F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Jim49

Well-Known Member
Having had a new F10 for less than a week, I find the car is great; except for the design of the front windscreen wipers.

I feel very strongly that the wiper arms are badly designed. In their normal parked position, when they are hinged outwards, away from the glass, they can come into contact with the rear edge of the bonnet. If and when this happens with enough force the wiper arms can be bent and become distorted, and the bonnet paintwork will also suffer damage.

While we as the owners and our household members can be aware of this and be careful, there is no guarantee that others outside would be cognizant of such a poor design.

Imagine you are at a petrol station, and you have just gone in to the station office to make payment. Along comes an enthusiastic pump attendant who sets of immediately to clean your front windscreen. What can ensue next does not require a vivid imagination of how the wiper arms will kiss the bonnet edge.

Suppose you are somewhere up north in some obscure place where there are "jaga kereta" who still write out parking slips for parking charges. Where else can they secure these slips of paper, but between the windscreen and the wiper blades? A fertile imagination is not needed to foretell the consequence of the wiper arms contacting the bonnet.

Another scenerio can occur anywhere. A traffic cop comes along and in your absence issues a citation, and as always where else can he/she place the citation slip but under the wiper blade. As you pay the fine for the traffic violation can you also make the Traffic Police pay for the damage to the car? The same thing can happen in a carpark when your car has over-stayed and the parking attendant comes along to issue a parking violation.

The above are very real scenerios, and I am sure some if not many of the members reading this must have experienced them or other situations that have resulted in damaged wiper arms as well as bonnet paintwork.

I would like to suggest that BMW re-design the windscreen wiper arms and recall all the F10's to be modified. Alright, it is not a safety issue, so a major recall is not necessary, but carry out the modification at the first instance the car is brought in for any service or repair, or whenever the car is brought in for repairs to damaged wiper arms and bonnet finishing. BMW should also be held responsible for any damage to the wipers and paintwork caused by such a dumb and brainless design.

What do all you bros and sis' say?
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

I agree n will never let any pump attendant clean my windscreen.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

MW;1091273 said:
I agree n will never let any pump attendant clean my windscreen.

Sure, I would not let anyone touch my new car; but what about those times when your back is turned?
Or everywhere you go you tell everyone, "Don't touch the wipers, hah?"
Not practical, tio boh?
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Ok I am returning my car
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Same design flaw in the F30. I am sure in a few other newer series too. Never had this issue in my previous E60. BMW took a step backwards...as far as wiper placement is concerned....:shoot:
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Jim49;1091274 said:
Sure, I would not let anyone touch my new car; but what about those times when your back is turned?
Or everywhere you go you tell everyone, "Don't touch the wipers, hah?"
Not practical, tio boh?

With the utmost respect, you might then want to set your net a little further and ask that the whole German car industry review their wiper designs I think.

Most current Audi, VW designs are the same. All in the name of drag reduction.

Plus credit to some of our uncles manning the petrol stations, I've seen some of them who are aware of this and act accordingly with caution when cleaning the windscreen.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Damn - I did not know that it was to reduce drag.... Good to know!!

340driver;1091279 said:
With the utmost respect, you might then want to set your net a little further and ask that the whole German car industry review their wiper designs I think.

Most current Audi, VW designs are the same. All in the name of drag reduction.

Plus credit to some of our uncles manning the petrol stations, I've seen some of them who are aware of this and act accordingly with caution when cleaning the windscreen.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

My e90 and e92 not designed that way. So am I dragging, sorry I mean do I have more drag, sorry I mean the drag on my car, aiya anyway its drag lah. Should I mod to F30 type of wiper design. Those who know which workshop can do this mod please PM.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Unpark your wipers when u leave your car.
Worst come back to missing blades, at least no need to change bonnet
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Its for two things, I would presume:

1. Aerodynamics and reduction of wind noise or;
2. Prevent theft
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Do you have a picture ?

Is it the wiper arm or the wiper blade ?

Jim49;1091270 said:
Having had a new F10 for less than a week, I find the car is great; except for the design of the front windscreen wipers.

I feel very strongly that the wiper arms are badly designed. In their normal parked position, when they are hinged outwards, away from the glass, they can come into contact with the rear edge of the bonnet. If and when this happens with enough force the wiper arms can be bent and become distorted, and the bonnet paintwork will also suffer damage.

While we as the owners and our household members can be aware of this and be careful, there is no guarantee that others outside would be cognizant of such a poor design.

