Stupid design feature?

Ok, was stripping and sealing the X today and went to pull the wiper blades up to wash underneath them. Found out real quick that was a no no. They don't clear the hood and scrape the edge in a real bad kinda way. This is the first vehicle I have seen that you can't pull up the wiper blade to the point where it maintains the raised position on its own. What's up with that?

Another very good reason to read the manual that comes with your car.

you have to move the blades to about 4-6 inches up the window, yes, turn them on and then turn the car off so they stop. THEN you can lift them up.

It's for aerodynamics. Some previous car I've had before also had this minor annoyance.

Raising the wipers to the top position (letting them run 1/2 of a cycle) is known as the service position, I remember seeing another brand of car have a button you can push to put them in the service position but I forgot which one. This is definitely not the only car (or BMW) to be designed like this.

Interesting... I have a scrape *just* like that ;-)

Consider that GM had "hidden wipers" way back in the late 60's and deja vu'. Now those retracted as a seperate movement from the wipe cycle and went completely under the hood. BMW would avoid a lot of this if the wipers *were* completely under. As they are they *look* like they should come up like so many others do.

Originally Posted by surgtech72@yaho

Another very good reason to read the manual that comes with your car.

Yip - like vroom3440 mentioned in another thread, it's a case of "RTFM" ...



Owner's Handbook Page 39

Nothing major. I've made it habit to move the blades to the "turning point" and switch the ignition off before I was the X

Another stupid design feature is the owner's manual itself. It is so packed full of warnings for the unthinking driver that it is twice as long as it needs to be and annoying to use.

Originally Posted by mikelahti

Another stupid design feature is the owner's manual itself. It is so packed full of warnings for the unthinking driver that it is twice as long as it needs to be and annoying to use.

Notice: Americans will sue if not warned beforehand in big bold letters and huge exclamation points!

Warning: Reading this post may result in injury such as but not limited to back pain, electrocution, or eye strain. Adjusting the font display size of your browser or brightness of monitor may reduce the risk of these injuries. Always use caution when using a laptop or computing device, as serious injury or death may result.

......................................

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

...Warning: Reading this post may result in injury such as but not limited to back pain, electrocution, or eye strain. Adjusting the font display size of your browser or brightness of monitor may reduce the risk of these injuries. Always use caution when using a laptop or computing device, as serious injury or death may result.

...was about to notify my lawyer - and then I saw your "small print"

Originally Posted by mikelahti

Another stupid design feature is the owner's manual itself...

...no choice but to get use to the format .

I must admit that the BMW owner's handbooks that I've seen over the years are some of the more professional handbooks out there. You should see my wife's little Honda Jazz's handbook. Or even worse, our Yamaha waverunner's handbook. You need a translator just to translate the English to proper English ...

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

Notice: Americans will sue if not warned beforehand in big bold letters and huge exclamation points!

Warning: Reading this post may result in injury such as but not limited to back pain, electrocution, or eye strain. Adjusting the font display size of your browser or brightness of monitor may reduce the risk of these injuries. Always use caution when using a laptop or computing device, as serious injury or death may result.

oh my god, too funny... AzN, let me guess, legal field? If not, that was really good.. However, and I try no to ask what some may consider stupid questions on message boards, as I am averse to the acronym RTFM, I consider myself pretty handy around cars, usually do reference my owners manual at anything that may cornfuse me... but I have got to say, aerodynamics or not, I too think this is a goofy design! And honestly, would not even know how to reference the owners manual as to what? "why my windshield wipers scratch hood?" Obviously from the amount of scratchs on the underside of my hood, so did the previous owner.