Technical Bulletin
Model(s)

Year

Eng. Code

Trans. Code

VIN Range From

VIN Range To

New Beetle

1998-2010

All

All

All

All

New Beetle
Convertible

2003-2010

All

All

All

All

Beetle

2012-2014

All

All

All

All

Beetle
Convertible

2013-2014

All

All

All

All

Jetta

2005-2014

All

All

All

All

Golf

2006- 2014

All

All

All

All

Passat

2006-2014

All

All

All

All

City Jetta

2007-2010

All

All

All

All

City Golf

2008-2010

All

All

All

All

Eos

2007-2014

All

All

All

All

Tiguan

2008-2014

All

All

All

All

Jetta
SportWagen

2010-2014

All

All

All

All

CC

2009-2014

All

All

All

All

Touareg

2005-2014

All

All

All

All

Condition
92 13 01 May 6, 2012 2026253 Supersedes T. B. V921202 dated April 5, 2012 to include additional model and
model year applicability.
Customer States Windshield Wipers Streak or Smear
To avoid unnecessary replacement of wiper blades, a few potential causes such as, the condition / cleanliness of
the windshield and wiper blades, should be checked first.

Page 1 of 5
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Customer may complain that wipers are ineffective. Complaints may include that the wipers:
• Streak or smear.
• Do not clear across entire length of blade.
• Chatter or skip as wiper travels across windshield glass.

Technical Background
If addressed, the wiper performance is significantly improved, as is the longevity of the wiper blades.
The following causes are possible:
• The car wash and care products leave wax residues as well as remnants of high gloss drying aid on all glass
surfaces.
• Use of Nano coating on the windshield and rear glass.
• The rubber sections of the blade are worn.

Production Solution
No production change required.

Service
BEFORE REPLACING THE WIPER BLADES:
Check Wiper and Washer Operation
• Verify operation of windshield and rear window washer(s).

Note:
DO NOT attempt to wipe or clean windshield wiper edge. Wiper(s) are manufactured with treated surface
that requires no maintenance.

Page 2 of 5
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin

• If the washer(s) need to be adjusted, see Repair Manual Group 92 Windshield Wiper/Washer System
in ElsaWeb.
• Verify when in operation and after correct adjustment of washer(s) that wipers do not streak and properly clear
the windshield.
• If there is a concern, and before wipers are replaced, proceed with the following steps:
• Confirm that there is no foreign matter that can be cleaned/removed from glass.
• Clean glass using 3M™ Gloss enhancer and cleaner clay. See the steps outlined below.

Exterior Glass Cleaning
Residue on windshield, i.e., industrial fallout (rough surface, snake skin appearance, streaking) must be removed
prior to replacing wiper blades.
The procedure for cleaning the windshield glass (removing industrial fallout) is as follows:

With vehicle exterior (including all glass
surfaces) washed and dried, perform the
following:
• Apply 3M Perfect-It Gloss Enhancer
Part No. 39034 to windshield.
TM

TM

Page 3 of 5
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
TM

TM

Using 1/3 of a bar 3M Perfect-It
Cleaner Clay Part No. 38070:

III

• Flatten clay into a small palm size
pancake.
• With clay flat between windshield and your
hand, rub windshield (with light friction)
using a vertical motion (up/down) across
windshield.
Tip:
Ensure glass stays moist with gloss enhancer.
Clay can be flipped over when dirty.
Wipe dry with a clean/dry towel.

Tip:
It may be necessary to apply a small amount of Gloss Enhancer to the glass again when wiping dry.
Inspect glass surface using the palm of your hand (feel for rough surface).
If rough surface is found:
•

Repeat process until clean.

Tip:
TM

TM

The Cleaner Clay can be reused several times by kneading clay, however; 3M Perfect-It
on glass surface (mixed with Gloss Enhancer) must now only be used on glass surfaces.

III Cleaner Clay used

DO NOT use clay mixed with gloss enhancer on exterior body surfaces of vehicle.
Waxes, particularly those applied by car washes and industrial fallout from various sources, may leave a residue
on the windshield and wipers which affects wiping efficiency.
If after cleaning and inspecting components, the wiper blades still streak or smear, replace windshield wipers.

Page 4 of 5
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Additional Considerations
Nano coating
• Nano coating prevents moisture from covering the windshield with an even amount of water, which can lead to
streaking / chattering.
• Once applied, the Nano coatings cannot be fully removed. The residues of the Nano coating can leave marks
and/or residue on the windshield. These residues can impair the driver’s vision.
Tip:
Windshields or rear glass with marks or streaks because of residues of the Nano coating cannot be claimed under
warranty component replacement, and will be debited.
Wiper blades worn
• When working on wipers or rubber sections observe the repair manual.
• Do not adjust Aero wiper blades.

Warranty
Information only.

Required Parts and Tools
No Special Parts required.
No Special Tools required.

Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this Technical Bulletin are subject to change and/or removal.
Always check with your Parts Dept. and Repair Manuals for the latest information.

Page 5 of 5
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.