Imagine you are at a petrol station, and you have just gone in to the station office to make payment. Along comes an enthusiastic pump attendant who sets of immediately to clean your front windscreen. What can ensue next does not require a vivid imagination of how the wiper arms will kiss the bonnet edge.

Suppose you are somewhere up north in some obscure place where there are "jaga kereta" who still write out parking slips for parking charges. Where else can they secure these slips of paper, but between the windscreen and the wiper blades? A fertile imagination is not needed to foretell the consequence of the wiper arms contacting the bonnet.

Another scenerio can occur anywhere. A traffic cop comes along and in your absence issues a citation, and as always where else can he/she place the citation slip but under the wiper blade. As you pay the fine for the traffic violation can you also make the Traffic Police pay for the damage to the car? The same thing can happen in a carpark when your car has over-stayed and the parking attendant comes along to issue a parking violation.

The above are very real scenerios, and I am sure some if not many of the members reading this must have experienced them or other situations that have resulted in damaged wiper arms as well as bonnet paintwork.

I would like to suggest that BMW re-design the windscreen wiper arms and recall all the F10's to be modified. Alright, it is not a safety issue, so a major recall is not necessary, but carry out the modification at the first instance the car is brought in for any service or repair, or whenever the car is brought in for repairs to damaged wiper arms and bonnet finishing. BMW should also be held responsible for any damage to the wipers and paintwork caused by such a dumb and brainless design.

What do all you bros and sis' say?
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Arm. It's quite obvious it was under the bonnet for some sort of aerodynamics. If the germans overlooked a simple wiper blade design, your car should have fallen apart by now.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

To change wiper blades or expect summon tickets, try this...

[video=youtube_share;IRQtknJDtVU]http://youtu.be/IRQtknJDtVU[/video]

No guru here and took me 3 seconds to google.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Jim49;1091270 said:
I would like to suggest that BMW re-design the windscreen wiper arms and recall all the F10's to be modified. Alright, it is not a safety issue, so a major recall is not necessary, but carry out the modification at the first instance the car is brought in for any service or repair, or whenever the car is brought in for repairs to damaged wiper arms and bonnet finishing. BMW should also be held responsible for any damage to the wipers and paintwork caused by such a dumb and brainless design.

What do all you bros and sis' say?

Ha ha ha... recall all F10s? Dumb and brainless design? Don't know what to say? Looks more like user problem...
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

detach8;1092481 said:
Arm. It's quite obvious it was under the bonnet for some sort of aerodynamics. If the germans overlooked a simple wiper blade design, your car should have fallen apart by now.

Can't agree more

pengful;1092554 said:
Ha ha ha... recall all F10s? Dumb and brainless design? Don't know what to say? Looks more like user problem...

Not only F10. The F01/02 also.
Rem the merc S class 15yrs ago was already using this design.
Wow.... it may end up with a recall of 80% of conti cars on the road throughout the whole world.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

Jim49;1091270 said:
Having had a new F10 for less than a week, I find the car is great; except for the design of the front windscreen wipers.

I feel very strongly that the wiper arms are badly designed. In their normal parked position, when they are hinged outwards, away from the glass, they can come into contact with the rear edge of the bonnet. If and when this happens with enough force the wiper arms can be bent and become distorted, and the bonnet paintwork will also suffer damage.....

.. the wiper arms will kiss the bonnet edge.

"jaga kereta" who still write out parking slips for parking charges. Where else can they secure these slips of paper, but between the windscreen and the wiper blades?.....

..... A traffic cop comes along and in your absence issues a citation, and as always where else can he/she place the citation slip but under the wiper blade....

.... have resulted in damaged wiper arms as well as bonnet paintwork.

My kakis and I get citations very often and so far no damage to our bonnet paintwork. No issues with the cleaning of windscreen at petrol stations too.

Nowadays BMWs are so common in Singapore that the petrol attendants and enforcers know more about our cars than most of us do. So we are not worried.

Have anyone damaged your bonnet's paintwork so far?
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

I m now standing outside PML waiting to return my car although mine was from PI
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

MW;1092568 said:
I m now standing outside PML waiting to return my car although mine was from PI

Try tomorrow. Cannot return on Sunday one.
 
Re: F10 Wiper Arms - Badly Designed

pengful;1092287 said:
Get a life people!

It's a crude way of saying it, but yes, I agree. The novelty of the new car will wear off quick once your doors get scratched and banged by other cars and lorries while parked, or get keyed by some jerk. Can't really avoid unless you keep you car permanently garaged in a landed property.

And not to mention like some people who curb their rims - ouch

Welcome to reality. Life is short, enjoy the new car!
 
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