Deadly windscreen wipers... Skoda. Simply Stupid.

**ausspace87** · 06-05-2012, 01:23 AM

I washed my car today. I also replaced the wiper blades with new ones. As I was in the middle of changing the wiper blades, I needed to move my car forward slightly to enable a relative to drive behind my car. As I started to drive forward my wipers realised they were in the "service position" and decided to put themselves away. They then hit the bonnet and the metal hooks on the end of the wiper arms smashed into the windscreen in two places. My windscreen is now completely cracked with one crack running halfway up the glass...
Skoda. Simply Clever...? Yeah right. The wipers should stay in the "service position" until you press the wiper controller again, regardless of if you start driving! My previous cars (also had rain sensing wipers) never automatically engaged the wipers unless the wiper stalk was pressed. I'm furious.

**Antiplastix** · 06-05-2012, 08:51 AM

Ummmmm, I dont think its the car thats "stupid". It doesnt have a brain, it cant think for its self. The operator on the other hand should be able to.

**Candyman** · 06-05-2012, 08:57 AM

I've heard of it happening to quite a few people

I don't use the service mode anymore when washing the car, just a wipe with the microfibre mitt soaked in car wash solution by running the mitt under the blade - cleans the screen and the blade

**jameshero** · 06-05-2012, 09:21 AM

well if you had to push the stalk to engage them, then they weren't really automatic wipers, did you have the stalk in the automatic or off position?

**ausspace87** · 06-05-2012, 10:24 AM

The stalk was in the "off" position. Hence the surprise when they engaged. One would think that when something is set to off, it would remain off until you turn it on again!

**Candyman** · 06-05-2012, 10:27 AM

They were off and returning to the off position.

Service mode is just that. VW don't expect someone to drive in service mode.

They worked as designed

**gregozedobe** · 06-05-2012, 12:44 PM

Is this behaviour described in your owner's manual ? If it is, then you now have some very good ($$$$) reasons to give said document a thorough read.

**hooba** · 06-05-2012, 12:46 PM

Holy moses, a Rover 75!

**woofy** · 06-05-2012, 12:53 PM

If you have a look I had the same thing happen in late 2008, I was washing the car, and moving it forward to dry in the garage, in my case it took paint off to bare metal on the driver facing edge of the bonnet. Was about $100 at the dealer to fix it up with a touchup guy, all good now.

I didn't blame the car though, they return to home position automatically, otherwise you would have an illegal situation where the wipers are blocking the drivers view. It was my first car with auto wipers, and I 100% blamed myself. I learnt my lesson, put them down before driving it anywhere...

**dArK5HaD0w** · 06-05-2012, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by ausspace87

The stalk was in the "off" position. Hence the surprise when they engaged. One would think that when something is set to off, it would remain off until you turn it on again!

u took the wipers out of the 'off'' position into a 'service' position.
the "service" position is not an off state.

its not a skoda fail, its an operator fail.
should b a lesson learnt. before u start the car, make sure the wipers r back on the windscreen.
the manual says so too.

the wipers were merely returning back to its "rest" position.

sorry to hear that this has happened though, as u now have a cracked windscreen.

Originally Posted by gregozedobe

Is this behaviour described in your owner's manual ? If it is, then you now have some very good ($$$$) reasons to give said document a thorough read.

its clearly stated on pg 63 of the octavia user manual.