So I have a 19 power stroke 350. Out of the blue my wipers started smearing in the downward direction only. The up wipe is crystal clear. When it smears it isn’t the whole window. It’s like a 2inch wide path that follows the window right about the spot the blades and arms connect. So, what I’ve tried to fix it..... I cleaned the window with wax and grease remover and lacquer thinner from the body shop. I’ve tried 0000 steel wool on the whole window, 2 sets of blades oem and Bosch focus, replaced both wiper arms, iron remover, several washes of dawn dish soap and purple power degreaser. No go still smears on the down wipe. The best results I’ve had was rain-x on the windshield which made it stop smearing in my field of view but still smears the first two inches of the down wipe. The rain x also only helped for roughly 3 weeks and now I’m back to square one. Aside from replacing the glass which I hate to do I’m out of ideas here. 😂

 

Drivers side? Mine has done it since new. Did everything like you and just live with it. Had a shutter in the wipers which I resolved with new arms. I actually have scratches in the glass from the stock wipers. I will be interested to see if someone has a solution but you are not alone.

 

Both sides and it’s making me insane. I drive the freeway to work everyday and with Ohio weather I have to find a fix because it’s right in my field of view. My 18f250 that got bought back didn’t do it and neither did my 17f 150 which should have the same windshield.

 

I’ve had the issue before on my cars, use glass polish, clean with alcohol then apply this:

Rain Repellent Glass Treatment - Aquapel Glass Treatment

 

I am so f@&$ing glad I’m not alone!
clay bar worked for a short time, almost looks like an oily residue.

 

You have to wonder if Blade makers alter the blade to give this crap on your shield after like 2 months.
I've had it on all my vehicles at some point in time or another

 

I have had good luck using glass polish, Giroits garage sells it along with glass polishing pads for the 3" RA polisher, I get the windshield wet and then polish the whole thing, then I just hose the polish residue off and then wash the truck. I get these kinds of issues from hard water that ends up adhered to the windshield, along with the usual industrial fall out. It lasts a long time, many months or a year once I do it. You basically are compounding the windshield with polish made just for glass, I think this is likely to do a better job than the bronze wool, which might not really strip the crap adhered to the glass.

When you put rain-X or Aquapel on the windshield I find it makes it worse, as it is slippery, then the oils that come up from the road surface get pushed by the wiper blade up to the end of its travel, where they leave a deposit line, that deposit line then "trips" the wiper blade so you get one shudder, and then the wiper blade deposits another line of the crap and then you get two shudders, and so on till the wiper just shudders going back and forth. Using the glass polish gets everything off, and that seems to work the best.

Rain-X and Aquapel work really well for glass without wipers, but really make a mess with the wipers.

 

I was just thinking about this on my drive to work this morning in the wet snow... This is so annoying when the up stroke is clear and the down stroke leaves a mess. I'm not so sure it has anything to do with the glass, but the wiper/arm itself. I will be swapping out wipers this week and I may even try the little spring thingys that assist in pushing the wiper arm towards the glass to provide a bit more pressure on the wiper itself. I seem to recall I had them on my 2011 which had the same issue.

 

I've had terrible luck with Bosch blades, they are terrible in my opinion. I found the $6 cheapos at the farm store work the best. I just buy a new set every 6 months and they work great.

 

Try using a straight blade razor on the affected area to see if it takes anything up. Like @Rich53, I've used the Griot's Garage Glass Polish products with good results. That works to clean the windshield. There are ceramic coatings available for glass now. That might be something to try.

If the problem keeps coming back with different wipers, there must be something wrong with the windshield. A breakdown in the glass?

I think you guys need to post your build dates. Maybe there is a bad batch of windshields. I don't have this problem with my 2017.

 

Does it happen when you are sitting still or only when you are driving? Obviously that patch is not getting good contact on the windshield if it is smearing or there is something on the back side of the blade that is smearing after a while. But you changed blades. Could it be tree sap or something?

 

My previous job we all got Diesel Equinox's as company vehicles. On every one, the drivers side wiper would leave about a 2" wide streak throughout its entire cycle.

 

sitting still or moving it doesn’t matter.

 

don’t waste money on arms I just replaced mine under warranty and it didn’t help.

 

Wash and wax often. Clean with car cleaner and a brush. Replace wipers often. I find the dirtier the windshield gets the less the wipers are smear free. Regular washing and waxing, cleaning, replacement of blades is Ford Service plan.