If I knen what it was called I could look it up but I have no idea what it is or what function it provides. Any insight appreciated. Thanks, J
The wiper on the driver side merely attaches to a splined shaft. The wiper on the passenger side has exposed linkage arms which are always in motion when the wipers are operating. That cover will also help to keep debris from becoming wedged in that linkage.
Oh, they went back to the double-jointed passenger wiper for US gen 5? US gen 1, 2, and 3 had it. I thought they had discontinued it in gen 4. If you look at the driver wiper, it simply sits on one rotating shaft. So it wipes a simple circular arc on the windshield. The passenger wiper is attached to two shafts, with an extra metal arm and a movable linkage. If you watch it in operation, you see that linkage portion doing a funky little dance. The wiper blade doesn't sweep a plain circular arc, but a more complicated shape that gets further into the corner and wipes more of the windshield. In past generations, that arrangement hasn't been used in all markets. For example, a UK gen 3 doesn't have it. One of the consequences of that is that UK gen 3 drivers are able to change their spark plugs without removing the wipers first, while we in the US have to do extra work. The double-jointed wiper makes for a deeper cowl that gets in the way of removing the spark coils, in gen 3 anyway. Also, there are a couple of bearings in that linkage (concealed by that aerodynamic cover) that may need lubrication once the car is of a certain age. If you notice the wipers moving extra slowly, and they still move extra slowly even with the blades lifted off the glass, it's probably those bearings. You can just take the arm off and shoot lube into the bearings from underneath—easier than trying to take off that plastic cover for access from above. It doesn't come off easily. Other than those two minor disadvantages, it's just kind of a cool clever hack to wipe more of the big vast windshield.
How do you take the cover off? I have some white looking substance blobs on it and want to take it off to try to clan it....a spot cleaning didn't work
I don't know if you can. Looking at the repair manual, it appears to be integrated into the wiper arm and is not a separate piece. If you really want to take it off to clean it, the wiper arm is held in with only two bolts/screws. Pop off the caps with a small screwdriver to access the fasteners. Don't know if they're a hex head or a torx.
With gen 3 North America Prius, wipers needed to come off, plus wiper motor/linkage, plus the metal cowl underneath, in order to extract the coils and spark plugs. Ditto for EGR cleaning, but don’t get me started.
Like a lot of plastic covers made with claws that bend when it is first snapped on at the factory, but not really intended to be removed after that, it can be a challenge. You may have to pry on those claws, maybe more than one at a time, and not so much that you break them so it won't stay back on. Easiest to take the arm off anyway for access to the claws. I removed it once on my gen 1 so I could get access to lube the two bearings underneath, but decided it was both difficult and unnecessary. Once you've taken the arm off anyway, no reason not to just flip it over and lube the bearings from the bottom.
I'll try different types of cleaners then to get the white splotches off...thought it was bird stuff at first but after using an all purpose cleaner and microfiber on it, nio budge
