Windshield Wiper Arm Park Issues

[IWRBB]

So I changed out the wiper blades on my wife's 2019 ST yesterday.  It sat on the lot for months and the blades were not in great shape.  

 

I turned on the ignition and wipers, then turned it off with them "up" since you cannot raise the wiper arms with them down without the arms hitting the hood. Nice design BTW Ford.  

 

I then replaced the wiper blades without issue.  Both came right off and the new ones snapped right in.  I didn't rotate the arms or put any undue stress on them.

 

So I then go back in and hit the ignition button and turn off the wipers.  They go down, then the driver's side does some weird, jerky two-step park maneuver.  It actually lifts the center portion of the blade completely off the glass for a half second then goes back down. It's really weird and never did that before.  Not only that, they do it every time you turn on the ignition now, even with the wipers off.

 

Has anyone ran into this before?  I assume it's an issue with the wiper motor itself and will need to go to the dealer for replacement- but I figured I'd ask here before we go through all of that.  I have Forscan, so if there's some type of re-calibration in one of the modules, I'd rather try that first than have the dealer tear into it.  It just seems weird it happened right after the blades were changed.   I did swap the blades from side to side a month or so ago without any issues though. 

 

It's one of the few vehicles I've ever seen with the same sized wiper blades on both sides.  That's nice and all, but the whole "center out" swipe thing- meh.  Do not like.        

[onyxbfly]

The only issue that I have ever had is when I pulled my wipers up for the incoming snow storm. I did not put them back down in the correct order. The blades did something similar to what you described and they re orientated themselves. 

[IWRBB]

I don't even see how that's possible on ours- there is no way to lift the arms/wipers up when they are in the down/off position.  You can lift them very slightly, but any more than like an inch and the arms hit the back edge of the hood.  Maybe that's a change in the hood on the 2019 vs earlier models? 

 

They only way to do it is to turn off the ignition with them at the top of the swipe, in a vertical orientation on the glass.  It's a really crappy design IMO.  I've had cars that have to go down in a particular order like you said, but never that you couldn't lift them when they are in the off position.

Edited August 30, 2019 by IWRBB

[omar302]

With the ignition "OFF" you can move the wipers by hand to the up position then you can lift them. When the ignition is off, the wiper motors can be moved freely. After replacing the blades make sure to lower the wipers back to the windshield. Once the ignition is turned on the wiper motors will start and park the wipers back to their position. If the order of the wipers is incorrect, the motors will do correct their positions.

[IWRBB]

So you move the arms by hand, do the blade swap, then just put them back on the glass, and then turn on the ignition?  I'll try that and see if it works itself out. 

 

I assume you can move each one individually and they are not hard linked together like mos vehicles? 

[onyxbfly]

1 hour ago, IWRBB said:

So you move the arms by hand, do the blade swap, then just put them back on the glass, and then turn on the ignition?  I'll try that and see if it works itself out. 

 

I assume you can move each one individually and they are not hard linked together like mos vehicles? 

 

You are correct!  I did not do the blade swap, but that is exactly the procedure.  

[omar302]

1 hour ago, IWRBB said:

I assume you can move each one individually and they are not hard linked together like mos vehicles? 

 

Yes, there are 2 separate motors.

[IWRBB]

Wife got home tonight- I moved them up by hand then went in a hit the ignition button- they came down and parked normally.  No issues now.  Thanks guys.

[JoeVic]

On 8/30/2019 at 10:02 AM, IWRBB said:

So I changed out the wiper blades on my wife's 2019 ST yesterday.  It sat on the lot for months and the blades were not in great shape.  

 

I turned on the ignition and wipers, then turned it off with them "up" since you cannot raise the wiper arms with them down without the arms hitting the hood. Nice design BTW Ford.  

 

I then replaced the wiper blades without issue.  Both came right off and the new ones snapped right in.  I didn't rotate the arms or put any undue stress on them.

