mattgical

only SUVs, vans and hatchbacks have wipers in the back.

why not all cars, like sedans and coupes?

i'm sure they can figure out a way to make it work even if the windows are curved differently.

kalashnikov

I think a lot of the japanese ones do, like toyotas.

Well, really, I just hate american cars.

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alkaloid

I don't think rear window wipers are necessary on Sedans because there is the trunk area that extends farther from the rear window and it prevents from mud splashing. In SUVs, hatchbacks and station wagons, the rear window is behind the rear wheel and not protected like sedans.
I sometimes use rear window wiper on my SUV on rainy days but I don't recall ever wanting one on my Sedan.

Kadath

I want one on mysedan. Apparently I should buy a Japanese car.

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rsl12

if i may thread-jack slightly: what's the deal with the wipers on headlights?? does this serve any useful purpose?

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kwoodmex

I'm curious about that also.

And to slightly go back to the other topic on this thread. I wish to hell my burban had the single door with the wiper in the back instead of the split-down the middle one.

A)it's a pain in the ass looking back in the rearview and having 5-6 inches of obstructed view right in the middle.

and B) it would have the wiper. It rains like hell in Houston, and after about a day of rain, I can't see jack outta the two windows in the back because there's so much crud on em. Cleaning them with the window cleaner at the gas station is a frequent thing.

Redlemon

A couple of days after it snows and the roads are dried out, there's a horrible spray you get from the salt and/or other deicing chemicals. This can cut down the effectiveness of the headlights. I don't have wipers, but I use the gas station squeegies to clean my headlights.

pocon1

I never thought I needed them, until I went skiing in Canada. My god, everytime I stopped in the gas station I was cleaning my lights and tailights. You really could not see, and my license plate got so you could not read the plate.

kutulu

I think rear wipers are overrated. I have one on my celica and I've never used it. Of course I live in Phx, but when it does rain here its ususally a violent monsoon downpour.

kwoodmex

Never been in snow before, probably why I had no idea that this would actually be a reason for needing those wipers. Cool to finally know the reason for them.

mattgical

the newer luxury cars have a sprayer that pops out and sprays the headlights now, instead of wipers.

you really only see wipers on the earlier generations of Volvos and Benzes.

i drive a hatchback and I use my rear wiper all the time to SEE!!!

so whoever says they dont need one, try looking out the rear window backing out a parking lot while it rains.

kutulu

I always thought those headlight wipers were the dumbest looking things ever.

absorbentishe

I never use the one on my van. I hate it, if I need to clean it, I'll stop at a gas station. To each his own though.

splck

I hate them too, all they do is scratch your rear window because of all the road grime.
Just use your side mirrors and you're good to go.

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WarWagon

I'd be pulling it off to save weight anyways

Rlyss

This might be a cynical way of looking at it, but my dad always used to point out that some things are just there on cars because they need to have accessories. Car makers need to add things on one car and not add them on others so people have a choice. They can choose to pay more for this car because it has wipers on the side mirrors, or demisters on the radio screen, or your choice of one, or <i>two</i> cup holders, while other car doesn't have that stuff.

Hwed

If you remove the little rubber hose on the rear wiper of a Jeep Cherokee, it will shoot a jet of washer fluid/water/whatever's in the tank in a slight arc about 15 feet back. Great fun at stoplights. Activate the rear turret!

MSD

More parts=higher cost, less room in car body. More moving parts=more to break, more to worry about.

mofunk

I'm glad to see someone else does this! I had an old Taurus, and this was the greatest fun.


And as far as the wiper blade, you usually don't need them. Snow is defrosted, and rain is usually swept off by wind when driving.
Other than parking, its not all that necessary.

basmoq

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I used to do this with my old plymoth acclaim, only it was the front wiper, and it broke on it's own. I used to drive by kids on the street and soak em, hehe. I did it to my girlfriend once, cant figure out why she didn't think it was funny

The_wall

The rear wiper on my cherokee shoots back an arc lol. I guess I have a broken tube, I never knew why it did this but I have had some fun shooting people with this

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Rippley

I think the rear wiper comes in very handy, when watching for trailing highway cops when speeding in less than perfect weather...

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kurtisj

pretty pointless USUALLY. but im sure there are rare occurences where they would help. not important enough to put on all cars thou

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THGL

It has to do with the aerodynamics of a sedan versus an SUV/Van/Hatchback.

The boxy shape of an SUV or whatever creates a vacuum and that sucks rain/mud/road grime towards the rear window. A sedan's shape doesn't do that as much and therefore doesn't need the wiper.

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Rodney

I have an older hatchback with a rear wiper, and I definitely _don't_ need it when the car is moving, especially on the highway: through some drafting effect, rain rarely falls on the rear hatch window. Only in an out-and-out deluge is the rear wiper needed.

In stop-and-go traffic, however, I use the rear wiper constantly on rainy days; because every time I stop, the rain gathers on the rear hatch window.