, 2021 at 09:01 AM.
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 09:36 AM
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I haven't looked at mine, but it used to be at the base of the wiper you could lift up a cap that revealed a nut you could loosen and then ever so slightly shift the arm over so it no longer strikes the pillar.
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 10:34 AM
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Yes, that's still true. Loosen the nut and adjust the arm. Make sure that the nut is tight!
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 11:07 AM
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I've had two instances where the nut on the windshield wiper was loose. One time the wiper stuck in the up position, another time it came loose and would not function. They adjusted the wiper position and tightened the nut holding the wiper in place.
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Old Feb 16, 2021 | 03:05 PM
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Thanks for the help everyone. The screw was a bit loose and probably why the arm moved and was tapping the A pillar. Adjusted the arm an everything is fine.
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