Wiper - damaged paint :(

[nightflight]

Heated woindscreen? it is, afterall, only a supermini, it doesn't even have adjustable lumbar support on the seats. If you want all the little extras, get a bigger car, if you want heated windscreens, get a car with them, if you want the best looking super-mini on the market, bar none, then get an ibiza/.

Simples

 

[Dave 77]

Have to agree with that

 

[FR_Rob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave 77 View Post
Ford have a paitant (cant spell ) so no one else can copy it i think or im sure other people would have copyed by now
As has been said already, I think that this is now not true (but can't say why exactly) and I'm also sure that some non Ford cars including some VAG cars are using this idea.

Though I do some one with a newish Mondy that has only half his screen heater working despite some valiant efforts using conducting Araldite after failing to flow solder down into the break. It still sort of fizzes and splutters!


Ford did have a patent but it was only valid for, i think 5 Years. You will probably see other manufacturers roll them out soon.

All PAG vehicles (LR, JAG, VOLVO) have them but that was only because ford used to own them.

I've had it on the last 4 cars i've owned, and to be honest you can clear it quicker youself with a scraper, even quicker with de-icer. It is a good lazy option though, but i probably wouldn't pay extra for it.

 

[jc_boc]

I must admit, when I was in scotland and had it on the little fiesta I was using it was awesome, would hapily pay the extra for it as an option. Would not however just buy a car for the sake of having and yes, I will love my boc as if it were a child of mine hahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[gaffer1986]

Belated reply about new tyres for 17" ibiza sport alloys.

I found the tyres for the 17" wheels cheaper than the tyres for the 16" wheels. I think this is because 215 45 16R is not a common tyre size and only the most expensive manufacturers make them. However 215 40 17R is much more common.

 

[nightflight]

^that was my justification for getting 17's

 

[RUM4MO]

Belated reply about new tyres for 17" ibiza sport alloys.

I found the tyres for the 17" wheels cheaper than the tyres for the 16" wheels. I think this is because 215 45 16R is not a common tyre size and only the most expensive manufacturers make them. However 215 40 17R is much more common.

I'll have to tell my daughter that! That should make her feel a bit better - mind you I still think that she should have opted for the car with 16" alloys as it had ESP and so rear disc brakes - much easier to service regularly! Support for the Goodyear Excellance 215/40 R17 87V XL might improve as time goes on - she can only hope - eventually it was matching the "Excellance" bit and the "87V XL" bits that proved the most problematic/impossible - still not an off the shelf tyre size (yet).

 

[IbizaRocks7]

I've just read the part about the 'service mode' for the wipers and low and behold i have a nice little scratch along the top of my bonnet... great, why didnt anybody tell me when i bought the car!? haha oh well thats another sale for a touch up paint pen. :S

 

[Spurt]

Dont know how you can manage it tbh it clearly wont go past the bonnet so why are people forcing it????

 

[IbizaRocks7]

Tbh i have no idea how I managed it either, feel like an idiot, I only did it yesterday when cleaning my blades, there was no forcing it or anything they just sprung up from the windscreen with very little help. Ah well, too late now..

 

[jc_boc]

I had the problem when I was getting the car washed in the beginning and would set it to service mode and the guys kept asking me to put them down. I would simply say no and not even bother trying to explain as their english was too limited hehehehehehehe. Then when they are done and I set the wipers down again one of the idiots gos to grab and lift it to wipe underneath. You can't even begin to imagine the bollocking I gave him hahahahahahahahaha

 

[markmeus]

It's one of those cases where I'm glad I read the manual when i first got the car.

 

[RUM4MO]

Dont know how you can manage it tbh it clearly wont go past the bonnet so why are people forcing it????

I'd think if someone at Seat ever thought about this problem then they would have designed in to the car the facility for the wipers to stay down low enough to avoid the bonnet when parked, but also keep out of the airflow, then the wipers are required, they would rise up. This "its the service position" is really a joke and a cover up for a typically poor bit of Seat design - ie "form before function" - in the Northern European market areas, front screens do need to get cleaned regularly - and cleared of ice in winter - so I'd expect them to wake up and clear this problem by starting to fit a different design of wiper arm. A bit like VX had to do with the later Cavs - in that case there was no issue with paintwork getting damaged, you simply could not lift the wipers up fully (to replace blades etc) unless you opened the bonnet first (I seem to remember). It only took me a couple of minutes to work out that my car was not going to continue with that problem, so I looked around and discovered that the later 1993> cars were being fitted with a different wiper arm with the swivel further out - £15 later my problem was solved. Maybe keep an eye an later cars as I'd think that like VX, Seat will quietly sort this one out. If its of any help, ALL the Ibixa SCs that frequent the car park at work have the paintwork damaged at that point and most have had the O/S rear tyre replaced (nails or screws) and so have a cheap (only tyres easily available for that 17" size) now fitted.

 

[markmeus]

I don't think they'll change it at all - yes it is a bit of a silly design, but if you read the manual it's clear that there is a service position.

Leon's surely have a service position too as the wipers are hidden in the pillars - and they've been like that since 2005.

 

[Spurt]

They do yes and alteas also. may be a stupid design but to me it seems really easy common sense that the drivers wiper is going to catch, feel sorry for the damaged some people have caused and its probs upsetting if u spent loads on a new car but like anything you buy new u have a look at the manual. But then you could argue poor handover.... I dont think seat is to blame for somthing they do on alot of models.

 

[IbizaRocks7]

Aye just one of those things, the damage is small and not easily noticible, the guy who sold me the car was a very honest salesman and his handover was great, but because i bought the car from a garage other than SEAT he must not have known about he service mode, nevermind, it will teach me to read the manual in future!

 

[The Pielander]

I washed my car this morning and couldn't get the service mode to work - I had to resort to stopping them mid sweep by turning the engine off. I turned the engine on and then off again and moved the wiper stalk to intermittent (the first 'stop'). Nothing happened. What am I doing wrong?

 

[skeat12]

Don't think you have to actually start the engine, just turn it until the lights come on, then off again. Then hit the wiper control once, as if you are just doing one wipe, ie the opposite direction to the intermittent setting. Some one will correct me if i'm wrong

 

[techie]

Yeah, ignition on, ignition off then tap the wiper switch down.

 

[jc_boc]

Yup, washed mine tonight and did the same. Turn off engine if just stopped and tap the wiper stalk down.