ex-quattro PETE

The passenger side windshield wiper on our Q5 chatters - it skips through just about its entire travel path and as a result does not clear that part of the windshield properly.

Since the car is going in for its 5K service next week, I am just going to let Service deal with it, but I was just curious if there was an easy DIY way to correct this by adjusting the wiper angle?

soonerfan

First, put your wipers in the "service" position and take a clean, damp towel with a little soap on it and get the blade as clean as possible. Then you can put a little effort in bending the area where it misses so it is laying flat on the glass.
Be gentle.
If those efforts fail, have your dealer replace the blades. Lord knows how long they sat in the parts bin before installation and environmental factors can hasten their demise.

ELEVENS

I don't think the angle is adjustable. Been using Rain-X lately? If it were mine, and the blades weren't more than a year old (if they are, replace them), I'd clean the windshield with a mild abrasive like Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend, then wipe down the blades with isopropanol.

ex-quattro PETE

No Rain-X.

Car was purchased in October of last year and was made in September, so the blades are at least this old, probably older. Hopefully the dealer will just replace them when I go in to complain.

It wasn't like this when we bought it last year. It is possible there is just some crud or tree sap stuck to the blade that is causing it.

jengram

When we purchased our 2014 A4, the wipers would chatter after one week of having the car. Took the car back to the dealer and they replaced the blades and sent me on my way. Of course the problem was back the next time it rained. Went back again (45 minutes drive for me) and this time showed my butt a little. Told them my previous 10 year old Mini never had issues and now a one week old expensive car has issues. I'm leaving it until you can fix the car. To make a long story short, they kept the car and the fix was polishing the windshield with some type of deglazing compound,. They said there was some type of film on the windshield from the manufacture. After the polishing, no more issues!

IntheQ5

Just buy some auto glass cleaner(foam) and use a microfiber towel. Then clean it at least 3x. I mean literally put some elbow grease to it and not just spray on and wipe off. Road grime,grease, tar is a tacky substance that sticks to your glass and thats why it's jumping/skipping/chattering.

Rockout

I had my Q5 coated with Opti Coat Pro and my detailer threw in Opti Glass coating too. I got chatter and he suggested cleaning the blades with rubbing alcohol and that help a lot. He suggested Audi wiper blades are not the strongest out there and they do tend to chatter due to their flexibility.

Redd

Bon Ami was specifically made (feldspar or diatomaceous earth, IIRC) of a different abrasive material compared to everything else, going way back, to ensure it would not ruin Corningware or porcelain, the way that Ajax and Comet and all the popular cleaners did.
The others all got "gentler" around 1990 and Bon Ami just confused the hell out of everyone by changing their packaging, although not their product.
But Bon Ami would be incapable of being an effective "abrasive" of any sort on glass. Wiper blades usually chatter because they have dried out or something has contaminated the windshield, like "FREE HOT WAX!" being left turned on in the car wash racks.
A good cleaning with ammonia--which dissolves wax and other crud--is all the glass needs to get really clean. Ammonia, like alcohol, is not good long-term for latex or rubber so a good rinse afterwards is important. And of course, it could strip wax from the body if allowed to run onto it.
Also, if the blade isn't correctly snapped into the wiper arm, if it has come loose a little, that could make it chatter.

I've been impressed with how well the original Audi wiper blades have held up. Better than a lot of brand names I've tried over the years.

Bob Petruska

Watch it! There are 2 versions of Bon Ami sold, the new current formula that "may" scratch glass, and the 1886 formula that does not scratch glass. Both are still available but the 1886 formula is a little harder to find.

Redd

Thanks. I see they mention a new formula now, without going into specifics. I've asked them for details on that, will let you know what they say.