Ls400 Mk4 Wipers

[shaz5331]

MY LS400 98 WIPERS ARE SET UP QUITE HIGH......IS THERE A WAY U CAN ADJUST THEM AND SET THEM LOWER SO IT HIDES UNDER THE BONNET?

AND ALSO IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE BOSCH WIPERS ON THIS CAR? I HAD A 93 LS AND U HAD TO REPLACE THE BLADE NOT THE WHOLE WIPER?

[TigerFish]

Are the wipers set to Winter mode rather than the lower summer position? On my Mk1 GS, it is a rotating switch on the wiper stalk to change between the two.

[shaz5331]

NOT SURE THEY JUST REST HIGHER UP BUT IM SURE THEY SUPPOSED TO REST HIDDEN BEHIND THE BONNET....

[TigerFish]

Do you have the owners manual? It should mention it (winter/summer mode) if you can change it easily yourself.

[Chris Skelton]

'Winter mode'? You learn something new on here! Must look!

[TigerFish]

'Winter mode'? You learn something new on here! Must look!

That's assuming the LS has it of course I'd be surprised if the GS had something the LS didn't though. I think it designed so that the blades park where the demister vents are, so that they can be defrosted and unstuck in icy weather easier.

[Glenn007]

I had an 96 LS400 and in order to change the blade on the drivers side you have to undo a screw on the link arm of the wiper. This allows you to change the angle of the blade in order to remove it. If this wasnt set up right the wiper might be physically hitting something and stopping it from going back to its home position. You can loosen this screw and adjust the blade, the best way I found to do this is to stop the wipers using the ignition key when they are at the vertical position. Loosen the screw and line the drivers wiper blade up so its parallel to the side of the windscreen.

As for change the wipers as opposed to the blades, alot of people on here just change the blades as they are unaware of the screw on the link arm. Bosch wipers are just as good as any to put on.

Hope this helps.

Glenn

MY LS400 98 WIPERS ARE SET UP QUITE HIGH......IS THERE A WAY U CAN ADJUST THEM AND SET THEM LOWER SO IT HIDES UNDER THE BONNET?

AND ALSO IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE BOSCH WIPERS ON THIS CAR? I HAD A 93 LS AND U HAD TO REPLACE THE BLADE NOT THE WHOLE WIPER?

[alanr]

Mk 4 wipers are adjustable for the parking position, but the wiper arms are slightly different for driver and passenger sides. Start adjustment procedure with wipers in fully parked position.

On passenger side, unclip the round plastic cover at the base of the arm, slacken the nut below the cover, and gently ease the complete arm loose from the splined spindle. Do not use excessive force when releasing the arm from its spline. Reposition the arm to where you want it, but leave a slight clearance (1-2mm) between the arm and the plastic rest it sits against when in the parked position.

The driver's side wiper works on a pantograph mechanism, and the adjustment for wiper arm height is essentially the same as before, although there is no cover over the spindle nut. You may find this arm will be very tight on the spindle if it hasn't ever been removed from initial manufacture. Once you are happy with the height adjustment, you may find that the pantograph requires adjustment. I did this by switching on the wipers, and then turning off at the ignition switch when they are at full travel. If the blade is parallel with the black windscreen trim at the side, then all well and good. If not, then slacken the two screws at the base of the secondary pantograph arm, and slide on the slotted adjustment until blade is parallel with side of windscreen. Only very minor adjustment is needed here to produce large angle changes.