 

So I then go back in and hit the ignition button and turn off the wipers.  They go down, then the driver's side does some weird, jerky two-step park maneuver.  It actually lifts the center portion of the blade completely off the glass for a half second then goes back down. It's really weird and never did that before.  Not only that, they do it every time you turn on the ignition now, even with the wipers off.

 

Has anyone ran into this before?  I assume it's an issue with the wiper motor itself and will need to go to the dealer for replacement- but I figured I'd ask here before we go through all of that.  I have Forscan, so if there's some type of re-calibration in one of the modules, I'd rather try that first than have the dealer tear into it.  It just seems weird it happened right after the blades were changed.   I did swap the blades from side to side a month or so ago without any issues though. 

 

It's one of the few vehicles I've ever seen with the same sized wiper blades on both sides.  That's nice and all, but the whole "center out" swipe thing- meh.  Do not like.        

If you use OEM Style Blades, they are two different part numbers.  Same length, but the aerodynamic edge has to face front.

 

I wasn't crazy about the "center out" either,  but you get used to it.  

[Gadgetjq]

On 8/30/2019 at 4:23 PM, IWRBB said:

Wife got home tonight- I moved them up by hand then went in a hit the ignition button- they came down and parked normally.  No issues now.  Thanks guys.

Looks like you have the issue sorted but for future reference the "service position" for wiper blades (handy when washing your Edge) is detailed in your owner's manual (and yes, it certainly could have been explained better).  Here's a copy/paste:

Service Position   

Set the windshield wipers in the service position to change the wiper blades. The windshield wipers return to the starting position when you switch the ignition on. 

1. Switch the ignition off.
2. Move the wiper arms to the service position manually.
Note: You cannot move the wiper arms to the service position manually when you
switch the ignition on.
Note: You can use the service position to provide easier access to the wiper blades
for freeing them from snow and ice. Make sure the windshield is free from snow and
ice before you switch the windshield wipers on.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Gadgetjq

[IWRBB]

On 11/8/2019 at 10:27 PM, JoeVic said:

If you use OEM Style Blades, they are two different part numbers.  Same length, but the aerodynamic edge has to face front.

 

I wasn't crazy about the "center out" either,  but you get used to it.  

 

So what are the part numbers?  Motorcraft, which to me are OEM "style", list the same wiper for both sides.   

 

AFAIK, you CANNOT buy the actual OEM wipers unless you buy them from a factory worker in Canada who assembles Ford Edges and smuggled them out the back door.  The original wipers were noticeably different than the Motorcraft replacement parts, as they always have been on every Ford I've owned.

 

[IWRBB]

On 11/9/2019 at 8:03 AM, Gadgetjq said:

Looks like you have the issue sorted but for future reference the "service position" for wiper blades (handy when washing your Edge) is detailed in your owner's manual (and yes, it certainly could have been explained better).  Here's a copy/paste:

Service Position 

Set the windshield wipers in the service position to change the wiper blades. The windshield wipers return to the starting position when you switch the ignition on. 

1. Switch the ignition off.
2. Move the wiper arms to the service position manually.
Note: You cannot move the wiper arms to the service position manually when you
switch the ignition on.
Note: You can use the service position to provide easier access to the wiper blades
for freeing them from snow and ice. Make sure the windshield is free from snow and
ice before you switch the windshield wipers on.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, RTFM is totally appropriate here- I just never expected a special process to change wiper blades I guess.  Only done wiper blades around 100 times over the years on dozens of vehicles with no such special instructions necessary, but I've never owned anything with the whack ass center-out style wipers either.  

[omar302]

3 hours ago, IWRBB said:

So what are the part numbers?  Motorcraft, which to me are OEM "style", list the same wiper for both sides.   

 

Right side.

Left side.

 

They also Motorcraft. The Owners Manual states them as:

WW-2755 (driver side)

WW-2760 (passenger side)