Comments on: Car window wiper mystery

By: Jamie Gruener

Jamie Gruener — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:29:04 +0000

I’m with Nathan. It makes no sense that non-hatchbacks lack a rear wiper. We recently sold our Civic hatchback that had fairly vertical rear glass and a wiper. Had it been a sedan, the wiper would have been missing.

I think the reason hatchbacks get wipers is because there’s room for it. In sedans there is less room for wiper arms. But that’s just a guess.

By: Amitai

Amitai — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:31:22 +0000

Nathan,

In Israel - that’s the law. Even when the geometry of the car is (virtually) unchanged, if the rear window is part of a hatch - it has to have a wiper (see Mazda6 for example). It makes no sense.

On cars with vertical rear windows, and without a separate trunk (like minivans, or Renault Clio), a rear wiper is really beneficial, becuase all the crud thrown into the air by your own car ends up on your rear window - probably has to do with turbulence behind your car.

By: Nathan Zeldes

Nathan Zeldes — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:01:05 +0000

Interesting idea, Tom. I’ll look to see whether that relationship exists, though my impression is that the division is exact - four doors no wiper, 5 doors yes. Of course four door cars also have a more slanting glass.

By: Tom Burnham

Tom Burnham — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:22:13 +0000

I think it has to do with the angle of the glass. Some windows naturally collect more crud (mostly dust) than others. Look around and see whether wipers are not more prevalent on windows which are more nearly vertical than those which lack wipers.

By: charlie

charlie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:48:49 +0000

you can’t reach the rear window from the backseat of an SUV, but can from the backseat of a sedan.