When I bought my car, both wipers parked so low that it was straining the mechanism, and it also left a large unwiped strip at the side of the driver's screen. I had several attempts at adjustment before I was completely happy with the parked position, the area of screen that was wiped, and with no clanking or banging of wiper blades against trim on full travel in really wet conditions. (wiper blades will travel over a slightly larger arc in really heavy rain, or on the high speed position) Like most things in life, the ideal position for me ended up being a slight compromise. Also, wiper adjustment tends to be a very empirical exercise. (a suck it and see basis)

I use Bosch wipers myself, 22 inch with aerofoil on the driver's side, 15 inch without on the passenger side. Since purchase, I have been plagued with an occasional squeaky blade with drizzle and light rain conditions. Keeping the blades clean of road film and grease is essential. I understand that the genuine Lexus rubbers are treated somehow to help prevent this sort of squeaking. Use of good quality windscreen washer fluid with an alcohol based inhibitor helps to reduce some of this squeaking. A bootle of vodka would probably do just as well, and it wouldn't freeze in winter !

Hope this has been of use,

Regards, Alan

[shaz5331]

what is pantograph mechanism....

[steve-bedford]

A bootle of vodka would probably do just as well, and it wouldn't freeze in winter !

I often find a large bottle V helps when thinking about my LS - It gets me through the night.

[floggit]

what is pantograph mechanism....

\hi pantograph is when the blade has two arms attached to it , you probably seen it on buses ,lorries, and some people carriers.

My 95 doesent have any switch on the arm for summer/winter mode and no mention in the h/book.. Got a feeling the gs owners may have one up on the ls here !!!

cheers steve

[shaz5331]

what is aerofoil? so are bosch ones not good on the mk4s? am i better off gettin lexus ones? and does the whole blade need replacing of just the rubber on the mk4?

[soundchaser100]

Mk 4 wipers are adjustable for the parking position, but the wiper arms are slightly different for driver and passenger sides. Start adjustment procedure with wipers in fully parked position.

On passenger side, unclip the round plastic cover at the base of the arm, slacken the nut below the cover, and gently ease the complete arm loose from the splined spindle. Do not use excessive force when releasing the arm from its spline. Reposition the arm to where you want it, but leave a slight clearance (1-2mm) between the arm and the plastic rest it sits against when in the parked position.

The driver's side wiper works on a pantograph mechanism, and the adjustment for wiper arm height is essentially the same as before, although there is no cover over the spindle nut. You may find this arm will be very tight on the spindle if it hasn't ever been removed from initial manufacture. Once you are happy with the height adjustment, you may find that the pantograph requires adjustment. I did this by switching on the wipers, and then turning off at the ignition switch when they are at full travel. If the blade is parallel with the black windscreen trim at the side, then all well and good. If not, then slacken the two screws at the base of the secondary pantograph arm, and slide on the slotted adjustment until blade is parallel with side of windscreen. Only very minor adjustment is needed here to produce large angle changes.

When I bought my car, both wipers parked so low that it was straining the mechanism, and it also left a large unwiped strip at the side of the driver's screen. I had several attempts at adjustment before I was completely happy with the parked position, the area of screen that was wiped, and with no clanking or banging of wiper blades against trim on full travel in really wet conditions. (wiper blades will travel over a slightly larger arc in really heavy rain, or on the high speed position) Like most things in life, the ideal position for me ended up being a slight compromise. Also, wiper adjustment tends to be a very empirical exercise. (a suck it and see basis)

I use Bosch wipers myself, 22 inch with aerofoil on the driver's side, 15 inch without on the passenger side. Since purchase, I have been plagued with an occasional squeaky blade with drizzle and light rain conditions. Keeping the blades clean of road film and grease is essential. I understand that the genuine Lexus rubbers are treated somehow to help prevent this sort of squeaking. Use of good quality windscreen washer fluid with an alcohol based inhibitor helps to reduce some of this squeaking. A bootle of vodka would probably do just as well, and it wouldn't freeze in winter !

Hope this has been of use,

Regards, Alan

I fitted Bosch wipers to my 1996 Mk3 LS400, after about 6 months they squeaked so badly I preferred to drive in light rain with them switched off. Went to Halfords to buy replacements and discovered that they didn't make them for LS anymore. Bought Lexus ones (took out mortgage) but oh! its so lovely to have wipers that dont sound like fingernails down a blackboard. Paul