Windscreen wiper / bonnet edge on W211

[keiron99]

One little annoyance I have noticed on my 2009 E Class (W211) is that you cannot pull the windscreen wipers forward and away from the windscreen when you are washing the car as the bonnet prevents you from doing this.

On mine in fact, there is a bad chip on the edge of the bonnet where clearly the previous owner has repeatedly brought the wiper forward to clean and it has hit the paint work and chipped it a way bit by bit.

What an irritating little problem. I’m not sure there’s a solution to it as such, but just thought I’d get it off my chest!

In the meantime i have bought a touch up stick. Any advice on how to use this eg. how to prepare the surface?

 

[Ian Donkin]

If you 'park' them in the middle of the screen, you can the lift them away from the screen.

If ever you change your wiper blades, you'll soon understand why they can't be lifted at self park position - you'd soon find yourself without wiper blades if that was possible!

We don't have so much a chip like you mention on yours, but a bloody great run where the bonnet has been open and they've been operated...

 

[keiron99]

If you 'park' them in the middle of the screen, you can the lift them away from the screen.

Thanks. Is that achieved just by switching off while they are in the middle of the screen?

 

[GordonTarling]

Thanks. Is that achieved just by switching off while they are in the middle of the screen?

Yes, you can do that, or just move the passenger side one up a little by hand when the power's off. Not many 211's without this battle scar!

 

[Alps]

most w211`s i have seen have a big scratch along that edge, shame there wasnt some kind of clear rubber\plastic protector on the bonnet side

 

[Ian Donkin]

most w211`s i have seen have a big scratch along that edge, shame there wasnt some kind of clear rubber\plastic protector on the bonnet side

At least the bonnet is aluminium, so this won't rust over time!

 

[sinewave]

Helps achieve a decent drag co-efficient figure if the wipers are buried below the rear bonnet line.

 

[Ian Donkin]

Yes, you can do that, or just move the passenger side one up a little by hand when the power's off. Not many 211's without this battle scar!

Never knew that! Tried it today on ours and with a little further assistance on the drivrs side too, up they both came. Self-parked next time I turned the ignition on also.

Top tip!

 

[GordonTarling]

 

[keiron99]

Great tip! It works! I had to pull very hard though.

I assume there is no risk of damage?

 

[GordonTarling]

I did it for more than two years on my last 211 with no observed problems. But I'm kinda hoping that I did knacker it and that it'll give big problems with the next car the wiper mechanism is fitted to!

 

[Rory]

Never knew that! Tried it today on ours and with a little further assistance on the drivrs side too, up they both came.

I don't know how the wiper drive works on a W211 but it seems counter-intuitive to strain the drive mechansim like that. On many cars, something would just break.

My daughter's Golf has this hidden wiper feature too, but on her car there's somewhat complicated process to go through to get the wipers mid-screen - if you turn the ignition off they just park anway! Noting Ian's comment - on the Golf they won't run unless the bonnet is closed.

They're a bit less susceptible to frost being hidden, but a right pain to release if they do freeze.